A Celebration of Frank Robinson

we welcome you tonight for in this very special occasion to honor a man who exemplify the meaning of the term Hall of Fame and that of course is Frank Robinson he hit 586 career home runs which is still tenth on the all-time list he is 12th in extra-base hits 16th and runs scored and 21st and RBIs he is also the only player to win the Most Valuable Player Award in both the American and national leagues by the way he brought with him from Cincinnati when he was traded to Baltimore before the 66th season for American League pennants and two World Championships in his six years as an Oriole the Triple Crown in 1966 when he smashed the only ball ever to be hit completely out of Memorial Stadium Frank's career as a player spend 21 seasons but his life in professional baseball stretched through seven decades he was not only what he did as one of the greatest players of all time but the mark he left as the first African American manager in 1975 going on to manage 16 seasons in the majors with four franchises including the Orioles and blazing a trail for the many men of color who have followed we are happy to be joined by some of Frank's former teammates and players he coached or managed with the Orioles fellow co-workers from his years as assistant general manager in Baltimore and friends and we are especially pleased to have Frank's wife Barbara and daughter Michelle who have come from Los Angeles to join us please welcome them it's great to have you here on opening day the Orioles honored Frank's memory with donations of 20,000 dollars each to three organizations that aligned with Frank's values and the role he played in expanding opportunities for men and women of color the reginal left Lois Museum of african-american history and culture here in Baltimore the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis Tennessee and the National Museum of african-american history and culture in Washington DC tonight the city of Baltimore wishes to honor Frank and here to read a proclamation from the city is the acting mayor the Honorable burn at C Jack young jack [Music] Proclamation Frank Robinson date April 2 6 2019 whereas Frank Robinson was a trailblazer he served as Major League Baseball's first african-american manager and one woman was one of the greatest players of all time during his 21-year career and whereas as an outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles Frank was a standout in 1990 66 season he was named MVP and helped Baltimore bring home his first World Series championship and whereas Frank is also the only person and the oil organization's history to serve as player coach manager and front office executive and whereas earlier this week a portion of 33rd Street the former site of Memorial Stadium was dedicated in his honor Frank Robinson way there is also a bronze statue of Frank at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and whereas today we celebrate a salute hall-of-famer and a Baltimore Oriole legend Frank Robinson therefore I Bernard see Jack Young ex-officio mayor of the city of Baltimore do hereby proclaim April 2 6 2019 as Frank Robinson's day in Baltimore and do urge all citizens to join in the celebration ex-officio man burn RC Jack Young that feedback Jack thank you very much Frank was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 getting eighty nine point two percent of the votes in the first year that he was on the ballot joining us this evening is the president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown please welcome Jeff idols and Jeff thank you Gary on behalf of Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark our board of directors the Hall of Fame members and our entire staff in Cooperstown it's an honor to stand before you this evening the Baseball Hall of Fame embraces the qualities of character integrity and sportsmanship and there's no one who embodied those traits more so than Frank Robinson those qualities are a big part of the reason Frank was respected not only in Baltimore Cincinnati and Cleveland but universally everywhere baseball is played Frank was seemingly born destined for greatness Scouts began to notice him two years after he got his first glove when he was starting for his American Legion team in Oakland at the age of 14 and well before he played his first major league game in 1956 one of the game's great talent evaluators Branch Rickey who had signed another Trailblazer Jackie Robinson was decade earlier called Frank the greatest prospect in the game today all Frank did in 1956 when he got his shot was hit 38 home runs lead to national league in runs with 111 as a twenty-year-old winning National League Rookie of the Year honors after 10 years in the Queen City he was traded right here to Baltimore where he continued to torment pitchers and rattle infielders with his hitting an aggressive baserunning every single day as Frank said during his induction speech in Cooperstown sixteen years later reflecting on his move to the Orioles I think the trade is what really turned me around as a player and as a person going to Baltimore was a turning point in my life and in his first year here in Baltimore Frank became the first player since Mickey Mantle 10 years earlier and still today the only african-american to win a Triple Crown he led the league in runs he was the American league's MVP Frank made history on October 3rd 1974 when the Cleveland Indians appointed him the first african-american manager in baseball history this was eight years after his high school basketball team eight the great Bill Russell became the first african-american coach in the NBA with the Boston Celtics Rachel Robinson was in Cleveland on an opening day in 1975 Frank said at the time