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Frank Robinson
Baltimore Orioles
Outfield
Born: August 31, 1935, Beaumont, TX
Signed: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams: Cincinnati Reds 1956-65; Baltimore Orioles 1966-71; Los Angeles Dodgers 1972; California Angels 1973-74; Cleveland Indians 1974-76
World Series Appearances: Cincinnati Reds 1961; Baltimore Orioles 1966, 1969-71
As a Manager: Cleveland Indians 1975-77; San Francisco Giants 1981-84; Baltimore Orioles 1988-91; Montreal Expos 2002-04; Washington Nationals 2005-06
Died: February 7, 2019, Los Angeles, CA (age 83)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1982
Frank Robinson was the first player to win the MVP Award in both National and American Leagues, winning the honor in 1961 with the Reds and then in 1966 in his first season with the Orioles. Robinson won National League Rookie of the Year honors with the Reds in 1956 and was a six-time All-Star with the club before a blockbuster deal sent him to Baltimore. Robinson won the Triple Crown in 1966 and led the Orioles to their first World Series title that season, winning World Series MVP honors in the process. He led the Orioles to their second World Championship title in 1970. In 21 seasons, Robinson was a 14-time All-Star, batting over .300 nine times and hitting at least 30 home runs in 11 seasons. When he retired, his 586 career home runs ranked fourth on the all-time list. Robinson collected 2,943 career hits to go along with 1,812 career RBIs.
In 1975, he was named a player-manager for the Indians, becoming the first black manager in Major League Baseball history. Although he was named Manager of the Year in 1989, he never guided a team to the postseason. Robinson was the final manager in Expos history and the first manager for the Nationals after the team had relocated to Washington, and he retired following the 2006 season with a career 1,065-1,176 record. He was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1982, and his #20 has been retired by the Orioles, Reds and Guardians.
As a Manager: Cleveland Indians 1975-77; San Francisco Giants 1981-84; Baltimore Orioles 1988-91; Montreal Expos 2002-04; Washington Nationals 2005-06
Died: February 7, 2019, Los Angeles, CA (age 83)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1982
Frank Robinson was the first player to win the MVP Award in both National and American Leagues, winning the honor in 1961 with the Reds and then in 1966 in his first season with the Orioles. Robinson won National League Rookie of the Year honors with the Reds in 1956 and was a six-time All-Star with the club before a blockbuster deal sent him to Baltimore. Robinson won the Triple Crown in 1966 and led the Orioles to their first World Series title that season, winning World Series MVP honors in the process. He led the Orioles to their second World Championship title in 1970. In 21 seasons, Robinson was a 14-time All-Star, batting over .300 nine times and hitting at least 30 home runs in 11 seasons. When he retired, his 586 career home runs ranked fourth on the all-time list. Robinson collected 2,943 career hits to go along with 1,812 career RBIs.
In 1975, he was named a player-manager for the Indians, becoming the first black manager in Major League Baseball history. Although he was named Manager of the Year in 1989, he never guided a team to the postseason. Robinson was the final manager in Expos history and the first manager for the Nationals after the team had relocated to Washington, and he retired following the 2006 season with a career 1,065-1,176 record. He was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1982, and his #20 has been retired by the Orioles, Reds and Guardians.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #626
The Card / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1957 Topps #35
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (33): 1957-77, 1983-84, 1986, 1988-91, 2002-06
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2024 Topps Dynamic Duals Ripple Effect #RE-05
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 2,422 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)
I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the fourth of those 12, and the 67th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. The card was marked at $25, but I paid a little over $18 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied.
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked. The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell. The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.
The Card / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Topps used a wildly off center photo for the card, but I guess it kind of works? There's a lot of blue sky behind Robinson, so I still would have cropped it a little differently. Topps reprinted the card in its 2001 Topps Through the Years insert set. His impressive multi-league MVP wins are highlighted in the write-up on the back of the card.
Accuracy Index: Robinson's card scores an off center +5.
Inserts: Robinson is included as one of the 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.
1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Maxwell Kates:
1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Maxwell Kates:
As the Orioles were poised for greatness in 1969, their catalyst was once again Frank Robinson. Proving himself as a comeback player, he batted .308 while driving in 100 runs and hitting 32 homers, including 12 in April. Off the field Robinson developed a way to perpetuate team chemistry while keeping his teammates relaxed. Capitalizing on the television success of Laugh-In, Robinson established a clubhouse kangaroo court, proclaiming himself "da Judge." Wearing a robe and a mop for a wig, Robinson levied fines for "crimes" such as missing the team bus, missing the cutoff man, or wearing running shoes in public. As writer Ted Patterson remembered, only Robinson could have got away with saying "Stand up, Earl [Weaver]. (#516) Oh, you are standing." The Orioles donated the proceeds of the 1969 kangaroo court fines to Cincinnati catcher Pat Corrales (#382), whose wife had died that summer giving birth to her fourth child.
Despite 109 regular-season wins and Robinson’s home run in the fifth game, Baltimore lost the 1969 World Series to the Miracle New York Mets.
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First Mainstream Card: 1957 Topps #35
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (33): 1957-77, 1983-84, 1986, 1988-91, 2002-06
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2024 Topps Dynamic Duals Ripple Effect #RE-05
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 2,422 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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