Robinson, Frank (1935-2019), became the first Black manager of a major league baseball team when he managed the Cleveland Indians (now called the Cleveland Guardians) from 1975 to 1977. He later managed the San Francisco Giants from 1981 to 1984 and the Baltimore Orioles from 1988 to 1991. Robinson was named American League Manager of the year in 1989. Robinson had also been a star outfielder. He was the first man to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both the National and American leagues. In his 21-year playing career, Robinson hit 586 home runs.
Robinson received the Rookie of the Year award in 1956 with the Cincinnati Reds. In 1961, he was voted the National League’s MVP. After the 1965 season, Cincinnati traded him to the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson won the triple crown of batting in 1966. That year, he led the American League in batting average (.316), home runs (49), and runs batted in (122). He won the American League’s MVP award in 1966. Robinson played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1972 and the California Angels (now called the Los Angeles Angels) in 1973 before joining Cleveland in 1974. He retired as a player after the 1976 season. Robinson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
In 2000, Robinson was appointed vice president for on-field operations for major league baseball. In 2002, he left that position to become manager of the Montreal Expos (the Washington Nationals since 2005). Robinson managed Washington through the 2006 season. He was born on Aug. 31, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas. He died on Feb. 7, 2019.