I was very proud that Rachel would make the trip I hoped and wished that Jackie could have been here the next best thing was having her here because it kept me focused the common thread between Frank and Jackie Robinson beyond their massive and pioneering contributions to desegregation and equality was that neither not wanted to be remembered as a pioneer but for what they accomplished on the field in fact Jackie told the baseball writers after he retired that when considering him for election to the Hall of Fame it should be for his playing career not for being the man who integrated the modern game Frank knew early on that he would face a share of obstacles in life as Jackie had and rather than allow those obstacles to define him they both channeled their frustrations to improve their playing abilities and they both develop strong leadership qualities neither Jackie nor Frank want a recognition they wanted results and both worked tirelessly to break racial equality to our national pastime five years after his indelible career came to an end Frank was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot he and the equally talented Henry Aaron were the only two players elected by to baseball writers in 1982 the class also included Travis Jackson and Commissioner happy Chandler who had presided over two games integration thirty-five years earlier when I was speaking with Hank earlier this week he mourned the loss of a friend Frank and I were close off the field Hank told me I will always be grateful that we broke in around the same time and that we went into the Hall of Fame together he was an incredible play of player immensely talented he gets the credit he richly deserves for his playing ability but never got the credit he deserved for just how great of a person he was my only personal regret is that he had something I always wanted but could never achieve winning the Triple Crown which is an amazing achievement at the end of the day what matters most is friendship and I sure do miss my friend Hall of Famer Joe Morgan who grew up in Oakland like Frank had a very close relationship with him and called him an inspiration Joe told me Frank was the guy we follow growing up starting when to use an American Legion ball I was 12 years old when he broke in with them with the Reds and I had aspirations of being the next kid up out of Oakland to follow in his footsteps he was an inspiration to all of us kids back home I'm so glad I had the opportunity to proudly wear a red uniform like he did and the honor of playing for him the only African American manager I ever played for in my entire life in closing for those of us who are fortunate to have our lives touched by Frank for all the better for it and now we have a responsibility to pass his passion and respect for baseball along to this and future generations it's what he would have wanted thank you [Applause] Jeff thank you very much our next speaker was in his second big league season when Frank joined the Orioles in 1966 he won of course to the Hall of Fame a great career of his own involved with the Orioles organization now for over 50 years my broadcast partner please welcome Jim Palmer Jim Thank You Kerry I can't tell you what an honor it is to be here this this evening I had a chance to go to the celebration of life for Frank out at Dodger Stadium on February 24th i sat there luminaries from basketball the Hank Aaron was there former commissioner Bud Selig Rob Bamford some of the greatest players that ever played the game they were there to celebrate Frank and what he meant to not only them but to baseball and I reminded of what Nichelle Robinson said at the end of the ceremony and that's helped us get through this so I just want to thank all of you for coming tonight to do exactly that I think anybody that knew Frank it was kind of interesting to sit there and listen to everybody describe him I thought I was going to have to talk that afternoon so I had some notes and I was amazed at some of the life lessons that I personally learned from Frank but that I read about after his death on February 4th I had the willingness to push myself I tried to be better than I was that was Frank Robinson people have asked me you know you were his teammate you know you know you played for him in Puerto Rico what kind of guy was he I said well Frank was tough he was talented he was funny on occasion he was could be constructively critical he could be very supportive both as a manager and as a teammate I can recall it on the 24th of Dodger Stadium one of his close friend Glenn Coleman who had been nationally president said sometimes it's tough to get to know Frank Robinson but when you do he's like a marshmallow I don't know if I ever saw that side of Frank but he was a very special person Gary alluded to the fact that I was in my second year with the Orioles when Frank got here in 1966 let's kind of put this in the proper perspective we were a good team in 1965 we won 94 games twins 102 so we finished second Frank came over Bill DeWitt who was the general manager and Cincinnati said he was an old 30 well this old 30 guy he had hit 324 home runs he had driven in over a thousand runs in ten years he's a 303 lifetime a batting average stole 161 bases it been the most valuable player in 1961 and 62 had a better year but Maury wills Willie Mays with 49 home runs in 140 RBIs had a better year so he finished fourth he was a special player now on a personal note first time I ever saw him play we have an inter-squad game Frank has gets there late takes batting practice for the first time since the season before we had a guy Steve cosgrove in today's parlance he had great spin rate on his fastball and his curveball he gets two quick strikes on Frank throws