Fearsome on and off the diamond, Frank Robinson was a pioneering member of Major League Baseball who became the first black manager in league history.
He died Thursday at the age of 83 in hospice care at his home in Bel Air.
In his first game in 1975 managing the Cleveland Indians, Robinson batted himself second as the designated hitter and belted a home run in the first inning.
Robinson, who spent the majority of his playing career with the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, is the only player in MLB history to have won the Most Valuable Player Award in both the National and American Leagues. He also won the Triple Crown while leading the Orioles to their first World Series championship in 1966.
Fourth on the career home run list behind only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays when he retired with 586 dingers, Robinson now ranks 10th on the list.
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 when he was first eligible, Robinson batted at least .300 in nine different seasons, had 2,943 career hits, drove in 1,812 runs and played on five pennant-winning teams. A 12-time All-Star selection in the outfield, Robinson also was a Rookie of the Year and won a Gold Glove.
“Frank Robinson’s resume in our game is without parallel, a trailblazer in every sense, whose impact spanned generations,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
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