RIP Frank Robinson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dbackjon]

https://www.wbal.com/article/370315/2/f ... d-has-died

Frank Robinson, the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame slugger and baseball lifer, has died after a long illness. He was 83.

A right fielder, Robinson played for five teams in his 21-season career and remains the only player to be named the most valuable player in both leagues. A Triple Crown winner, he was a member of two World Series champion Orioles squads. He hit 586 career home runs, 179 of them as an Oriole.

A first-ballot entry into Cooperstown, Robinson was also the first black manager in baseball, becoming player-manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1975 and staying on as manager a year after he hung up his cleats in 1977. Robinson's No. 20 was the first to be retired by the Orioles, and was also retired by the Indians and the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he debuted. He is one of just two players, the other being Nolan Ryan, to have their number retired by three different clubs.

[AZGrizFan]

thanks, dal.

[Gil Dobie]

[Gil Dobie]

[Gil Dobie]

Frank played High School Basketball with Bill Russell and High School Baseball with Curt Flood and Vada Pinson.

[dbackjon]

thanks, dal.

[SuperHornet]

Meh. Robinson was better as a Red....

[Ivytalk]

F. Robby. One of the all-time greats. Never touched PEDs and just fucking crushed a baseball.

[Gil Dobie]

One of the Reds’ worst players to deal with was Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame outfielder. He was the toughest player I had to face. Frank Robinson always was trouble, but of course Frank Robinson was playing for Freddie Hutchinson.

We were playing a game in Cincinnati in the summer, one of those terribly hot days. Back then the umpires had to wear a coat, so I was out there in the heat with my coat on, and I was miserable. The next batter was Frank, and he came up to home plate. He was squeezing the bat and talking to himself.

“Let’s go,” I said. “It’s hot. I don’t care for your wasting time. I’ve got to work out here. Let’s go. Get in the box.”

Frank didn’t move. He just stood there, squeezing his bat
“You screwed me at first base yesterday,” he said, “and you’re screwing me now.”

“Hey, what the hell’s wrong with you?” I said. “What are you talking about, screwing you?”

“You heard me,” Frank said. “You screwed me last night, and now you’re screwing me again.”

“Let’s go,” I said. “Get in the box.”

“I’ll get in the box when I want to,” said Frank.

“No, you don’t understand,” I said. “I’m telling you now, `Get in the box.’

“I’m not getting in the box,” said Frank.

“Pitch the ball,” I ordered.

“The ball hit the catcher’s glove. Wham.

“Strike one. Now,” I said, “will you get in the box?”

“I’m not getting in the box.”

“Pitch the ball.”

Wham.

“Strike two,” I said. “You getting in the box?”

“I’m not getting in the box.”

Shag Crawford came down from first base, and he wanted to know what the hell was going on.

“I told the gentleman to get in the box,” I said, “and he refused, so I called a strike. And I called strike two.”

Shag said to Frank, “Don’t be silly. Get in the box.”

“I’ll get in the box when I want to,” Frank stubbornly said to Shag.

“Well, let me tell you something,” said Shag. “I’m going to walk to first base, and if you’re not in the box by the time I get there, you’re out of here.”

“I always thought you were a straight shooter, Shag,” said Robinson, “but you’re nothing but a son of a bitch.”

So Shag jerked him, threw him out of the ballgame.

Dick Sisler, Hutch’s right hand man, came out, and he called me a son of a bitch, so I ejected him too. Sisler then said to Shag, “If you have the balls, I’ll meet you after the game and kick your ass.”

This was old-time baseball in the early 1960s. This is what it was like. It was wonderful.

**********

- From the lips of Doug Harvey, who was called “God” by the players, managers and coaches.

[SDHornet]

RIP.

[93henfan]

Kudos to the man who broke the color barrier!