SPORTS HISTORY IN BLACK: Frank Robinson leaves baseball quietly

Outfielder and first baseman Frank Robinson was a great baseball player, who ended his career in a memorable way — for him, that is.

Over his career, he had 586 homeruns, 2,943 hits and 1,812 runs batted in. He
played for the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, California
Angels, and the Cleveland Indians. But eventually, all good things come to an end, even for
Robinson, who enjoyed the game of baseball.

Cleveland Indians player-manager Frank Robinson slugs his first home run in his first at bat against the California Angles on July 7,1976, in Anaheim, California. Photo credit: The Associated Press
Cleveland Indians player-manager Frank Robinson slugs his first home run in his first at bat against the California Angles on July 7,1976, in Anaheim, California. Photo credit: The Associated Press

On September 18, 1976, Robinson was available to play, He continued as the
Cleveland Indians player-manager against one of his former teams, the Baltimore
Orioles, in a doubleheader. In the second game, Robinson would come up to pinch hit.
Robinson would hit a single, putting a quiet period at the end of his career. It would be the last hit of his career as a player.

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