him a perfect curveball low on a Frank away Frank stays back hits it down the left-field line off the chalk line and I turned to dick Hall one of our relievers one of my good friends and I said I think we just wind won the pennant now in 1966 I thought I was going to minor leagues I had pitched in 27 games in 65 mainly because I had to be with the Orioles that year so I thought I was going to Rochester so how do you make a ballclub well after I don't know nine innings with 15 left on base I got a chance to start I pitched five no-hitters against the Dodge or the Yankees and on a night game in Miami al dining threw it low and away a changeup and Frank hit it over the scoreboard over the clock into the wind about 450 feet we want to - nothing opening day I pitched up in Boston Brooks hits a home run Frank's hits a home run I throw 177 pitches I hit a home run end up within 15 games and we're on the way to the World Series Gary alluded to the fact that Frank was the only guy that ever hit a home run out of Memorial Stadium also put that day in perspective it was the second game of a doubleheader I went back and looked at the box scores I don't remember this I pitched the first game pitched a three-hitter complete game and then Frank he goes 5 for 7 with a single a double a triple and two home runs that's Frank Robinson later in the year he know how you get to the Hall of Fame I give up a two-run home run Frank strikes out the first three times against cash for this owner comes on in the ninth inning with two guys on base hits a three-run home run down the right-field line we win the game I I get 268 wins and get on the way to the Hall of Fame the interesting thing about Frank being the first african-american manager he just didn't hit 586 home runs that announced to everybody that I want to manage he went to Puerto Rico for two years I had the luxury and the good the good fortune of actually playing for him in 1968 when I hurt my shoulder I had given up 10 runs in 14 hits an instructional league and I went to Puerto Rico I don't know if he saw those numbers but the only thing he told me stay ready my arm got well went back into the upper 90s went six and Oh with a no-hitter and one of the reasons I had success was because Frank believed in me I'm gonna leave me the one-story Frank Robinson was intensely prideful man we're playing in Boston he hits a ball he thinks is going out of Fenway Park he doesn't run imagine that Frank Robinson doesn't run a ball out ball goes off the top of the wall Carl Yastrzemski catches it holds him to a single we win the game like 11:00 to 3:00 11:00 to 4:00 when Earl Weaver goes into his office after the game there's a little note I embarrassed this ballclub I embarrassed myself and I embarrassed baseball it'll never happen again with a couple of hundred dollar bills that's what Frank Robinson was always about the one thing one of my favorite quotes when you're good at something Walter Payton he said this you'll tell everybody when you're great at something they'll tell you Frank Robinson was one of the greatest players that ever played and I cannot tell you how fortunate how proud I not only had to be as his teammate but also as a dear friend may you rest in peace thank you [Applause] Thank You Jimmy not only did our next speaker team up with Frank for many years in the middle of the Orioles batting order but he was a member of the Cleveland Indians when Frank broke the color barrier as baseball's first black manager please welcome to Boog Powell [Applause] thank you thank you Gary my thanks to the Orioles for the chance to participate in this celebration of Frank Robinson's life and paid tribute to number 20 my sincerest condolences to Barbara in the shell and the Robinson family our hearts are with you when Frank showed up in Miami and spring training in 66 we really didn't know what to expect he brought a hard-nosed no-nonsense way of playing the game take no prisoners we might have won without him but with him it was a no-brainer from the beginning of the season he said hop on to my coattails boys I got this and I was fortunate to be on deck for most of the time Frank was an Oriole it was like watching Picasso at work and when Frank took Louie Tiant all the way out of Memorial Stadium I asked him when he got asked him when he came in I said you get it off and he said no he said I might have broke my bat and I said yeah right what a bomb that was and it was never repeated Frank went on to win the Triple Crown and I had a front-row seat we made it into the World Series that year and we're facing the mighty Dodgers in the first inning Frank hit a homer off of Don Drysdale Brooksie hit a homer the next at-bat and we were off to the races we were in the World Series four times in six years and we had more fun playing than you could ever ever imagine and then when Frank became the first black manager in baseball I was fortunate to be with him again he was not only the manager but a player too and before his first at-bat I told him you might as well go deep and he hadn't had any batting practice or anything and he went out there and went deep it was amazing not only did he have to make up the lineup but he hit a tater in his first at-bat later on that season we'd lost five or six in a row so Frank is the manager put nine numbers in a hat and had all the starters pick out a number and I picked out number one so I was the leadoff hitter that day dropped down a bunt beat it out true story the next day I was hitting for it when I came back to Baltimore and started my new career selling barbecue Frank was working in the front office one day I heard somebody calling my name and I looked around and it was Frank in the second story of the warehouse building he said