This Week In American History: On October 3, 1974, after a distinguished career as a baseball player himself, Frank Robinson was hired by the Cleveland Indians as their manager. This made Robinson baseball’s first African American major league manager.
Frank Robinson’s Early Life
Frank Robinson was born August 31, 1935 in Beaumont, Texas to the elder Frank Robinson and Ruth Shaw. The youngest of his parents’ children, Robinson didn’t have much of relationship with his father as his parents divorced in his infancy. After their divorce, his mother moved herself and her children to California, eventually settling in West Oakland.
Robinson was determined to get out of West Oakland. He saw his ticket out as sports. As a child he played baseball, football, and basketball. In 1949, at the age of 14, Robinson met George Powles, a well-known local baseball and basketball coach. Robinson earned himself a spot on Powles’ American legion team: the Bill Erwin Post 237. Under Powles’ mentorship, Robinson’s natural talent blossomed. After graduating from McClymonds High School in 1953, Robinson signed a $3,500 contract with Cincinnati Reds scout Bobby Mattick.
The Beginnings of Frank Robinson’s Baseball Career
Robinson began his professional career at just 17 years old at Class C Ogden in Utah. After playing well at Ogden, Robinson was promoted to Tulsa in Oklahoma in 1954. Eventually, he accepted a reassignment to Single-A Columbia in South Carolina. Even though a shoulder injury temporarily slowed his progress, Robinson recovered and earned a promotion to Cincinnati in 1956.
With Robinson playing for them, Cincinnati went from an eleven consecutive losing season to a ninety-one to sixty-three record. This earned Robinson a ticket to the All-Star Game and the Rookie of the Year Award. In 1961, MLB recognized Robinson as the National League Most Valuable Player.
Frank Robinson Is Traded To the Baltimore Orioles
Nevertheless, on December 9, 1965 Cincinnati traded Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson.
During his first season with the Orioles, Robinson helped take them to the World Series. He won the award for the World Series Most Valuable Player, but also won the Hickok Belt and the American League Most Valuable Player Award for 1966.
Robinson continued to play for the Orioles for six years. He led Baltimore to four pennants during that time. However, his tenure with the Orioles came to a sudden end. The Orioles traded him to the LA Dodgers.
Frank Robinson Is Traded To the LA Dodgers
Robinson played for the Dodgers for a season before being traded again; this time to the California Angels. While playing for the Angels, Robinson found himself working under general manager Harry Dalton who acquired him from the Reds back in 1965.
Unfortunately, while Robinson got along well with Dalton, he clashed with the Angels’ manager Bobby Winkles. At this point in his career, Robinson made it known that eventually he himself wanted to manage a big-league team.
Frank Robinson Is Traded to the Cleveland Indians & Becomes Their Manager
In 1974 the Angels traded Robinson to the Cleveland Indians. Not even a year later, Cleveland fired their manager Ken Aspromonte and replaced him with Robinson. Cleveland’s general manager announced Robinson’s selection as manager of the Cleveland Indians on October 3, 1974. Robinson became the first African-American in major-league history to manage a baseball team.
Robinson stressed the importance of physical conditioning. His style of managing wasn’t well liked by all the players on his team. However, Robinson didn’t set out to make friends with his players. He wanted to make a cohesive team of good baseball players.
Frank Robinson Leaves The Cleveland Indians
However, after a slow start to the 1977 season, Cleveland fired Robinson as their manager. He coached briefly for the Angels before returning to the Orioles the following year in 1978. In May of 1978 he left the Orioles to coach briefly for the Rochester Red Wings before going back to Baltimore the following year.
Frank Robinson Manages the San Francisco Giants
After coaching for Baltimore for two years, Robinson left to manage the San Francisco Giants in 1981. Under Robinson’s leadership, the Giants had two stellar seasons. In 1982, Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the third and last season Robinson spent with the Giants saw the Giants perform poorly and Robinson fired as their manager.
Frank Robinson Goes Back to the Baltimore Orioles
Robinson went back to coaching for the Baltimore Orioles for three seasons. In October 1987 he ascended to the front office. Two years later, in 1989, the baseball writers named Robinson American League Manager of the Year.
The End of Frank Robinson’s Baseball Career and His Legacy
One of Robinson’s great talents: his ability to take over a lowly franchise and produce a winning team out of it within two seasons. He did this time and time again over his decades long career. However, he finally retired from baseball permanently in 2006.
Robinson accomplished much in baseball. He won numerous awards: Rookie of the Year; MVP of each league; Gold Glove winner; MVP of the World Series; MVP of the All-Star game; Manager of the Year; and Triple Crown winner. In 2005 then President George W. Bush awarded Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Wherever he played, he earned the respect of his fellow teammates. He will always be remembered as one of the giants of American baseball.
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Info Source: Sabr.org
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
