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 Robinson came out of nowhere in 1956
to win the Reds' left-field job.
Crowding the plate, challenging
pitchers, and sliding hard, he tied
Wally Berger's rookie record of
38 homers, made the NL All-Star
team, led the league with 122 runs
scored, and was hit by pitches a
rookie-record 20 times. The Reds as
a team hit a NL-record 221 homers
that season, improving 16 games in
the standings to finish just two
games out of first place. For the
next ten seasons, Robinson was their
undisputed leader. Batting .322 as a
sophomore, Robinson was one of eight
Reds elected to the NL All-Star
starting lineup in 1957, and was the
only outfielder who wasn't removed
by Commissioner
Ford Frick after the details of
a ballot-stuffing campaign by
Cincinnati management was exposed...Book
Frank Robinson for Your Event
In 1961 Robinson led the Reds to
their first pennant since 1940 with
his first MVP season, hitting .323
with 37 HR, 124 RBI, and 117 runs.
His .611 slugging percentage led the
NL, and he stole 22 bases in 25
attempts to lead in stolen base
percentage. He was especially torrid
in the stretch run. So dangerous was
Robinson after being brushed back
that Phillies manager
Gene Mauch began fining any of
his pitchers who worked Robinson
inside. Robinson's third straight
slugging title came in 1962 (.624),
when he also led the league with 51
doubles and 134 runs. He hit .342
with 39 HR and 136 RBI, and missed
leading in total bases and batting
average when, respectively,
Willie Mays of the Giants and
Tommie Davis of the Dodgers
surpassed him during the three-game
playoff after Los Angeles and San
Francisco were tied at the end of
the regular schedule.
In 1986 Robinson returned to the
Orioles as a coach. Early in 1988 he
was installed as manager after
Cal Ripken, Sr. had lost the
first six games. The streak extended
to a record 21 losses from the start
of the season before the Orioles
finally won. Robinson turned the
club around in 1989, guiding the
Orioles to first place at the
All-Star break and second place at
the end of the season; Baltimore
wasn't eliminated until the final
series of the season, against
Toronto. When the Orioles faced the
Blue Jays, managed by
Cito Gaston, on June 27, 1989,
it was the first ML game in history
to feature a pair of black managers.
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Book Frank Robinson for Your Event
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