hey how about throwing me up a pit beef so I wrapped the one up and threw it up in a minute later he threw it back and said hey Frank what's wrong he said no barbecue sauce so I put some sauce on it put a little Tabasco on it and threw it back up we still chuckle about that but it was an honor and a privilege to play with and to play for Frank most of all to be his friend thank you Luke thank you very much Frank is one of two players to win League all-star and World Series MVP awards and the other is our next speaker please welcome our Hall of Famer Brooksie Brooks Robinson [Applause] thank you very thank you very much this is a sad day for me and for oil fans and especially Barbara and Michelle Robinson I had a chance to speak to Frank over the last couple months and believe me I shed a few tears this past week these few weeks Jim Palmer and I were fortunate enough to go to California to see the memorial service here and it was wonderful to see how Frank bought people together from so many different sports Bill Russell Magic Johnson Kareem abdul-jabbar just to name a few when Frank got traded here it was a lucky day for me the team and the Oriole fans as far as greatness is concerned he is in an elite class like players like mantle and Mays and Aaron he could do it all we started winning and went for that in four World Series when Franco Frank alive and that was in six years after all of this I was saddened to see when he was traded as you know Frank and I had the same name and we had a lot of fun together usually when we had arrived in a city for the first time the local papers would send out a photographer to take a picture of the Robinson brothers most of the time the photographer's didn't know a thing about baseball so he was a little more than surprised when he saw us and expected brothers either Frank and I would say we're not brothers we're just cousins we had a young team back in 1966 with Paul Blair Davey Johnny David Johnson Andy etchebarren and a few more and when Frank came over everyone waited to see what kind of guy he was believe me he fit perfectly with our club right away a whole group our team got along well and Frank was a lot of fun he was just what our team needed he was also the judge of our kangaroo court and we only had this kangaroo court when we won he were a ragtop ragtop from the top of his head and called he called the court to jet sued to order after the game whoever said whoever had the weaker swing that night had to carry out a half a handle of a bat in the next road trip the guy who made the worst play in the infield carried an old ragged glove and the guy who made the worst base running mistake had to carry an old shoe if one accidentally started to run the field before a third out or says something stupid during the game he had to pay a dollar box dollar fine - and went to charity Frank took great pleasure in giving out the peasants the punishment and we did have a lot of laughs we both retired from playing Frank and I would see each other often in July we should see each other at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and a lot of events and appearances throughout the year we kept up with each other's family also as I said before this is a sad day but it's also a day to celebrate this day and to him and I'm happy to have been a part of his life he certainly brought people together Michelle and Barbara were thanking with you god bless you [Applause] Thank You Brooksie on behalf of the Orioles organization and especially you the fans thank you Frank Robinson for all you did for the Orioles for the game of baseball for the men and women of color in all walks of life we are grateful not only for the memories that you gave us but for the example you set on and off the field to conclude this evening ceremony please turn your attention to the video board in centerfield for a look back at the career of Frank Robinson we had fun playing the game we enjoyed each other's teammates they made it easy we played the game as they say the Oreo way the oil way is the correct way of playing the game nothing going to Baltimore was a turning point in my life I said hey look you're going to a football club if you go and just do what you're capable of doing maybe can help him win and I really didn't realize what a great situation I was walking not only was I walking into a good ball club I'm getting associated with some outstanding individuals I was walking into a great situation as far as an organization is concerned it's the greatest organization that I feel like in baseball this is a very special place in my heart Baltimore and always has been since I came here and it always will be and you the fans have made it that way my family grateful for this [Music] proud to have played there for six years and I'm glad that I was able to help this team win two World Championships I want to thank you all wonderful fans that made me feel comfortable here in Baltimore and I'm glad you stood behind our ballclub because we couldn't have done it without [Music] [Applause] you know I've been told many many times that when you come to the end of a road and it looks like it's an obstacle that hasn't stopped you if you would just take the time to maybe look on the other side there's better things there but the love affair that I have with Baltimore the organization the city the love of family have still goes on to all my friends in Baltimore and wherever I love you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Baltimore Orioles

Views: 1,095

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Major League, Baltimore Orioles, Major League Baseball, Frank Robinson

Id: WO0Mv7ig-DM

Length: 30min 51sec (1851 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 07 2019