Frank Robinson, Hall of Fame baseball player who was first black manager in MLB, dies at 83

Frank Robinson receives Medal of Freedom (2005)

President George W. Bush awards Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame baseball player and first black manager in the MLB, the Medal of Freedom.

Frank Robinson, the feared slugger who became the first black manager in major league baseball, died Thursday at 83, according to Major League Baseball.

Robinson was rookie of the year for the Cincinnati Reds as a 20-year-old in 1956. That began a 21-year career in which he played for five teams and became the first to win the most valuable player award in both leagues.

In his career, Robinson hit 586 home runs, 10th of all time in the majors.

In 1975, he became player-manager of the Cleveland Indians. He managed until 2006, when he finished his career with the Washington Nationals.

“Frank Robinson’s résumé in our game is without parallel, a trailblazer in every sense, whose impact spanned generations,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “He was one of the greatest players in the history of our game, but that was just the beginning of a multifaceted baseball career.”

In 1966, Robinson became only the eighth player in history to win a batting Triple Crown, leading the Orioles to their first World Series title and winning the series MVP award. It was the first of four times he led Baltimore to the series, which it won twice. He became the first black manager in the AL in 1975 and in the NL in 1981. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. He managed the Washington Nationals in their first two seasons, 2005 and 2006.—-Frank Robinson, the feared slugger who became the first black manager in major league baseball, died Thursday at 83, according to Major League Baseball. Robinson was rookie of the year for the Cincinnati Reds as a 20-year-old in 1956. That began a 21-year career in which he played for five teams and became the first to win the most valuable player award in both leagues. In his career, Robinson hit 586 home runs, 10th of all time in the majors.