View source for Frank Robinson

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1935–2019)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Frank Robinson
|image=Frank Robinson 1961.jpg
|caption=Robinson with the Cincinnati Reds in 1961
|position=[[Outfielder]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]] 
|birth_date={{Birth date |1935|8|31}}
|birth_place=[[Beaumont, Texas]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2019|2|7|1935|8|31}}
|death_place=[[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=April 17
|debutyear=1956
|debutteam=Cincinnati Redlegs
|finalleague=MLB
|finaldate=September 18
|finalyear=1976
|finalteam=Cleveland Indians
|statleague=MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.294
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hit]]s
|stat2value=2,943
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=586
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=1,812
|stat5label=Managerial record
|stat5value=1,065–1,176
|stat6label=Winning %
|stat6value={{Winning percentage|1065|1176}}
|teams=
;As player
*[[Cincinnati Reds|Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds]] ({{mlby|1956}}–{{mlby|1965}})
*[[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1971}})
*[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|1972}})
*[[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] ({{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1974}})
*[[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1974}}–{{mlby|1976}})
;As manager
*[[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1975}}–{{mlby|1977}})
*[[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1981}}–{{mlby|1984}})
*[[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|1988}}–{{mlby|1991}})
*[[Montreal Expos]] / [[Washington Nationals]] ({{mlby|2002}}–{{mlby|2006}})
;As coach
*[[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] ({{mlby|1977}})
*[[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1980}})
*[[Milwaukee Brewers]] ({{mlby|1984}})
*[[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|1985}}–{{mlby|1987}})
|highlights=
*14× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1956]], [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1957]], [[1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1959]], [[1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1959²]], [[1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1961]], [[1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1961²]], [[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1962²]], [[1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1965]]–[[1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1967]], [[1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1969]]–[[1971 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1971]], [[1974 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1974]])
*2× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1966}}, {{wsy|1970}})
*2× [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] (1961, 1966)
*[[World Series MVP]] (1966)
*[[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (1966)
*[[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award#National League winners (1949–present)|NL Rookie of the Year]] (1956)
*[[Gold Glove Award]] (1958)
*[[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|AL batting champion]] (1966)
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|AL home run leader]] (1966)
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders|AL RBI leader]] (1966)
*[[AL Manager of the Year]] (1989)
*[[Cincinnati Reds#Retired numbers|Cincinnati Reds No. 20]] retired
*[[Baltimore Orioles#Retired numbers|Baltimore Orioles No. 20]] retired
*[[Cleveland Guardians#Retired numbers|Cleveland Guardians No. 20]] retired
*[[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]]
*[[Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame]]
*[[Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame]]
*[[Hall of Fame Ring of Honor (Washington, D.C.)|Washington Nationals Ring of Honor]] 
|hoflink=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype=National
|hofdate=[[1982 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1982]]
|hofvote=89.2% (first ballot)
}}

'''Frank Robinson''' (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019), nicknamed "'''the Judge'''", was an American professional [[baseball]] [[outfielder]] and [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) who played for five teams over 21 seasons: the [[Cincinnati Reds]] (1956–1965), [[Baltimore Orioles]] (1966–1971), [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (1972), [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] (1973–1974), and [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] (1974–1976). In 1975, Robinson became the first [[African Americans|Black]] manager in big-league history, as the [[player-manager (baseball)|player-manager]] of the Indians.

The first player to be named [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] (MVP) of both the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) and the [[American League]] (AL), Robinson was named the NL MVP after leading the Cincinnati Reds to the pennant in {{baseball year|1961}} and was named the AL MVP in {{baseball year|1966}} with the Baltimore Orioles after winning the [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]]; Robinson's 49 [[home runs]] (HR) that year tied for the most by any AL player between {{baseball year|1962}} and {{baseball year|1989}}, and stood as a franchise record for 30 years. He helped lead the Orioles to the first two [[World Series]] titles in franchise history in [[1966 World Series|1966]] and [[1970 World Series|1970]], and was named the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|Series MVP]] in 1966 after leading the Orioles to a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A 14-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]], Robinson batted .300 nine times, hit 30 home runs 11 times, and led his league in [[Slugging percentage|slugging]] four times and in [[run (baseball)|runs scored]] three times. His 586 career home runs ranked fourth in major league history at the time of his retirement, and he ranked sixth in [[total bases]] (5,373) and [[extra-base hits]] (1,186), eighth in [[games played]] (2,808), and ninth in runs scored (1,829). His 2,943 career [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] are the most since {{baseball year|1934}} by any player who fell short of the [[3,000 hit club|3,000-hit]] mark. He was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in his first year of eligibility in [[1982 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1982]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Robinson, Frank |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/robinson-frank |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref>

After managing the Indians, Robinson went on to manage the [[San Francisco Giants]], Baltimore Orioles, and [[Montreal Expos]] / [[Washington Nationals]]. For most of the last two decades of his life, Robinson served in various executive positions for Major League Baseball concluding his career as honorary president of the American League.<ref name="cincy">{{cite web |last=Fay |first=John |date=February 8, 2019 |title=Frank Robinson was part of the worst trade in modern Reds history |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2019/02/07/frank-robinson-baseball-hall-fame-member-dead-83/2722769002 |access-date=August 9, 2019 |website=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]}}</ref>

==Early life==
Robinson was born in [[Beaumont, Texas]]. He was the youngest of Ruth Shaw's ten children and the only child of her marriage to Frank Robinson.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Robinson |url=https://www.famousafricanamericans.org/frank-robinson |website=Famous African Americans |access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> His parents divorced when he was an infant, and his mother moved with her children to [[Alameda, California]], and then to the [[West Oakland]] neighborhood of nearby [[Oakland, California|Oakland]].<ref name="sabr">{{cite web |last=Kates |first=Maxwell |title=Frank Robinson (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/c3ac5482 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> He attended [[McClymonds High School]] in Oakland where he was a [[high school basketball|basketball]] teammate of [[Bill Russell]]. He was a baseball teammate of [[Vada Pinson]] and [[Curt Flood]].<ref>{{cite web |last=O'Malley |first=Pat |date=December 12, 1990 |title=Who's Better At Hoops: Bill Russell Or Frank Robinson? |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1990/12/12/whos-better-at-hoops-bill-russell-or-frank-robinson/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105012416/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1990-12-12/news/0503070267_1_arundel-county-anne-arundel-frank-robinson |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref> He also played [[American Legion Baseball]].<ref name=sabr/>

