It was officially announced today that Washington Nationals manager, Frank Robinson, will not return to coach the team next season.  When MLB took ownership of the then Montreal Expos five years ago, Robinson took the reins in the dugout.  His first two seasons (‘02 and ‘03), Robinson led the team to 83-79 records, which was very commendable considering the restrictions of salary and the red tape involved in acquiring players.  The following season in ‘04, the Expos spiraled to a 67-95 record in their last season in Montreal.  Last year, the first in Washington, the Nationals were the talk of baseball during the first half of the season as they had a 50-31 first place record, but a huge drop and disappointment in the second half led the Nationals to finish with an 81-81 record.  This season, the Nats have a 71-89 record with two games to go.  For the third year in a row, they will finish at the bottom of the N.L. East.

Robinson is one of the greatest power hitters in the game with 586 homeruns, which places him sixth on the all-time list.  He was the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1956, the N.L. Most Valuable Player in 1961, and the A.L. Most Valuable Player in 1966 when he won the Triple Crown, leading the league in batting (.316), homeruns (49), and runs batted in (122).  However, that success as a player did not transfer to his managing career as he owns a below .500 record in the 16+ years he’s been a manager.  However, he did win the 1989 A.L. Manager of the Year while managing the Baltimore Orioles to a 87-75 record.

It’s been 51 years that Robinson has been involved with baseball and it’s sad that the run is over for the 71-year-old Robinson, but he’s put in his time with the sport and the class that he approached the game with will be missed.