Frank Robinson Trivia Quiz

Answer: He batted right-handed

Frank Robinson, born in Texas, batted and threw right-handed. He had outstanding athletic ability. Robinson was able to hit for average and for power. He stole 204 bases during his big league career, and he was a natural leader among his teammates.

Answer: Wally Berger

Frank Robinson broke into the Major Leagues as a 21-year-old rookie outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. He immediately established himself as a star, batting .290 with 38 homers and 83 RBIs. Berger, an outfielder with the Boston Braves, established his record during the 1930 season. Bill Terry and Gabby Hartnett were rookies during the 1920s. Joe Medwick's rookie campaign was in 1933.

Answer: 20

Both the Orioles (1972) and the Reds (1998) retired Robinson's number after "Robby" had retired. Joe Morgan (8) and Tony Perez (24) had their numbers retired by the Reds. Brooks Robinson (5) and Cal Ripken Jr. (8) received the same honor from the Orioles.

Answer: Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench, star catcher for the Reds, established a Cincinnati club record for career home runs when he belted his 325th career round tripper during the 1979 season. Bench ended his Hall of Fame career with 389 home runs, all them with the Reds. Frank Robinson had established the previous Reds' HR record when he eclipsed Ted Kluszewski's total of 251 during the 1963 season. Johnny Bench's number five was retired by the Reds.

Answer: Milt Pappas

The Cincinnati Reds dealt Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for starting pitcher Milt Pappas, reliever Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson. Many baseball historians claim that this was one of the most one-sided deals in history. Robinson was a star player for the Birds from 1966 to 1971, while Pappas was judged as ineffective during his three seasons with the Reds. Pappas had compiled a record of 110-74 with Baltimore, earning two All-Star selections in 1962 and 1965. However, Pappas was only a mediocre hurler for Cincinnati, going 30-29.

Answer: 1966

In 1966, Frank Robinson had a sensational season in his first year with the Baltimore Orioles. He won the American League Triple Crown of batting with an average of .316, along with 49 home runs and 122 RBIs. In addition, Robinson was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1966 World Series in Baltimore's triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Robinson capped off his amazing year by winning the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of 1966.

Answer: He collected more than 3000 hits

Frank Robinson slammed 586 home runs in his Hall of Fame career, driving home 1812 runs, and hitting 528 doubles. Robinson narrowly missed collecting 3000 career hits, ending up with only 2943 hits. Robinson finished his playing career in 1976.

Answer: Cleveland Indians

In 1975, Frank Robinson became the first African-American to manage a Major League team when he was signed by the Cleveland Indians. Robinson served as player-manager of the Tribe for two seasons, and became a full-time skipper for the team during the 1977 campaign. Robinson compiled a record of 186-189 for the Indians.

Answer: San Francisco Giants

Robinson had a record of 264-277 with the Giants. His best season with the club was in 1982 when he led the Candlestick Park lads to a mark of 87-75, good for a third place finish in the NL West. Robinson was replaced by Danny Ozark during the 1984 season.

Answer: Cy Young Award

Frank Robinson won numerous awards during his career. He was named as Most Valuable Player in both the National (1961) and American (1966) Leagues during his playing days. In 1971, Robinson was named as the MVP of the All-Star Game. However, the Cy Young Award is given to the top pitcher in the Major Leagues. Robinson never pitched in the big leagues, thus he wasn't eligible to win the Cy Young Award. Robinson was inducted into Cooperstown in 1982.