Date of Birth
31 August 1935,
Beaumont, Texas, USA
Nickname
Robbie
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Spouse
Barbara Ann
Cole
(
28 October 1961 - present) 2 children
Trivia
Manager of
the American League's
Cleveland Indians (1975-76) and
Baltimore Orioles (1988-91); and
the National League's
San Francisco Giants (1981-84), and
Montreal Expos/
Washington Nationals (2002-2004/2005-2006).Played for
the National League's
Cincinnati Reds (1956-1965) and
Los Angeles Dodgers (1972); and for
the American League's
Baltimore Orioles (1966-1971),
California Angels (1973-74), and
Cleveland Indians (1974-76).Enshrined in the Baseball
Hall of
Fame, 1982.Was a two-
time Most Valuable Player (
Cincinnati Reds in 1961,
Baltimore Orioles in 1966), the first player to win the award with two different teams in different leagues.Won the
Triple Crown in 1966, leading
the American League in batting average,
home runs, and runs batted in, to
go along with the MVP award.
Hit 586
home runs during his career, good for fourth
place on the all-
time home run
list when he retired.His 38
home runs as a rookie in 1956 was a
record which stood until 1987, when
Mark McGwire topped it with 49.
Robinson became the first African-
American to
manage in the major leagues in 1975.He went to high school with
future major leaguers
Vada Pinson and
Curt Flood, plus
NBA Hall of Famer
Bill Russell.
Cincinnati Reds Career Slugging Percentage Leader(.554).Played for 1961
National League
Champion Cincinnati Reds team. Played for 1966 and 1970 World Series Champion
Baltimore Orioles teams. Played for 1969 and 1971
American League Champion
Baltimore Orioles teams.Selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1956-1957, 1959, 1961-1962, 1965-1967, 1969-1971 and 1974.Awarded the Presidential Medal of
Freedom by President
George W. Bush on 9 November 2005. Other recipients were
Muhammad Ali,
Gen.
Richard Myers,
Paul Rusesabagina,
Carol Burnett,
Andy Griffith,
Aretha Franklin,
Vint Cerf and his Internet codeveloper
Robert Kahn,
Jack Nicklaus,
Alan Greenspan, and former congressman G.V. "Sonny"
Montgomery.
Made major league debut on 17
April 1956.Inducted into the Orioles
Hall of
Fame with
Brooks Robinson in 1977 (charter inductees).
Personal Quotes
"
Pitchers did me a
favor when they knocked me down. It
Made me more determined. I wouldn't let that pitcher get me out. They
say you can't
Hit if you're on your back. But I didn't
hit on my back. I got up.""I don't see anyone playing in the major leagues today who combines both the
talent and the intensity that I had. I always tried to do the
best. I knew I couldn't always be the best, but I tried to be." - at his
Hall of
Fame induction, 1982"I don't see why you reporters keep confusing
Brooks [
Robinson] and me. Can't you see that we wear different
numbers?""If I had
one wish in
the world today, it would be that
Jackie Robinson could be here to see this happen." - at his 1974 press conference on being the first
black manager"I had no trouble communicating,
the players just didn't like what I had to
say.""I have heard of managers who encourage
players not to slide
hard for fear they will get
hurt and be
lost from the lineup for a
time. That is why you occasionally see a player
go into second
base on a double-
play ball and not even bother to slide. I
wonder, could
Ty Cobb sit though plays like that and hold his lunch?""It's
nice to come into a town and be referred to as the manager of the
Cleveland Indians instead of as the first
black manager.""Managers don't have as much leverage as they
used to have. We can't really be the
boss. If I
say to a
veteran player, 'If you don't perform, you
may be
sent back to the minors,' they look at me and say, 'Who are you kidding? I'm not going anyplace. I've already had three years in the major leagues and you can't send me back to the
minor leagues without my OK.'""No, I don't think my presence will cause an increase in
black attendance at
Cleveland.
People come out to see
the players. When do you see a manager anyway? When he's out on
the field arguing with the umpires, making a fool of himself and you know you can't win, and when he brings out the line-up card.""Probably the most dramatic
change in pitching I've observed in my years in baseball has been the disappearance of the knockdown or brushback pitch. This is why
record numbers of
home runs are flying out of ballparks, why earned run averages are soaring, and why there are so few twenty game
winners in the majors.""The baselines belongs to
the runner, and whenever I was running the
bases, I always slid
hard. I wanted infielders to have that instant's hesitation about coming across the
bag at second or about standing in there awaiting a throw to make a
tag. There are only 27 outs in a ballgame, and it was my
job to
save one for my team every
time I possibly could.""
The fan is
the one who suffers. He
cheers a
guy to a .350 season then watches that player sign with another team. When you destroy fan loyalties, you destroy everything.""There's absolutely no way you can
go barreling into second and dump a
guy on a
double play, like you should do, when you've been fraternizing with him before a game.""Close don't count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."
Where Are They Now
(February 2002) Named manager of the
Montreal Expos.
