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City Of Baltimore Dedicates 33rd Street As Frank Robinson Way, Honor Orioles Great Who Died In February

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The City of Baltimore paid tribute to the late Frank Robinson on Tuesday, dedicating 33rd Street as Frank Robinson Way.

"We stand where Memorial Stadium once stood and where Frank Robinson made history," Acting Baltimore Mayor Jack Young said.

Robinson passed away in February at the age of 83.

Orioles Hall Of Famer Frank Robinson Dies At 83

He was the first player to win MVP awards in both leagues and the first African-American manager in MLB. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Baltimore Oriole in 1982.

Robinson's 21-year playing career began with the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1956 at the age of 20.

He earned the National League's Rookie of the Year honors in following that season, hitting .290 with 38 homers and 83 RBI in his debut season. From there, he played for five teams over the next 20 years, including the Orioles.

Frank Robinson fans came out to the ceremony on Tuesday to honor the Oriole great.

"He was thought to be an old man, that's why Cincinnati let him go," Ray Banks, a Robinson fan, said. "But he came here and took us to another level."

Tributes to Frank Robinson will continue on Opening Day, with a $60,000 donation from the Orioles in his name to African American museums.

"Three museums with a check for $20,000 in honor to Frank Robinson's contribution to fighting discrimination," Jackie Copeland, of the Reginald Lewis Museum, said.

The Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore will be one of those recipients. It hopes to build a collection of Robinson's accomplishments on and off the field.

"He faced discrimination, especially housing discrimination, and he worked to correct that," Copeland said.

The Orioles will continue to honor Robinson when they host the Yankees in their home opener on Thursday.

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