==Playing career==
===Minor leagues===
In 1953, [[Bobby Mattick]], a [[scout (sports)|scout]] for the [[Cincinnati Reds]], signed Robinson to a contract worth $3,500 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|3500|1953}}}} in current dollar terms).<ref name=sabr/> He made his professional debut for the [[Ogden Reds]] of the Class C [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]. He batted .348 with 17 home runs and 83 [[runs batted in]] (RBI) in 72 games played.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frank Robinson Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=robins001fra |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> He was promoted to the [[Tulsa Oilers (baseball)|Tulsa Oilers]] of the [[Class AA]] [[Texas League]] in 1954, but was demoted to the [[Columbia Reds]] of the [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] [[South Atlantic League]]. He returned to Columbia in 1955.<ref name=sabr/>

===Major Leagues===
====Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds (1956–1965)====
Robinson made his major league debut on April 17, [[1956 Cincinnati Reds season|1956]] at the age of 20.<ref name="bbref">{{cite web |title=Frank Robinson Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinfr02.shtml |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> After posting 11 consecutive losing seasons, the Reds surprised their opposition by jumping to first place at the mid-point of the 1956 season. Robinson led the team with 18 home runs at mid-season, earning him the role as starting left fielder for the National League in the [[1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1956 All-Star Game]].<ref name=sabr/><ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Robinson 1956 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=robinfr02&t=b&year=1956 |access-date=October 10, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> The Reds stayed in the pennant race until the last day of the season, ending up with a 91–63 record, two games behind the [[1956 Brooklyn Dodgers season|Brooklyn Dodgers]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1956 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1956-schedule-scores.shtml |access-date=June 29, 2011 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

Robinson ended the 1956 season with a .290 [[Batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and 83 RBIs, and his 38 home runs tied the Major League Baseball record for home runs hit by a Rookie player previously set by [[Wally Berger]] in {{mlby|1930}}.<ref name="bbref"/><ref name="Most Home Runs by a Rookie Player">{{cite web |title=Most Home Runs by a Rookie Player |url=https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask?q=all-time+most+home+runs+by+a+rookie |access-date=October 14, 2023 |website=[[StatMuse]]}}</ref> His rookie home run record stood for 31 years when it was broken by [[Mark McGwire]]'s 49 home runs in {{mlby|1987}}.<ref name="Most Home Runs by a Rookie Player"/> His impressive power hitting display earned him the {{mlby|1956}} National League [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1956 Rookie of the Year voting |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1956.shtml#all_NL_ROY_voting |access-date=October 14, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

In [[1957 Cincinnati Reds season|1957]], the Reds were once again in first place at mid-season when, Robinson and six of his Redleg teammates—[[Ed Bailey]], [[Johnny Temple]], [[Don Hoak]], [[Gus Bell]], [[Wally Post]] and [[Roy McMillan]]—were voted into the National League starting lineup for the [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1957 All-Star Game]]. An investigation launched by [[Commissioner of Baseball|Commissioner]] [[Ford C. Frick]] found that the majority of the ballots cast had come from Cincinnati as the result of a [[ballot stuffing]] campaign by Reds fans.<ref name="The stuff of legends: In 1957, Cincinnati fans stacked the All-Star team too">{{cite web |last=Wulf |first=Steve |date=June 29, 2015 |title=The stuff of legends: In 1957, Cincinnati fans stacked the All-Star team too |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/13168334/1957-cincinnati-fans-stacked-all-star-team-too |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

Frick allowed Robinson to remain on the team while Bell and Post were replaced on the NL starting roster by outfielders [[Hank Aaron]] and [[Willie Mays]].<ref name="The stuff of legends: In 1957, Cincinnati fans stacked the All-Star team too"/> Bell remained as a reserve player, but Post was removed from the roster altogether.<ref name="The stuff of legends: In 1957, Cincinnati fans stacked the All-Star team too"/> Subsequently, Frick suspended fans' All-Star game voting rights until they were eventually restored in [[1970 in baseball|1970]].<ref name="The stuff of legends: In 1957, Cincinnati fans stacked the All-Star team too"/> The Reds faltered after the All-Star break and dropped to fourth place in the season final standings.

Robinson earned the 1957 ''[[Associated Press]]'' National League Sophomore-of-the-Year award by improving his batting average to .322, tying him with Hank Aaron for third place in the [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|1957 NL batting championship]] race behind future Hall of Fame members [[Stan Musial]] (.366) and Willie Mays (.333).<ref name="Robinson Says Credit Of Honor Belongs To Tebbetts">{{cite news |last=Schechter |first=Mal |date=November 2, 1957 |title=Robinson Says Credit Of Honor Belongs To Tebbetts |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XNwbAAAAIBAJ&pg=4969,59766&dq=birdie+tebbetts&hl=en |access-date=June 29, 2011 |work=[[The Dispatch]] |page=16 |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1957 Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1957-batting-leaders.shtml |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He credited manager, [[Birdie Tebbetts]] for his performance saying, "He kept after me all year and that's what a young ball player needs."<ref name="Robinson Says Credit Of Honor Belongs To Tebbetts"/> In [[1958 Cincinnati Reds season|1958]], Robinson would win the only [[Gold Glove Award]] of his career however, his batting average dropped to .269 as the Reds fell to last place in the National League, prompting Tebbetts to announce his resignation on August 14.<ref name="bbref"/><ref>{{cite web |title=1958 National League Gold Glove Award winners |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl.shtml#1958 |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 15, 1958 |title=Birdie Tebbetts Quits As Cincinnati Manager |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x1QuAAAAIBAJ&pg=500,2128191&dq=birdie+tebbetts&hl=en |access-date=October 12, 2023 |work=[[The Daily Gazette|Schenectady Gazette]] |page=26 |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> In [[1959 Cincinnati Reds season|1959]], Robinson improved to a .311 batting average along with 36 home runs and 125 RBIs in 146 games.<ref name="bbref"/> He also enjoyed a productive [[1960 Cincinnati Reds season|1960]], batting .297 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs in 139 games. That year, Robinson led the major leagues in [[slugging percentage]] (.595) and [[on-base plus slugging]] (1.002), and also ranked first in the NL in [[hit by pitch]]es (nine).<ref name="bbref" />
[[File:Frank Robinson 1961.png|thumb|left|Robinson with the Reds in 1961]]
In [[1961 Cincinnati Reds season|1961]], Robinson moved to right field and produced another strong offensive season.<ref name=sabr/> In July he batted .409, hit 13 home runs, and drove in 34 runs to win [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award|NL Player of the Month]] Award, and finished the season with a .323 batting average with 37 home runs and 124 RBIs in 153 games, helping to propel the Reds to the {{mlby|1961}} [[List of National League pennant winners|National League pennant]].<ref name="bbref"/><ref>{{cite web |title=MLB Major League Baseball Players of the Month |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mlb-players-of-the-month.shtml |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> His performance earned him the 1961 National League [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1961 National League Most Valuable Player voting results |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1961.shtml#NL_MVP_voting |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> In the [[1961 World Series]] against the [[1961 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]], Robinson had a lackluster performance, producing only three hits as the Reds fell to the Yankees in five games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Robinson postseason batting statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinfr02.shtml#batting_postseason |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

