He gave the game of baseball, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region, so much of himself. But also left a mark on the fans he encountered across the decades.
Here's a small sampling of the stories that have come from the masses, all of which give Robinson the third dimension of humanity.
This is a look at Frank Robinson, the person:
Was honored to meet Frank Robinson and his wonderful wife and daughter in his final role as manager with the #Nats. A true gentleman, a baseball hero of mine as a kid in #Cincinnati, and an All Star who broke so many barriers.
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman)
February 7, 2019 Oh no, RIP to the great Frank Robinson. Was lucky enough to share a stage with him at my college graduation, where he received an honorary degree. He said every year at least one of his Nats players would ask him, “Hey, Skip, you ever make it to the Show?"https://t.co/adittvkH1r
— Daniel Foster (@DanFosterType)
February 7, 2019 When Frank Robinson managed the Nats, he would occasionally eat at the restaurant where I worked, and was always kind to the college kid in the ill-fitting suit who'd congratulate him on beating the Yankees. RIP: https://t.co/vlW9A6qMmr
— Tim Fernholz (@TimFernholz)
February 7, 2019 Heartbreaking news in the passing of my Dear Friend & @McClymondsHS classmate Frank Robinson. It was my pleasure & great honor to have known him. We all know we lost one of the Greats, what we really lost was a Friend. #RIP @MLB @NBA @BleacherReport @MSNBC @CNN @SFGiants pic.twitter.com/KETXL9MhT8
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell)
February 7, 2019 5 yrs ago Frank Robinson visited O's spring training & minor leaguer Josh Hart admitted he didn't know much about Frank's career. Buck Showalter had Hart do research & write an essay. Hart was astounded at what he learned. A reminder that history teaches, even in sports #GoogleIt pic.twitter.com/v5dhmsOBCa
— Mark Viviano (@MarkWJZ)
February 7, 2019 Frank Robinson stopped his manager retirement newsconference in Baltimore to tell an overworked, overtired newsdesk assistant to wake up! It was me. He was amazing. RIP, sir. https://t.co/hgRqbriqGe
— James Ford (@jamesfordtv)
February 7, 2019 He used to be my neighbor growing up. Was such a nice guy. RIP. Frank Robinson, Hall of Fame Slugger and First Black Manager, Dies at 83 via @NYTimes https://t.co/hSfTuKzvlG
— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki)
February 7, 2019 Shared a locker room and Memorial Stadium with the Baltimore Orioles when the great Frank Robinson and the great Brooks Robinson played their way into the HOF. Their leadership and team performance were inspirational for every Colt player. We were both expected to win!
— Bill Curry (@coachbillcurry)
February 7, 2019 I saw Frank Robinson sooooo many times at The Forum and Staples Center at #Lakers games. Spoke to him many times and he was always incredibly nice. I always walked away from those conversations completely in awe. RIP to a great human being and Hall of Famer!!!!
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore)
February 7, 2019 In 2006, his last year as Nationals manager, I remember Frank Robinson getting ejected from a game... in Vero Beach in a spring training game vs. Dodgers. It was like the second inning in a meaningless early-March game over something so important I can’t remember. Intense. RIP.
— J.P. Shadrick (@jpshadrick)
February 7, 2019 This last tweet seems a bit unlikely, but now seems like the right time to ask:
Time to rename Nats Park as Frank Robinson Park?
— Dan Berman (@DHBerman)
February 7, 2019 Follow Brian Tinsman and 106.7 The Fan on Twitter.
