The Baltimore Orioles have had many legends during their existence, and we have highlighted some of the biggest ones from their history during Black History Month.
One of the biggest legends to don the orange and black is none other than National Baseball Hall of Famer, outfielder Frank Robinson.
Robinson was already an established All-Star and MVP when he joined the Orioles. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, he would make his MLB debut on April 17, 1956. In turn to winning NL Rookie of the Year, Robinson helped the Reds to their first winning season in 12 years and would establish himself as one of the most feared hitters in the National League, tying the record for home runs by a rookie (38).
The fiercely aggressive Robinson played 10 seasons for the Reds, winning the NL MVP in 1961 and making the All-Star team six of his 10 seasons in Cincinnati.
On December 9, 1965, Reds owner Bill Dewitt traded Robinson to the Orioles for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson. DeWitt said that Robinson was “not a young 30.” That comment must have fueled Robinson, as he led the Orioles to the 1966 World Series title.
Along the way, Robinson would win the AL Triple Crown and MVP Award, the first player to ever win an MVP in both leagues. He was a key component of the Birds’ run from 1969-1971. During that time, the O’s won three AL pennants, averaging 106 wins and culminating with the 1971 World Series victory.
While with the Orioles, Robinson would become a part of the Civil Rights movement. He would join the NAACP and became an outspoken speaker on racial issues when he witnessed Baltimore’s housing segregation and discriminatory real estate practices.
Robinson would be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971 and would play for the California Angels and the Cleveland Indians before retiring in 1976. After his playing career would end, Robinson would get into coaching, first as a player/manager for the Indians.
Robinson would return to the Orioles, first as a coach from 1978-1980 and then as a manager from 1988-1991. He followed that up by serving as an assistant GM for the Birds until 1995. Robinson retired from managing in 2006, his final stint with the Washington Nationals.
No. 20 left a legacy in baseball as one of the most feared hitters in the game and helped establish the Orioles as a powerhouse during his six seasons as a player. He would have his number retired in 1972 by the Orioles. The Reds followed suit in 1998 and the Indians in 2017.
Robinson would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, entering as a Baltimore Oriole. The same season saw him become a charter member, along with Brooks Robinson, of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, the baseball world would lose Frank Robinson on February 7, 2019, of bone cancer.
While he left his mark in the Charm City, Robinson was one of the most significant players of his time. He retired from baseball with the fourth most home runs behind Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays and holds the record for Opening Day home runs with eight.
Robinson was one of the last players to win the triple crown in either league, being joined by Carl Yastrzemski and Miguel Cabrera. He will forever be considered one of the best hitters in the game, having the most hits (2,943) by a player with 500+ home runs and less than 3,000 hits.
He proved the naysayers wrong and emblazoned his larger than life personality not only when he played, but in matters that helped progress our world forward when it came to race relations.
Frank Robinson will forever be a player that helped to push the game of baseball forward, but will always be a significant source of what ‘The Oriole Way’ is about. We celebrate him and his contributions to Birdland this Black History Month.
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