Robinson hit a career-high .342 in [[1962 Cincinnati Reds season|1962]], just four points behind the NL batting champion, [[Tommy Davis (outfielder)|Tommy Davis]].<ref name="1962 Batting Leaders">{{cite web |title=1962 Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1962-batting-leaders.shtml |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He also led the league in [[Run (baseball)|runs scored]] (134), [[Double (baseball)|doubles]] (51), [[on-base percentage]] (.421), slugging percentage (.624) and on-base plus slugging (1.045).<ref name="1962 Batting Leaders"/> Robinson's season totals for runs scored, doubles, RBIs (136) and on-base percentage were also career-highs.<ref name="bbref"/>

Robinson was noted as a fiercely aggressive player. He [[Cleat (shoe)|spiked]] [[Johnny Logan (baseball)|Johnny Logan]] in 1957, causing Logan to miss six weeks. In a game against the [[1960 Milwaukee Braves season|Milwaukee Braves]] on August 15, 1960, Robinson slid hard into third base, prompting a fistfight with Milwaukee's future Hall of Fame third baseman, [[Eddie Mathews]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sharnik |first=Morton |date=June 17, 1963 |title=The Moody Tiger of the Reds |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/06/17/the-moody-tiger-of-the-reds |access-date=February 7, 2019 |newspaper=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

====Baltimore Orioles (1966–1971)====
On December 9, 1965, Reds owner [[Bill DeWitt]] traded Robinson to the [[Baltimore Orioles]] in exchange for [[pitcher]] [[Milt Pappas]], pitcher [[Jack Baldschun]], and outfielder [[Dick Simpson]].<ref name="bbref" /> The trade turned out to be very lopsided. DeWitt, who had a slew of successful trades including his time as [[general manager]] in Detroit and the early 1960s rebuilding the Reds, famously referred to Robinson as "not a young 30" after the trade. The Reds led the NL in offense in 1965 and needed pitching. Pappas, who was a consistent performer in Baltimore was a major disappointment in Cincinnati while Robinson had continued success in Baltimore.<ref>"Baseball: More Than 150 Years" by David Nemec and Saul Wisnia. Publications International, Ltd. 1997, p. 413</ref> In Robinson's first year in Baltimore, he won the [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]], leading the American League with a .316 batting average (then the lowest ever by a Triple Crown winner), a career high 49 home runs (the most ever by a right-handed Triple crown winner) and 122 RBIs in 155 games.<ref name="bbref" /> On May 8, 1966, Robinson became the only player ever to hit a home run completely out of [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]].<ref>Connolly, Dan. 100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, [[Triumph Books]], Chicago, 2015, {{ISBN|978-1629370415}}, p. 117</ref> The shot came off of [[Luis Tiant]] in the second game of a [[doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] against the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]], and the home run measured {{convert|541|ft}}. Until the Orioles' move to [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards|Camden Yards]] in 1992, a flag labeled "HERE" was flown at the spot where the ball left the stadium.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Landers |first1=Charles |date=May 8, 2017 |title=Frank Robinson once took a Luis Tiant fastball 541 feet straight out of Memorial Stadium |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/frank-robinson-hits-541-foot-home-run-out-of-memorial-stadium-against-luis-tiant |website=Cut4 |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

The Orioles won the [[1966 World Series]], and Robinson was named [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series Most Valuable Player]]. In the Orioles' four-game sweep of the defending champion [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], Robinson hit two home runs—one in Game 1 (which Baltimore won 5–2), and one in Game 4 (the only run of the game in a 1–0 series-clinching victory). Robinson hit both home runs off of [[Don Drysdale]].<ref>{{cite web |date=January 1, 1970 |title=1966 World Series – Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers (4–0) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1966_WS.shtml |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

During the 1969 season, Robinson brought some humor to the Orioles' clubhouse by presiding over their kangaroo court, held after every Oriole win. As the judge, he would hear arguments from both sides and give out fines for minor infractions (such as one dollar per lady talked to during a game) and "awards", named after people notoriously bad at a certain skill and involving a prop the "winner" had to display until the next court session. For instance, [[Jim Palmer]] once won the John Mason Baserunning Award, a smelly, decrepit baseball cleat presented for baserunning gaffes. Palmer credited the kangaroo court for helping the Orioles bond as a team.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Palmer |first1=Jim |title=Palmer and Weaver: Together We Were Eleven Foot Nine |last2=Dale |first2=Jim |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing|Andrews and McMeel]] |year=1996 |isbn=0836207815 |location=Kansas City |pages=27–29}}</ref>

On June 26, 1970, Robinson hit back-to-back [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slams]] in the fifth and sixth innings in the Orioles' 12–2 victory over the [[1970 Washington Senators season|Washington Senators]]. The same runners were on base both times: [[Dave McNally]] was on third base, [[Don Buford]] was on second, and [[Paul Blair (baseball)|Paul Blair]] was on first.<ref>{{cite web |author=Huber |first=Mike |title=June 26, 1970: Frank Robinson's back-to-back grand slams |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-26-1970-frank-robinsons-back-back-grand-slams |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

