There are a lot of ways to measure the legacy of a pro ballplayer. For me, I like seeing how someone’s accomplishments stand the test of time as the game itself evolves.
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 pretty good 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). And as it turns out, Robinson had a serious knack for making a powerful first impression because he raked in his first season with both clubs.
The story of how the second one came about, though, is what makes this whole thing so interesting to me.
Related: The Ultimate Guide for Career Home Run Leaders
Frank Robinson’s 1956 Rookie Season With Cincinnati
Robinson made his big-league debut with the Reds during the 1956 season. As a 20-year-old, he suited up for 152 games and immediately showed what kind of player he was going to be. He was named an All-Star, placed seventh in MVP voting, and took home Rookie of the Year honors. Not bad, right?
The right-handed slugger slashed .290/.379/.558 with 38 homers, 27 doubles, six triples, 83 RBI, and 122 runs scored in 668 plate appearances. That runs scored total led the entire National League… as did his 20 hit-by-pitches.
He had three different months with an OPS north of 1.000, but his best stretch came in August — a 1.071 OPS with 11 homers, eight doubles, 22 RBI, and 33 runs scored. Not bad for a 20-year-old in his first big-league season.
That debut turned out to be the launching pad for a dominant decade in Cincinnati. Robinson’s yearly averages settled in at a .943 OPS with 32 homers, 32 doubles, 101 RBI, and 104 runs scored. He cleared the 30-homer mark seven times and won the NL MVP Award in 1961.
His 324 career homers with the Reds still rank third all-time on the franchise list, behind only Johnny Bench (389) and Joey Votto (356). Not bad company to be in.
The Reds Called Him an “Old 30” — Then He Won the Triple Crown
After 10 seasons and 324 home runs, the Reds traded Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles in December 1965. Their reasoning? They publicly declared he was an “old 30” and that his best baseball was behind him.
Robinson made like Michael Jordan and took that personally. What happened next has to be one of the better revenge seasons in baseball history.
He arrived in Baltimore and put together a campaign so dominant that it ended with him winning the Triple Crown. Robinson led the American League in batting average (.316), homers (49), and RBI (122), but this only scratches the surface of how good he was that year. He also led the league in:
- On-base percentage: .410
- Slugging percentage: .637
- OPS: 1.047
- Runs scored: 122
- Total bases: 367
- bWAR: 7.7
He also tacked on two more homers in the World Series that year as Baltimore achieved October glory after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games. As a cherry on top of a noteworthy campaign, Robinson took home his second and final MVP Award and became the first player in MLB history to win the award in both leagues.
All of that in his first season as an Oriole. Maybe he wasn’t such an “old 30” after all.
Robinson spent six total years in Baltimore, and his production was nearly identical to what he put up in Cincinnati. An average season with the Orioles included a .944 OPS with 30 homers, 24 doubles, 91 RBI, and 93 runs scored.
The Reds thought he was finished at 30 and his best days were behind him, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. While his on-field production did start to take a downturn in the latter portion of his career, Robinson didn’t walk away from the game as a player until he was 40 years old.
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