page_title: Frank Robinson
section_title: Honors
hierarchical_section_title: Frank Robinson / Honors
caption_attribution_description: President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to baseball legend Frank Robinson in the East Room Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005. Winning the Most Valuable Player awards in the National and American Leagues, he achieved the American League Triple Crown in 1966. Mr. Robinson became baseball's first African-American manager. The citation read: Frank Robinson played the game of baseball with total integrity and steadfast determination. He won Most Valuable Player awards in both the National and American Leagues. He achieved the American League Triple Crown in 1966. His teams won five League titles and two World Series championships. In 1975, Frank Robinson broke the color barrier as baseball's first African-American manager, and he later won Manager of the Year awards in both the National and American Leagues. The United States honors Frank Robinson for his extraordinary achievements as a baseball player and manager and for setting a lasting example of character in athletics.[1]
context_page_description: Frank Robinson was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five teams, from 1956 to 1976. The only player to be named Most Valuable Player of both the National League and the American League, he was named the NL MVP after leading the Cincinnati Reds to the pennant in 1961 and was named the AL MVP in 1966 with the Baltimore Orioles after winning the Triple Crown; Robinson's 49 home runs that year tied for the most by any AL player between 1962 and 1989, and stood as a franchise record for 30 years. He helped lead the Orioles to the first two World Series titles in franchise history in 1966 and 1970, and was named the Series MVP in 1966 after leading the Orioles to a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1975, Robinson became the first black manager in big league history, as the Cleveland Indians’ player-manager.
  A 14-time All-Star, Robinson batted .300 nine times, hit 30 home runs 11 times, and led his league in slugging four times and in runs scored three times.
context_section_description: In addition to his two Most Valuable Player awards (1961 and 1966) and his World Series Most Valuable Player award (1966), Robinson was honored in 1966 with the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year in any sport.
  In 1982, Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Baltimore Oriole. Robinson is also a charter member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (along with Brooks Robinson), and a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, being inducted into both in 1978. He was named to the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor for his "significant contribution to the game of baseball in Washington, D.C" on May 9, 2015. He was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2016. The Reds, Orioles, and Indians have retired his uniform number 20. He is one of only two major league players, the other being Nolan Ryan, to have his number retired by three different organizations.
  In 1999, Robinson ranked 22nd on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
  Three teams have honored Robinson with statues: 
  In 2003, the Reds dedicated a bronze statue of Robinson at Great American Ball Park.
  In 2012, the Orioles unveiled a bronze statue of Robinson at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as part of the Orioles Legends Celebration Series.
  In 2017, the Indians unveiled a bronze statue of Robinson in front of Progressive Field.
  President George W. Bush awarded Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005. On April 13, 2007, Robinson was awarded the first Jackie Robinson Society Community Recognition Award at George Washington University.
  In his career, Robinson held several major league records. In his rookie season, he tied Wally Berger's record for home runs by a rookie (38). (The current record would be set by Pete Alonso in 2019.) Robinson still holds the record for home runs on opening day (8), which includes a home run in his first at bat as a player-manager. Robinson won the American League Triple Crown (.316 BA, 49 HR, 122 RBI) – only two players (Carl Yastrzemski and Miguel Cabrera) have since won the award in either league – and the two MVP awards, which made him the first player in baseball history to earn the title in both leagues.
caption: Robinson being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
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