The Orioles won three consecutive American League pennants between 1969 and 1971. Before the [[1969 World Series]], Robinson said, "Bring on the Mets and [[Rod Gaspar|Ron Gaspar]]!" He was told by his teammate [[Merv Rettenmund]], "It's Rod, stupid." He then retorted by saying, "OK. Bring on Rod Stupid!"<ref>{{cite web |title=Ultimate Mets Database – Memories of Rod Gaspar |url=http://ultimatemets.com/profile.php?PlayerCode=0172&tabno=7 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=Ultimate Mets Database}}</ref> Baltimore won the [[1970 World Series]] over the Reds.<ref name=sabr/>

====Final years as a player (1972–1976)====
[[File:Frank Robinson 1973.jpg|thumb|Robinson, circa 1973]]
Robinson was traded along with [[Pete Richert]] from the Orioles to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] for [[Doyle Alexander]], [[Bob O'Brien (baseball)|Bob O'Brien]], [[Sergio Robles]] and [[Royle Stillman]] at the [[Winter Meetings]] on December 2, 1971.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/03/archives/dodgers-get-frank-robinson-and-trade-allen-in-separate-deals-by.html |author=Durso, Joseph |title=White Sox Add Bahnsen, Ship McKinney to Yanks |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 3, 1971}}</ref> When the [[1972 Major League Baseball strike]] occurred, Robinson was one of three Dodgers out of thirty who voted against it. When the vote was announced, he said, "I don't believe in the strike, and I voted against it. But I was voted down, so now I'm on your side. I'm with you guys."<ref name="John">{{cite book |last1=John |first1=Tommy |title=TJ: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball |last2=Valenti |first2=Dan |publisher=[[Bantam Books]] |year=1991 |isbn=0-553-07184-X |location=New York |page=127}}</ref> The 1972 season was his first season in the National League since playing with the 1965 Reds. He played 103 games while compiling a .251 batting average, 59 RBIs, 86 hits, and 19 home runs.<ref name="bbref"/> Teammate [[Tommy John]] said, "Frank didn't have a great year in 1972, but he played hard all year...He set a positive role model for the team."<ref name="John"/>

Robinson's only season with the Dodgers ended when he was dealt along with [[Bill Singer]], [[Bobby Valentine]], [[Billy Grabarkewitz]] and [[Mike Strahler]] to the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] for [[Andy Messersmith]] and [[Ken McMullen (baseball)|Ken McMullen]] at the Winter Meetings on November 28, 1972. The transaction was the result of Robinson's request for regular playing time, something Dodgers general manager [[Al Campanis]] wanted for the team's younger prospects. It also reunited him with Angels general manager [[Harry Dalton]] who had worked in a similar capacity when both were with the Orioles.<ref>{{cite web|first=Joseph|last=Durso|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/29/archives/angels-get-dodgers-frank-robinson-aging-star-key-in-7man-trade.html |title=Angels Get Dodgers' Frank Robinson |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 29, 1972 |access-date=February 7, 2019}}</ref> In his time with the Angels, he became their first [[designated hitter]] while also being teammates again with [[Vada Pinson]]. He played 147 games in 1973 and 129 in 1974. In his tenure with the Angels, he hit for a .259 average while posting 50 home runs, 249 hits, and 160 RBIs in 276 games.<ref name="bbref"/>

On September 12, 1974, the Angels traded Robinson to the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] for [[Ken Suarez]], cash and a [[player to be named later]] ([[Rusty Torres]]).<ref name="bbref" /> Three weeks later, the Indians named him their [[manager (baseball)|manager]] and persuaded him to continue playing. In his first at-bat as a player/manager for Cleveland in 1975, he hit a home run off of [[Doc Medich]] of the Yankees. He injured his shoulder in 1975 and did not play often. He retired from playing after the 1976 season, after batting .226 with 14 home runs in 235 at-bats for Cleveland from 1974 through 1976.<ref name="cleveland">{{Cite web |last=Peticca |first=Mike |date=May 25, 2017 |title=Frank Robinson's debut as Cleveland Indians player-manager was historic (photos, audio) |url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/05/frank_robinsons_debut_as_a_pla_1.html |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref> His final at-bat in the majors came against Baltimore on September 18, where he pinch-hit in the eighth inning and collected an RBI base hit in a 3–2 loss.<ref name=sabr/><ref>{{cite web |title=1976 Frank Robinson batting log |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=robinfr02&t=b&year=1976 |access-date=October 10, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

===Career statistics===
During a 21-year baseball career, he [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] .294 with 586 [[home run]]s, 1,812 [[run batted in|runs batted in]], and 2,943 [[Hit (baseball)|hits]].<ref name="bbref"/> At his retirement, his 586 career home runs were the fourth most in history (behind only the records of [[Hank Aaron]], [[Babe Ruth]] and [[Willie Mays]]). He is third on Cincinnati's all-time home run leaders list (324, behind [[Johnny Bench]] and [[Joey Votto]]) and is the Reds' all-time leader in slugging percentage (.554).<ref>{{Cite web |title=All-Time Reds Player Hitting Stat Leaders |url=https://www.mlb.com/reds/stats/all-time-totals |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[Cincinnati Reds]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=All-Time Reds Player Hitting Stat Leaders |url=https://www.mlb.com/reds/stats/slugging-percentage/all-time-totals |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[Cincinnati Reds]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

In his career, Robinson held several major league records. In his rookie season, he tied [[Wally Berger]]'s record for home runs by a rookie (38).<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |last=Acocella |first=Nick |title=Robinson set records and broke barriers |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/robinson_frank.html |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[ESPN Classic]]}}</ref> (The current record would be set by [[Pete Alonso]] in 2019.) Robinson still holds the record for home runs on [[Opening Day]] (8), which includes a home run in his first at bat as a player-manager.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1531731&type=page2Story |title=Most memorable opening day moments |work=[[ESPN]] |date=March 31, 2003 |access-date=February 7, 2019}}</ref>

