Hall of Famer Frank Robinson was the only player to win the MVP award in both major leagues. He was also baseball’s first black manager.

Happy Belated Birthday to the late and great Frank Robinson. During his twenty-one-year career, Robinson was one of the greatest power hitters ever. Primarily a Right Fielder, his best seasons were with the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles. While also playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, and Cleveland Indians.

Career Statistics/Accolades (1956-1976):

.294 BA 2,943 HITS 586 HR 1,812 RBI 1,829 RUNS .389 OBP

  • 14x All-Star
  • 2x MVP (1961 & 1966)
  • 2x World Series Champion
  • Triple Crown Winner (1966)
  • Batting Champion (1966)
  • 1956 Rookie of the Year
  • Gold Glove (1958)

To this day, Robinson is the only player in baseball history to win an MVP award in both the AL and NL. He led the league in Runs three times, including his Rookie season. He batted .300 or higher nine times and hit 30 or more Home Runs eleven times. Frank Robinson has everything you’d want in a Hall of Fame player. Black type on the back of his baseball card, Yes. An MVP or MVPs, Yes. 500 Home Runs or 1,500 RBIs, Both, Yes. He has a lifetime average of just under .300 and only 57 Hits under that 3,000 Milestone. I will remind everyone that Frank Robinson was another great player who, in his prime years from 1962-68, had the obstacle of the strike zones being extended from the top of the batter’s shoulder to the bottom of their knees, which was highly beneficial to pitchers. I can’t imagine how much better of a hitter Robinson would’ve been, but I’m sure he would’ve eclipsed 3,000 Hits and finished with a lifetime average in the .300s.

Ultimately, he had his best statistical seasons in Cincinnati. However, the franchise changed when he was traded to the Orioles before the 1966 season. Not only did he win his second MVP, which was also a Triple Crown. In 1966, the Orioles would win their first World Series, and Robinson was named the MVP in the World Series. The Orioles would also win again in 1970. Despite having some notable guys like Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Jim Palmer, Steve Barber, etc., Frank Robinson was that final piece to those championship Oriole teams.

After 1971, he left the Orioles and played a few more years between three teams, but with a decline and injuries, Robinson developed an interest in managing. In which he’d become a manager, the first black manager in baseball history. In 1982, his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Frank Robinson and Nolan Ryan are the only two players in baseball history to have their numbers retired by three teams: the Indians, the Orioles, and the Reds. In 1999, he was ranked #22 on The Sporting News list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

References:

  1. Frank Robinson via Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Robinson#
  2. Frank Robinson Career Statistics via Baseball-Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinfr02.shtml