The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF) is saddened to hear of the passing of a sports legend and 1983 BASHOF Inductee – Frank Robinson on February 7, 2019.
Robinson managed four years for the SF Giants and significant accomplishments of his career include:
- 12x All-Star
- NL Rookie of the Year (1956)
- NL MVP (1961)
- AL MVP (1966)
- AL Manager of the Year (1989)
- MLB Hall of Fame (1982)
Raised in Oakland, Robinson was a baseball star at McClymonds High School before joining MLB. He became the first African-American manager in MLB history in 1975 with the Cleveland Indians before managing the Giants from 1981-1984.
Here is how some prominent persons reacted to the loss of Frank Robinson:
“Frank Robinson was a dear friend and realized one of Jack’s great hopes, becoming baseball’s first African-American manager. He was remarkable and made us all feel proud for his many contributions to baseball and to society.” — Jackie Robinson’s widow, Rachel
“Today is a very sad day because I lost not only my teammate, but also a very dear friend… He was the best player I ever played with… He was a great man and he will be deeply missed.” — Former Baltimore Orioles teammate and Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson
“Frank Robinson and I were more than baseball buddies. We were friends. Frank was a hard-nosed baseball player who did things on the field that people said could never be done. I’m so glad I had the chance to know him all of those years. Baseball will miss a tremendous human being.” — Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron
“Heartbreaking news in the passing of my dear friend & McClymonds High School classmate Frank Robinson. It was my pleasure & great honor to have known him. We all know we lost one of the greats, what we really lost was a friend.” — NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell
Click here to view video highlights from Robinson’s career.