Robinson won the 1966 American League [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (.316 batting average, 49 home runs, 122 RBIs). Only two players ([[Carl Yastrzemski]] and [[Miguel Cabrera]]) have since won the award in either league and the two [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|MVP awards]], which made him the first player in baseball history to earn the title in both leagues.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheinin |first=Dave |date=November 15, 2012 |title=Tigers' Miguel Cabrera wins AL MVP over Angels' Mike Trout |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/tigers-miguel-cabrera-wins-al-mvp-over-angels-mike-trout/2012/11/15/51cdbcda-2f5e-11e2-af17-67abba0676e2_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"  style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
! Category!! G !! BA !! AB !! R !! H !! 2B !! 3B !! HR !! RBI !! SB !! CS !! BB !! SO !! OBP !! SLG !! OPS !! PO !! A !! DP !! E !! FLD% !! {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
| Total || 2,808 || .294 || 10,006 || 1,829 || 2,943 || 528 || 72 || 586 || 1,812 || 204 || 77 || 1,420 || 1,532 || .389 || .537 || .926 || 6,346 || 333 || 263 || 106 || .984 || <ref name="bbref"/> 
|}

==Manager==

===Managing career===
Robinson managed in the winter leagues late in his playing career.<ref name=sfchronicle_obit/> By the early 1970s, he had his heart set on becoming the first black manager in the majors; the Angels traded him to the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] midway through the 1974 season due to his open campaigning for the manager's job. He was appointed player-manager by the [[1975 Cleveland Indians season|Indians]] on October 2, 1974, giving him the distinction of being the first black manager in the Majors.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 3, 1974 |title=Indians name Robinson manager |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19741003&id=EdtGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P_gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1209,526759 |access-date=February 23, 2023 |work=[[The Day (New London)|The Day]] |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> On April 8, 1975, Robinson made his debut as a player-manager; batting second as the [[designated hitter]], he hit a home run (his 575th in his career) in the bottom of the 1st inning as the team prevailed 5–3 over the New York Yankees.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/dover-times-reporter-apr-09-1975-p-18/|work=Dover Times Reporter|title=Robinson, Powell power Tribe to 5-3 victory|first=Hank|last=Kozlowski|date=April 9, 1975|access-date=July 27, 2025}}</ref> Robinson had a rocky time in Cleveland, as general manager [[Phil Seghi]] generally liked to second guess his manager along with trying to push for him to play alongside managing (the result was that he played roughly 80 games as manager). Disagreements with players such as [[Gaylord Perry]] did not help matters (he went to the press saying he wanted to be paid a dollar more than Robinson's $173,500 salary). The Indians had a 79–80 record, and had an 81–78 record in 1976, their first winning record in eight years. Cleveland started the 1977 season 26–31 and fired Robinson on June 19, 1977.<ref name="cleveland" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Popelka |first=Greg |date=July 10, 2014 |title=Frank Robinson Arrives in 1974, Clashes with Gaylord Perry – Reliving Yesteryear |url=https://waitingfornextyear.com/2014/07/frank-robinson-arrives-in-1974-clashes-with-gaylord-perry-reliving-yesteryear/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724153314/https://waitingfornextyear.com/2014/07/frank-robinson-arrives-in-1974-clashes-with-gaylord-perry-reliving-yesteryear/ |archive-date=July 24, 2014 |website=Waiting For Next Year}}</ref>

Robinson managed the [[San Francisco Giants]] from 1981 through 106 games of the 1984 season, when he was fired.<ref name=sabr/><ref name="sfchronicle_obit">{{cite web |last=Shea |first=John |date=February 7, 2019 |title=Frank Robinson, former SF Giants manager and baseball trailblazer, dies |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/article/Frank-Robinson-SF-Giants-manager-and-baseball-13598394.php |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> He finished the 1984 season as the hitting coach for the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] on a contract worth $1.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 8, 2019 |title=Photo of Frank Robinson in Brewers uniform surfaces |url=http://fox11online.com/sports/brewers-and-mlb/photo-of-frank-robinson-in-brewers-uniform-surfaces |website=[[WLUK-TV]]}}</ref> In 1985, he joined the Orioles' front office. On April 12, 1988, Robinson was named manager of the Orioles, replacing [[Cal Ripken Sr.]] after an 0–6 start to the season.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 13, 1988 |title=The Sinking Orioles Turn to Robinson for Help |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/13/sports/the-sinking-orioles-turn-to-robinson-for-help.html |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> He was awarded the [[American League Manager of the Year Award]] in 1989 for leading the Orioles to an 87–75 record, a turnaround from their previous season in which they went 54–107, and the division title came down to the final three-game series between Baltimore and the [[Toronto Blue Jays]], but the Jays would win the first two games to clinch the division.<ref name="bmore">{{cite news |first1=Mike |last1=Klingaman |first2=Childs |last2=Walker |title=Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Frank Robinson dies at 83 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-frank-robinson-20190207-story.html |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=February 7, 2019}}</ref> It would be the closest Robinson ever came to managing a team to the postseason.

[[File:Frank Robinson 1983.jpg|thumb|left|Robinson as manager of the San Francisco Giants in 1983]]
Robinson was fired by the Orioles in May 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 23, 1991 |title=Orioles fire Frank Robinson |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/05/23/Orioles-fire-Frank-Robinson/9881674971200/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[United Press International]] |language=en}}</ref> After he had spent some years known in baseball as the Director of Discipline, Robinson was chosen by MLB to manage the [[Montreal Expos]] in February 2002, which MLB owned at that time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trzcienski |first=J.S. |date=February 12, 2002 |title=For Expos' new staff, staffing's the priority |url=http://expos.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mon/news/mon_news_story.jsp?article_id=mon_20020212_staffing_news&team_id=mon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020225045346/http://expos.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mon/news/mon_news_story.jsp?article_id=mon_20020212_staffing_news&team_id=mon |archive-date=February 25, 2002 |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[Montreal Expos]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Murray|last=Chass|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/13/sports/baseball-minaya-robinson-tavares-will-now-run-the-expos.html |title=Minaya, Robinson, Tavares Will Now Run the Expos |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 13, 2002 |access-date=February 7, 2019}}</ref> The Expos, who had losing records in the five previous seasons, finished the 2002 and 2003 seasons with 83–79 records. The Expos then next slumped to a 67–95 record in 2004, their final season before relocation to [[Washington Nationals|Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="autogenerated1" />

