This is a May 19, 1966, file photo showing Baltimore Orioles' Frank Robinson at bat. (AP Photo/File)
Frank Robinson, after an illustrious career as an outfielder and base runner with 586 home runs, made history on Oct. 9, 1974, by becoming Major League Baseball‘s first African-American field manager with the Cleveland Indians. On Oct. 10, Robinson would throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the first playoff game at Nationals Park.
In June 2012, at age 76, he was appointed Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of player development.
In this Nov. 9, 2005, file photo, President Bush awards baseball legend Frank Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, the first black manager in Major League Baseball and the only player to win the MVP award in both leagues, died in 2019. He was 83. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, File)
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, Robinson remains the only player in history to win the MVP award in both the American and National Leagues.
Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC.
