October 30, 2026
October 30, 2026
Frank Robinson: Historically Solid
Frank Robinson played mainly in the outfield and at first base, then spent the last few years of his career as a designated hitter. He was considered one of the best home run hitters of his time. Robinson, who went by the nicknames “The Judge” and “Pencils,” had an uncanny combination of power hitting and good base running skills. In baseball record books, Robinson is considered to be historically solid.
Robinson made an immediate impact with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956 and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Playing in 152 games in 1956, Robinson batted .290 with 38 home runs and 83 RBIs off 166 hits, 27 doubles, 6 triples and 8 stolen bases. He kept going in 1957, batting .322 with 29 home runs and 75 RBIs off 197 hits, 29 doubles, 5 triples and 10 stolen bases in 150 games. Playing in 148 games in 1958, Robinson had 31 home runs and 83 RBIs off 149 hits, 25 doubles, 6 triples and 10 stolen bases. He also won a Gold Glove for his great fielding in the outfield.
In 1959, Robinson played in 146 games and batted .311 with 36 home runs and 125 RBIs off 168 hits, 31 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Playing in 139 games in 1960, Robinson batted .297 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs off 138 hits, 33 doubles, 6 triples and 13 stolen bases. In 1961, Robinson played in 153 games and batted .323 with 37 home runs and 124 RBIs off 176 hits, 32 doubles, 7 triples and 22 stolen bases. He was named the National League Most Valuable Player.
In 1962, Robinson played in all 162 regular season games and batted .342 with 39 home runs and 136 RBIs off 208 hits, 51 doubles and 18 stolen bases. He finished fourth in NL MVP voting that year. In 1963, Robinson played in 140 games and had 21 home runs and 91 RBIs off 125 hits, 19 doubles and 26 stolen bases. In 1964, he played in 156 games and batted .306 with 29 home runs and 96 RBIs off 174 hits, 38 doubles, 6 triples and 23 stolen bases, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting once more. Playing in 156 games in 1965, Robinson batted .296 with 33 home runs and 113 RBIs off 172 hits, 33 doubles, 5 triples and 13 stolen bases.
Before the start of the 1966 season, the Cincinnati Reds traded Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson. Looking back, many baseball historians consider this one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history, and it greatly benefited the Orioles.
1966 was a memorable year for Robinson. He played in 155 games and batted .316 with 49 home runs and 122 RBIs. Leading the league in all three categories, Robinson won the American League Triple Crown. He also led the league in on-base percentage at .410, slugging percentage at .637 and OPS (on-base plus slugging) at 1.047. Robinson also had 182 hits, 34 doubles and 8 stolen bases, and all of these statistics added up to him being named the American League Most Valuable Player.
Robinson became the first player to be named MVP in both the AL and the NL. In the 1966 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Robinson batted .286 with 4 hits and 3 RBIs, and 2 of those hits were home runs. After helping the Orioles win the 1966 World Series, Robinson was named World Series Most Valuable Player.
Playing in 129 games in 1967, Robinson batted .311 with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs off 149 hits, 23 doubles and 7 triples. Playing in 130 games in 1968, he had 15 home runs, 113 hits, 27 doubles and 11 stolen bases. In 1969, Robinson played in 148 games and batted .308 with 32 home runs and 100 RBIs off 166 hits, 19 doubles, 5 triples and 9 stolen bases. He finished third in AL MVP voting in 1969.
1970 was a solid year for Robinson as he helped the Orioles win their second World Series championship in five years. Playing in 132 games, Robinson batted .306 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs off 144 hits and 24 doubles. In the playoffs, Robinson had 8 hits, and 3 of those hits were home runs. In 1971, Robinson played in 133 games and batted .281 with 28 home runs and 99 RBIs off 128 hits and 16 doubles. In the playoffs, he had 8 hits, and 2 of those hits were home runs. However, the Orioles lost the 1971 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4 games to 3.
Robinson spent 1972 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he had 19 home runs and 86 hits in 103 games. He then went on to play for the California Angels in 1973 and became their first-ever designated hitter. In 147 games, Robinson had 30 home runs and 97 RBIs off 142 hits and 29 doubles. After spending part of 1974 with the Angels, Robinson spent the rest of that season with the Cleveland Indians, and he stayed in Cleveland through 1975 and 1976 to finish his playing career. His stint in Cleveland coincided with the beginning of his long managerial career.
With 586 career home runs, Frank Robinson ranked fourth on the all-time home run list when he retired, and he now sits in 10th place. Remaining historically solid for most of his playing career, Robinson represented the type of baseball player who gave the fans everything he had, whether it was hitting, base running or fielding. In 1972, the Baltimore Orioles retired Robinson’s No. 20 jersey, and in 1998 the Cincinnati Reds retired No. 20 to honor him as well.
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