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson. robinson_frank5.jpg
Date of Birth
31 August 1935,
Beaumont, Texas, USA
Nickname
Robbie
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Spouse
Barbara Ann
Cole
(
28 October 1961 - present) 2 children
Trivia
Manager of
the American League's
Cleveland Indians (1975-76) and
Baltimore Orioles (1988-91); and
the National League's
San Francisco Giants (1981-84), and
Montreal Expos/
Washington Nationals (2002-2004/2005-2006).Played for
the National League's
Cincinnati Reds (1956-1965) and
Los Angeles Dodgers (1972); and for
the American League's
Baltimore Orioles (1966-1971),
California Angels (1973-74), and
Cleveland Indians (1974-76).Enshrined in the Baseball
Hall of
Fame, 1982.Was a two-
time Most Valuable Player (
Cincinnati Reds in 1961,
Baltimore Orioles in 1966), the first player to win the award with two different teams in different leagues.Won the
Triple Crown in 1966, leading
the American League in batting average,
home runs, and runs batted in, to
go along with the MVP award.
Hit 586
home runs during his career, good for fourth
place on the all-
time home run
list when he retired.His 38
home runs as a rookie in 1956 was a
record which stood until 1987, when
Mark McGwire topped it with 49.
Robinson became the first African-
American to
manage in the major leagues in 1975.He went to high school with
future major leaguers
Vada Pinson and
Curt Flood, plus
NBA Hall of Famer
Bill Russell.
Cincinnati Reds Career Slugging Percentage Leader(.554).Played for 1961
National League
Champion Cincinnati Reds team. Played for 1966 and 1970 World Series Champion
Baltimore Orioles teams. Played for 1969 and 1971
American League Champion
Baltimore Orioles teams.Selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1956-1957, 1959, 1961-1962, 1965-1967, 1969-1971 and 1974.Awarded the Presidential Medal of
Freedom by President
George W. Bush on 9 November 2005. Other recipients were
Muhammad Ali,
Gen.
Richard Myers,
Paul Rusesabagina,
Carol Burnett,
Andy Griffith,
Aretha Franklin,
Vint Cerf and his Internet codeveloper
Robert Kahn,
Jack Nicklaus,
Alan Greenspan, and former congressman G.V. "Sonny"
Montgomery.
Made major league debut on 17
April 1956.Inducted into the Orioles
Hall of
Fame with
Brooks Robinson in 1977 (charter inductees).
Personal Quotes
"
Pitchers did me a
favor when they knocked me down. It
Made me more determined. I wouldn't let that pitcher get me out. They
say you can't
Hit if you're on your back. But I didn't
hit on my back. I got up.""I don't see anyone playing in the major leagues today who combines both the
talent and the intensity that I had. I always tried to do the
best. I knew I couldn't always be the best, but I tried to be." - at his
Hall of
Fame induction, 1982"I don't see why you reporters keep confusing
Brooks [
Robinson] and me. Can't you see that we wear different
numbers?""If I had
one wish in
the world today, it would be that
Jackie Robinson could be here to see this happen." - at his 1974 press conference on being the first
black manager"I had no trouble communicating,
the players just didn't like what I had to
say.""I have heard of managers who encourage
players not to slide
hard for fear they will get
hurt and be
lost from the lineup for a
time. That is why you occasionally see a player
go into second
base on a double-
play ball and not even bother to slide. I
wonder, could
Ty Cobb sit though plays like that and hold his lunch?""It's
nice to come into a town and be referred to as the manager of the
Cleveland Indians instead of as the first
black manager.""Managers don't have as much leverage as they
used to have. We can't really be the
boss. If I
say to a
veteran player, 'If you don't perform, you
may be
sent back to the minors,' they look at me and say, 'Who are you kidding? I'm not going anyplace. I've already had three years in the major leagues and you can't send me back to the
minor leagues without my OK.'""No, I don't think my presence will cause an increase in
black attendance at
Cleveland.
People come out to see
the players. When do you see a manager anyway? When he's out on
the field arguing with the umpires, making a fool of himself and you know you can't win, and when he brings out the line-up card.""Probably the most dramatic
change in pitching I've observed in my years in baseball has been the disappearance of the knockdown or brushback pitch. This is why
record numbers of
home runs are flying out of ballparks, why earned run averages are soaring, and why there are so few twenty game
winners in the majors.""The baselines belongs to
the runner, and whenever I was running the
bases, I always slid
hard. I wanted infielders to have that instant's hesitation about coming across the
bag at second or about standing in there awaiting a throw to make a
tag. There are only 27 outs in a ballgame, and it was my
job to
save one for my team every
time I possibly could.""
The fan is
the one who suffers. He
cheers a
guy to a .350 season then watches that player sign with another team. When you destroy fan loyalties, you destroy everything.""There's absolutely no way you can
go barreling into second and dump a
guy on a
double play, like you should do, when you've been fraternizing with him before a game.""Close don't count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."
Where Are They Now
(February 2002) Named manager of the
Montreal Expos.
Frank RobinsonFrank Robinson. robinson_frank5.jpg
+1
