Frank Robinson, Baseball Great and 1st Black Manager in Majors Dies at 83

Frank Robinson, Baseball Great and 1st Black Manager in Majors Dies at 83

The NewYork Times reported Thursday that “Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame outfielder who hit 586 home runs and became a racial pioneer as the first black manager in the major leagues, nearly three decades after Jackie Robinson broke modern baseball’s color barrier playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 83.”

Tim Kurkjian ‏of ESPN Tweeted, "Frank Robinson is the most ferocious competitor I’ve ever met, the most underrated player of all time. The Orioles won the World Series in his first year in Baltimore. Brooks Robinson told me, “Frank taught us how to win.” Frank taught me so much about the game. R.I.P. my friend"

On January 29, Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun reported, “…Robinson, who led the Orioles to their first World Series title in 1966, is in the late stages of a long illness, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. Robinson…, was the first African-American manager in both the American and National Leagues. He also managed the Orioles for parts of four seasons (1988-1991) and worked in the club’s front office during a long post-playing career that most recently has been spent as an executive in MLB’s central office.”

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Some of his accomplishments

14× All-Star (1956, 1957, 1959, 1959², 1961, 1961², 1962², 1965–1967, 1969–1971, 1974)
2× World Series champion (1966, 1970)
NL MVP (1961)
AL MVP (1966)
World Series MVP (1966)
Triple Crown (1966)
NL Rookie of the Year (1956)
Gold Glove Award (1958)
AL Manager of the Year (1989)
Cincinnati Reds No. 20 retired
Baltimore Orioles No. 20 retired
Cleveland Indians No. 20 retired
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame
Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame
Washington Nationals Ring of Honor