In a June 2005 ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' poll of 450 MLB players, Robinson was selected as the worst manager in baseball, along with [[Buck Showalter]], then manager of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]. In the August 2006 poll, he again was voted worst manager with 17% of the vote and 37.7% of the NL East vote.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 22, 2006 |title=SI Players Poll |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/players/08/22/poll.0822/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901050749/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/players/08/22/poll.0822/index.html |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |access-date=May 2, 2010 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

On April 20, 2006, with the Nationals' 10–4 victory over the [[2006 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]], Robinson got his 1,000th win, becoming the 53rd manager to reach that milestone.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 20, 2006 |title=Johnson, Nats give Robinson 1000th win |url=https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=163359&hubname= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929162821/http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=163359&hubname= |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |access-date=December 4, 2018 |website=[[The Sports Network|TSN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> He had earned his 1,000th loss two seasons earlier.<ref name="bbref"/>

During a game against the [[2006 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]] on May 25, 2006, Robinson pulled Nationals [[catcher]] [[Matt LeCroy]] during the middle of the seventh inning, violating an [[unwritten rules of baseball|unwritten rule]] that managers do not remove position players in the middle of an [[inning]]. Instead, managers are supposed to discreetly switch position players in between innings. However, LeCroy, the third-string catcher, had allowed Astros baserunners to [[stolen base|steal]] seven bases over seven innings and had committed two throwing [[Error (baseball)|errors]]. Although the Nationals won the game 8–5, Robinson found the decision so difficult to make on a player he respected so much, he broke down crying during post-game interviews.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Zuckerman |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]|url=http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20060526-123213-4598r.htm|title=Robinson tearful after win|date=May 26, 2006|access-date=May 29, 2006}}</ref>

On September 30, 2006, the Nationals' management declined to renew Robinson's contract for the 2007 season, though they stated he was welcome to come to spring training in an unspecified role. Robinson, who wanted either a front office job or a consultancy, declined.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/10/AR2007011001470.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | first=Barry | last=Svrluga | title=Nats Will Not Offer Robinson a Paid Job | date=January 11, 2007}}</ref> On October 1, he managed his final game, a 6–2 loss to the [[2006 New York Mets season|Mets]], and prior to the game addressed the fans at [[RFK Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100483.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | first=Dave | last=Sheinin | title=Nats' Robinson Bids a Fond Farewell | date=October 2, 2006}}</ref> Robinson's record as a manager stood at 1,065 wins and 1,176 losses. He is one of just seven managers to have won 1,000 games without having made the postseason, and he is the only one to do it since the [[Expansion of Major League Baseball|Expansion Era]] began in 1961. Five of the other such managers won pennants in the 19th century, while the sixth, [[Jimmy Dykes]], retired as a manager in 1961.<ref name="managerial record">{{cite web |title=Frank Robinson Managerial Record |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/robinfr02.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

===Managerial record===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
|-
![[1975 Cleveland Indians season|CLE]]|| {{mlby|1975}}
||159||79||80||{{Winning percentage|79|80}}|| 4th in AL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1976 Cleveland Indians season|CLE]]|| {{mlby|1976}}
||159||81||78||{{Winning percentage|81|78}}|| 4th in AL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1977 Cleveland Indians season|CLE]]|| {{mlby|1977}}
||57||26||31||{{Winning percentage|26|31}}|| fired || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|CLE total || 375 || 186 || 189 || {{Winning percentage|186|189}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
|-
!rowspan="2"| [[1981 San Francisco Giants season|SF]]|| rowspan="2"| {{mlby|1981}}
||59||27||32||{{Winning percentage|27|32}}|| 5th in NL West || rowspan="2"| – || rowspan="2"| – || rowspan="2"| – || rowspan="2"| –
|-
||52||29||23||{{Winning percentage|29|23}}|| 3rd in NL West
|-
![[1982 San Francisco Giants season|SF]]|| {{mlby|1982}}
||162||87||75||{{Winning percentage|87|75}}|| 3rd in NL West || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1983 San Francisco Giants season|SF]]|| {{mlby|1983}}
||162||79||83||{{Winning percentage|79|83}}|| 5th in NL West || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1984 San Francisco Giants season|SF]]|| {{mlby|1984}}
||106||42||64||{{Winning percentage|42|64}}|| fired || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|SF total || 541 || 264 || 277 || {{Winning percentage|264|277}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
|-
![[1988 Baltimore Orioles season|BAL]]|| {{mlby|1988}}
||155||54||101||{{Winning percentage|54|101}}|| 7th in AL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1989 Baltimore Orioles season|BAL]]|| {{mlby|1989}}
||162||87||75||{{Winning percentage|87|75}}|| 2nd in AL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1990 Baltimore Orioles season|BAL]]|| {{mlby|1990}}
||161||76||85||{{Winning percentage|76|85}}|| 5th in AL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1991 Baltimore Orioles season|BAL]]|| {{mlby|1991}}
||37||13||24||{{Winning percentage|13|24}}|| fired || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|BAL total || 515 || 230 || 285 || {{Winning percentage|230|285}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
|-
![[2002 Montreal Expos season|MON]]|| {{mlby|2002}}
||162||83||79||{{Winning percentage|83|79}}|| 2nd in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[2003 Montreal Expos season|MON]]|| {{mlby|2003}}
||162||83||79||{{Winning percentage|83|79}}|| 4th in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[2004 Montreal Expos season|MON]]|| {{mlby|2004}}
||162||67||95||{{Winning percentage|67|95}}|| 5th in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[2005 Washington Nationals season|WAS]]|| {{mlby|2005}}
||162||81||81||{{Winning percentage|81|81}}|| 5th in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-
![[2006 Washington Nationals season|WAS]]|| {{mlby|2006}}
||162||71||91||{{Winning percentage|71|91}}|| 5th in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|MON/ WAS total || 810 || 385 || 425 || {{Winning percentage|385|425}} || || 0 || 0 || – ||
|-
! colspan="2"|Total<ref name="managerial record"/> || 2241 || 1065 || 1176 || {{Winning percentage|1065|1176}} || || 0 || 0 || – || 
|}

