Frank Robinson Knew How to Make a Powerful First Impression
Just ask the good people in Cincinnati and Baltimore!
There are many ways to measure the true legacy of a professional athlete. For me, I like seeing how some of a baseball player’s accomplishments stand the test of time as the game itself evolves.
So, the fact that Frank Robinson’s 586 career homers still rank 10th on the all-time list despite him not playing in a big-league game since 1976 gives you a glimpse of just how good he was.
The first-ballot Hall of Famer and two-time MVP winner suited up for five different teams during his playing days**, but** the vast majority of his career came with the Cincinnati Reds (10 seasons) and Baltimore Orioles (six seasons).
He obviously knew the value of making a good first impression because he raked in his first season with both clubs.
Robinson’s 1956 ROY Campaign With Cincinnati
Robinson made his big-league debut with the Reds during the 1956 season. He suited up for 152 games as a 20-year-old and immediately showed what type of player he could become. He was not only named an All-Star, but he placed seventh in MVP voting while also winning Rookie of the Year honors.
The right-handed slugger slashed .290/.379/.558 with 38 homers, 27 doubles, six triples, 83 RBI, and 122 runs scored (which led the league) in 668 plate appearances.
He enjoyed three different months with an OPS greater than 1.000, but his best work came in August. Robinson posted a season-high 1.071 OPS with 11 homers, eight doubles, 22 RBI, and 33 runs scored.
This was the start of a powerful decade in Cincinnati for Robinson. His yearly averages settled in at a .943 OPS with 32 homers, 32 doubles, 101 RBI, and 104 runs scored. He surpassed the 30-homer plateau seven times and was named the NL MVP in 1961.
His 324 homers with the club still rank third all-time on the franchise list, trailing only Johnny Bench (389) and Joey Votto (356).
Robinson’s 1966 MVP Campaign With Baltimore
The Reds traded Robinson to the Orioles in December 1965, proclaiming he was an "old 30" and that his best baseball days were behind him. And boy, oh boy, did he ever take that criticism to heart.
Robinson landed in Baltimore and once again made an incredibly powerful first impression. This time, it was even better than what he did a decade before as a rookie in Cincinnati.
The slugger won the Triple Crown by leading the league in batting average (.316), homers (49), and RBI (122). But that’s not all he led the league in—Robinson was also at the top of the following leaderboards:
On-base percentage: .410
Slugging percentage: .637
OPS: 1.047
Runs scored: 122
Total bases: 367
bWAR: 7.7
He not only won his second MVP Award, but Robinson also became the first MLB player to be named MVP in both leagues. Oh, and he added two more homers to his ledger during the World Series that fall, which the Orioles won after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games.
Robinson spent a total of six years in Baltimore, and his production was nearly identical to what he achieved in Cincinnati. An average year for him included a .944 OPS with 30 homers, 24 doubles, 91 RBI, and 93 runs scored.
So much for being an "old 30," am I right?
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