Frank Robinson dead at age 83

[reillymcshane]

Baseball great Frank Robinson has died at age 83.

 

Robinson won Rookie of the year, a Triple Crown, and two MVPs (one in each league - the only person to do that). He won a batting crown, and HR title and and RBI title in his time. He was the first African-American to manage a major league club. He had 586 HRs, and 2943 hits.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25946566/frank-robinson-mvp-first-black-manager-dies-83

[yfinn6]

I wouldn't have guessed that he was 83. I 'member a legendary stare down with Frank Robinson and an umpire whose name escapes me at the moment when he was most recently managing (and without looking it up I can't remember when that was). Old school. RIP.

[reillymcshane]

Robinson was an amazing hitter. I remember seeing him hit later in his career. He could still swing a bat really well. At age 37, he was second in the AL in HRs.

 

And then there was the back of his baseball card. Seeing his 1966 season - 49 HR, 122 RBI, .316 BA. Won the triple crown that year. And this was a pitcher's league at the time. Only two guys in the AL hit over .300 in 1966.

 

I always felt bad for him falling only 57 hits short of 3,000.

 

Amazing hitter.

[Eye Black]

Photo and article clipping via Chris Zantow Tweet. Robinson was only with the Brewers for a few weeks to finish out the 1984 season.

 

[reillymcshane]

Photo and article clipping via Chris Zantow Tweet. Robinson was only with the Brewers for a few weeks to finish out the 1984 season.

 

I had forgotten about that. Thanks for sharing.

[Baldkin]

One from the SI Vault:

 

https://www.si.com/vault/1963/06/17/594250/the-moody-tiger-of-the-reds

 

He also, rather famously, had a fight with Eddie Matthews in 1960.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/04/archives/a-fighting-leader-frank-robinson.html

 

That didn't curtail his zeal for the game. His run‐ins with players and pitchers became minor legends in baseball. In a 1960 double‐header against the Milwaukee Braves he slid, as usual, with spikes high into third base.

 

But the Braves! strong man, Eddie Mathews, anchored the base, Mathews punched Robinson and hurt him so badly Robinson had to leave the game. One eye swelled shut. But Robinson returned for the second game. He swatted a home run and a double—and he robbed Mathews of a hit with a diving catch in the outfield.

[LouisEly]

I wondered why Robinson finished 20th in the MVP voting in 1960. Maybe that fight had something to do with it. He had the highest OPS in the league. I get that the Pirates won the World Series, but how Dick Groat and Don Hoak finished 1/2 and got 21 of the 22 first place votes I'll never know. Batting average was pretty back then, but Hoak didn't have it. Matthews and Aaron had great seasons and finished 10th/11th. Weird year.

[Baldkin]

I wondered why Robinson finished 20th in the MVP voting in 1960. Maybe that fight had something to do with it. He had the highest OPS in the league. I get that the Pirates won the World Series, but how Dick Groat and Don Hoak finished 1/2 and got 21 of the 22 first place votes I'll never know. Batting average was pretty back then, but Hoak didn't have it. Matthews and Aaron had great seasons and finished 10th/11th. Weird year.

 

The voters, back then, overwhelmingly voted like this:

 

Who won the pennant? Who is their best player?

 

Done.

[Jimbo]

Robinson was only with the Brewers for a few weeks to finish out the 1984 season.

I had forgotten about that. Thanks for sharing.

 

1984 was an awfully forgettable season.

[MadScientist]

Robinson was only with the Brewers for a few weeks to finish out the 1984 season.

I had forgotten about that. Thanks for sharing.

 

1984 was an awfully forgettable season.

1984 was a season to deliberately try to forget.

 

Back to Frank - He had an incredible career as a player, achieving just about everything a player could, broke ground as a manager and was a part of MLB for over 50 years. I hope, if he looked back on his life at the end, he felt satisfied with what he had done.

[Tbadder]

I hated him so much when I was a kid. Little did I know that that hatred was a measure of the immense respect I would have later in life. Profoundly good hitter.

[JohnBriggs12]

For almost a decade from the mid 50's to the mid 60's the NL All Star outfield featured Aaron, Mays and Robinson, perhaps the greatest ever. Then after Robinson was dealt to Orioles, he was replaced by Clemente.

 

I saw Robinson play when I was young kid in 1961 for the Reds against the Braves, then later when he was player/manager in his final year for the Indians in 1976. Truly one of the all time greats.

[Oxy]

For almost a decade from the mid 50's to the mid 60's the NL All Star outfield featured Aaron, Mays and Robinson, perhaps the greatest ever. Then after Robinson was dealt to Orioles, he was replaced by Clemente.

 

I saw Robinson play when I was young kid in 1961 for the Reds against the Braves, then later when he was player/manager in his final year for the Indians in 1976. Truly one of the all time greats.

 

With Stan Musial and Duke Snider as your veterans coming in off the bench.