==Honors==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = FrankRobinson20.png
|Name   = Frank Robinson 
|Number = 20
|Team   = Baltimore Orioles
|Year   = 1972
}}
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = CincinnatiReds20.png
|Name   = Frank Robinson 
|Number = 20
|Team   = Cincinnati Reds
|Year   = 1998
}}
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = Indians20 FrankRobinson.png
|Name   = Frank Robinson 
|Number = 20
|Team   = Cleveland Indians
|Year   = 2017
}}
In addition to his two [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] awards (1961 and 1966) and his [[World Series Most Valuable Player]] award (1966), Robinson was honored in 1966 with the [[Hickok Belt]] as the top professional athlete of the year in any sport.<ref>''Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures'', 2008 Edition, p.153, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, [[Penguin Group]], New York, {{ISBN|978-0-451-22363-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 31, 1935 |title=Frank Robinson |url=http://hickokbelt.com/winners/past-winners/winners/frank-robinson/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209123904/http://hickokbelt.com/winners/past-winners/winners/frank-robinson/ |archive-date=February 9, 2019 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[Hickok Belt]]}}</ref>

In 1982, Robinson was inducted into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] as a Baltimore Oriole.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Muder |first1=Craig |title=Aaron, Robinson elected to Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/hank-aaron-frank-robinson-elected-1982 |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref> Robinson is also a charter member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (along with [[Brooks Robinson]]), and a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, being inducted into both in 1978. He was named to the [[Hall of Fame Ring of Honor (Washington, D.C.)|Washington Nationals Ring of Honor]] for his "significant contribution to the game of baseball in Washington, D.C." on May 9, 2015. He was inducted into the [[Cleveland Guardians award winners and league leaders#Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame|Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame]] in 2016. The Reds, Orioles, and Indians have retired his uniform number 20. He is one of only two major-league players, the other being [[Nolan Ryan]], to have his number retired by three different organizations.<ref name="mlb.com_obit">{{cite web |last=Justice |first=Richard |date=February 7, 2019 |title=Frank Robinson dies |url=https://www.mlb.com/orioles/news/frank-robinson-dies/c-303656538 |website=[[Baltimore Orioles]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

In 1999, Robinson ranked 22nd on ''[[The Sporting News]]'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 100 Greatest Players|magazine=[[The Sporting News]]|date=April 26, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050416222917/http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-26.html |archive-date=April 16, 2005 |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-22.html}}</ref> He was nominated as a finalist for the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/sports/tv-sports-all-century-became-all-about-rose-and-gray.html|title=All-Century Became All About Rose and Gray|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 31, 1999}}</ref> In 2020, ''[[The Athletic]]'' ranked Robinson at number 20 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter [[Joe Posnanski]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Posnanski |first1=Joe |title=The Baseball 100: No. 20, Frank Robinson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1656440/2020/03/07/the-baseball-100-no-20-frank-robinson/ |magazine=[[The Athletic]] |date=March 7, 2020}}</ref>

Three teams have honored Robinson with statues: 
*In 2003, the Reds dedicated a bronze statue of Robinson at [[Great American Ball Park]].<ref name="cincy"/>
*In 2012, the Orioles unveiled a bronze statue of Robinson at [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards]] as part of the Orioles Legends Celebration Series.<ref>{{cite web |last=Seidel |first=Jeff |date=April 28, 2012 |title=O's pay tribute to Robinson at Camden Yards |url=http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120428&content_id=29881704&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508212529/http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120428&content_id=29881704&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal |archive-date=May 8, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2012 |website=[[Baltimore Orioles]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>
*In 2017, the Indians unveiled a bronze statue of Robinson in front of [[Progressive Field]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Meisel |first=Zack |date=January 24, 2017 |title=Cleveland Indians to unveil statues honoring Robinson and Boudreau |url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/01/cleveland_indians_to_unveil_st_1.html |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref>

===Awards===

[[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] awarded Robinson the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] on November 9, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 10, 2005 |title=President Offers Tributes to Medal of Freedom Honorees |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/politics/president-offers-tributes-to-medal-of-freedom-honorees.html |access-date=February 7, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

The citation on the award read:

{{cquote|"Frank Robinson played the game of baseball with total integrity and steadfast determination. He won Most Valuable Player awards in both the National and American Leagues. He achieved the American League Triple Crown in 1966. His teams won five League titles and two World Series championships. In 1975, Frank Robinson broke the color barrier as baseball's first African-American manager, and he later won Manager of the Year awards in both the National and American Leagues. The United States honors Frank Robinson for his extraordinary achievements as a baseball player and manager and for setting a lasting example of character in athletics."|}}

On April 13, 2007, Robinson was awarded the first Jackie Robinson Society Community Recognition Award at [[George Washington University]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Fendrich |first=Howard |date=July 9, 2012 |title=Frank Robinson in town for honor |url=http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/042007/04132007/275557?rss=local |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709073358/http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/042007/04132007/275557?rss=local |archive-date=July 9, 2012 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=[[The Free Lance–Star]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

==Front office and media career==
[[File:Frank Robinson signs autographs in Jan 2014.jpg|thumb|Robinson in January 2014]]
Robinson served as an assistant [[general manager (baseball)|general manager]] for the Orioles through 1995 when he was fired.<ref name="home again"/> He worked for MLB as vice president of on-field operations from 1999 to 2002. He was responsible for player discipline, uniform policy, stadium configuration, and other on-field issues.<ref name="mlb.mlb.com">{{cite web |title=MLB Executives |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/executives.jsp?bio=robinson_frank |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023014133/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/executives.jsp?bio=robinson_frank |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=October 6, 2013 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref>

Robinson served as an analyst for [[ESPN]] during [[spring training]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Svrluga |first=Barry |date=January 24, 2007 |title=ESPN Hires Frank Robinson As an Analyst |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012401440_pf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102175601/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012401440_pf.html |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |access-date=May 2, 2010 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> The Nationals offered to honor Robinson during a May 20 game against his former club, the [[Baltimore Orioles]], but he refused.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021501676.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=Robinson Declines Celebration in His Honor | first=Barry | last=Svrluga | date=February 16, 2007 | access-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref>

In 2007, Robinson rejoined the MLB front office serving as a special advisor for baseball operations from 2007 to 2009. He then served as special assistant to [[Bud Selig]] from 2009 to 2010 and was named senior vice president for major league operations from 2010 to 2011. In June 2012, he became executive vice president of baseball development.<ref name="mlb.mlb.com"/> In February 2015, Robinson left that position and was named senior advisor to the [[Commissioner of Baseball]] and honorary American League president.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 2, 2015 |title=Hall of Famer Robinson to become senior adviser to MLB commish |url=http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/frank-robinson-new-job-senior-adviser-commissioner-rob-manfred-american-honorary-president-020215 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214100907/http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/frank-robinson-new-job-senior-adviser-commissioner-rob-manfred-american-honorary-president-020215 |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |work=[[Fox Sports]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

==Personal life==
While playing for the Reds in the late 1950s, Robinson attended [[Xavier University]] in Cincinnati during the off-season.<ref name="Moffi">Moffi, Larry and Kronstadt, Jonathan. Crossing the Line: Black Major Leaguers, 1947–1959. [[McFarland & Company]] (1994). pp. 156. {{ISBN|0-899-50930-4}}</ref> While in Baltimore, he became active in the [[civil rights movement]]. He originally declined membership in the [[NAACP]] unless the organization promised not to make him do public appearances. However, after witnessing Baltimore's [[Housing segregation in the United States|segregated housing]] and [[Housing discrimination in the United States|discriminatory real estate practices]], he reconsidered and became an enthusiastic speaker on racial issues.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

On February 9, 1961, Robinson pulled a [[.25 caliber]] pistol during an argument in a Cincinnati restaurant. He pleaded guilty on March 20 to a charge of carrying a concealed weapon and was sentenced to pay a $250 fine ({{Inflation|US|250|1961|fmt=eq}}).<ref>{{cite news |date=March 20, 1961 |title=Major Leaguer Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94248321/frank-robinson-pleads-guilty-to-weapons/ |access-date=February 7, 2022 |work=[[Record-Journal|The Journal]] |pages=16 |via=[[Ancestry.com|Newspapers.com]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

Robinson met Barbara Ann Cole in 1961; they married that year<ref name=sabr/> and lived in [[Los Angeles]] where Barbara sold real estate.<ref name="home again">{{cite news |last=Bamberger |first=Michael |date=June 2, 1997 |title=Home Again Frank Robinson is Back Where He Belongs: In the Game |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1997/06/02/home-again-frank-robinson-is-back-where-he-belongs-in-the-game |access-date=February 7, 2019 |newspaper=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref> They had two children.<ref name=mlb.com_obit/> In 2003, he guest starred on an [[List of Yes, Dear episodes#Season 3 (2002–03)|episode]] of ''[[Yes, Dear]]'' as himself, along with [[Ernie Banks]] and [[Johnny Bench]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/yes_dear/s03/e16| title = Yes, Dear: Season 3, Episode 16 - Rotten Tomatoes| website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>

On February 7, 2019, Robinson died of [[bone cancer]] in Los Angeles at the age of 83.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Goldstein (writer, born 1942) |date=February 7, 2019 |title=Frank Robinson, Hall of Fame Slugger and First Black Baseball Manager, Dies at 83 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/obituaries/frank-robinson-dead.html |access-date=2025-04-09 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Major League Baseball titles leaders]]
* [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Major League Baseball Triple Crown]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hit by pitch leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball managerial wins and winning percentage leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball managers with most career ejections]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball player-managers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball single-game grand slam leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
===Works by Robinson===
*{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=Frank |last2=Silverman |first2=Al |title=My Life Is Baseball |publisher=Doubleday |date=1968 |isbn=9997502442 |url=https://archive.org/details/mylifeisbaseball00robi |url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=Frank |last2=Anderson |first2=Dave |title=Frank: The First Year |publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston |date=1976 |isbn=0030149517 |url=https://archive.org/details/frankfirstyear00robi |url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=Frank |last2=Stainback |first2=Berry |title=Extra Innings |publisher=McGraw-Hill |date=1988 |isbn=0070531838 |url=https://archive.org/details/extrainnings0000robi |url-access=registration}}

===Others===
* {{cite book |title=Frank Robinson: A Baseball Biography |first=John C. |last=Skipper |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |date=2014 |isbn=978-0786475612 |url=https://archive.org/details/frankrobinsonbas0000skip |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=Adelman |first1=Tom |title=Black and Blue: Sandy Koufax, the Robinson Boys, and the World Series That Stunned America |year=2007 |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |url=https://archive.org/details/blackbluesandyko0000adel/mode/2up |isbn=978-0316067157 }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=121311|espn=26857|br=r/robinfr02|fangraphs=1011066|brm=robins001fra|retro=R/Probif103}}
*{{baseball-reference manager|robinfr02}}
*{{bbhof|robinson-frank}}
*{{sabrbio|c3ac5482}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0732629|name=Frank Robinson}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box| before = [[Mickey Mantle]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]]| years = May 2, 1959 | after = [[Brooks Robinson]]}}
{{succession box |before = [[George Altman]]<br />[[Ron Santo]] |title = [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award|Major League Player of the Month]] |years = July 1961<br />August 1964 |after = [[Warren Spahn]]<br />[[Bob Gibson]]}}
{{Succession box |before = [[Jim Northrup (baseball)|Jim Northrup]] |title = [[Batters with two Grand Slams in the same baseball game|Two Grand Slams in a game]] |years = June 26, 1970 |after = [[Robin Ventura]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Jim Frey]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore Orioles Hitting Coach]]|years=1978–1980}} 
{{s-aft|after= [[Ralph Rowe]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jim Frey]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore Orioles First Base Coach]]|years=1980}} 
{{s-aft|after= [[Jimmy Williams (coach)|Jimmy Williams]]}}
{{s-bef|before=vacant}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore Orioles Bench Coach]]|years=1985–1987}} 
{{s-aft|after= vacant}}
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