Summer's over and no run for the pennant for the kids from DC.  Nope.  No post-season for the Washington Nationals in October of 2006.  College and professional football are in full swing, basketball and hockey are right around the corner.  Schools are now open and the leaves are turning.  Baseball fans now turn their attention to the remaining teams left in the hunt - the teams that have a chance to be crowned World Champions.  The lucky ones.  But baseball fans in Washington have been lucky in their own right for the past two years. 

Yesterday, you could see it in the eyes of the fans at RFK Stadium.  At a little past 4:15pm on a crisp, autumn day in Washington - a historic moment just as important to the franchise as the first pitch thrown on April 14, 2005.  The Nationals and 29,000 of their faithful fans said goodbye to their inaugural manager: Frank Robinson.  The same man who led a neglected Montreal club from a tortureous and agonizing situation as Major League Baseball's "step-child", to the franchise today that represents the national past-time in the nation's capital.

FRANK ROBINSON LEADS THE TEAM IN TRANSITION TO WASHINGTON IN 2005

Frank Robinson began his 51 years in major league baseball in 1956 as a left fielder for the Cincinnati Reds.  Right from the start, Frank displayed his aggressive style when he became an All-Star and National League Rookie of the Year with 38 home runs and 122 runs scored - both records were National League leaders for that year.  

He was the first player to win the Most Valuable Player award in both the National and American Leagues (Cincinnati Reds & Baltimore Orioles).  In addition to that accomplishment, in 1966 - in his very first year with Baltimore (after being traded from Cincinatti for Milt Pappas) he obtained the American League triple crown (led the league in home runs, batting average & RBIs).  The Orioles went on that same year to win the World Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and Frank was chosen as the World Series MVP.

FRANK ROBINSON IN 1966: TRIPLE CROWN WINNER AND WORLD SERIES MVP

At the time of his retirement as a player in 1976, he had 586 home runs (only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth & Willie Mays had more), 2,943 hits and 1,812 RBIs.  His career batting average was an outstanding .294.  He was an ELEVEN-time All-Star, led the American League in slugging percentage 4 years: 1960 (.595), 1961 (.611), 1962 (.624), & 1966 (.637) and in runs scored in 3: 1956 (122), 1962 (134), 1966 (122).  Frank Robinson is an inductee of the Baseball Hall of Fame and was elected the first year he was eligible in 1982.  The year before Frank retired in 1976, he was made player-manager for the Cleveland Indians and thus became the first African American to ever manage in the Major Leagues. 

FRANK BECOMES PLAYER-MANAGER OF THE CLEVELAND INDIANS IN 1975

After a short stint as manager in San Francisco between 1981-1984, he returned to his team of fame in Baltimore to try and right a ship that was in dire need.  Under his leadership, the Baltimore Orioles went from a 54-107 record in 1988 to 87-75 in 1989. For this amazing feat he was awarded the American League Manager of the Year.  Frank's #20 jersey is retired in Baltimore & Cincinnati and he is a member of both team hall of fames.  He left managing for a while in 1991 and took on a job as Major League Baseball's Director of Discipline.

He got a call in 2001 and was asked by MLB to manage yet another team in trouble - the Montreal Expos.  Amid rumours of contraction and relocation, "home games" in both Canada and Puerto Rico, Frank maintained a team on a shoe-string budget, a half-interested ownership and a minimal fan-base.  Finally, in 2004 it was decided that the Expos would become the new franchise of Washington D.C. and Frank would be at the helm.

Again, with an improved yet less than ideal situation in 2005, Frank carved his team with his no-nonsense "from the gut" style that was often criticized by both sportswriters and fans alike.  Robinson relied on instincts and love of the game.  He was loyal, but hard-nosed.  He would not tolerate disrespect from young players and could sometimes deal harshly with those he didn't favor.  However he was also known to be compassionate for those that listened to him - often taking troubled players under his wing and giving them opportunities when conventional wisdom (and the especially the press) said to do the opposite. 

On April 20 he accomplished his 1,000th win as a manager and played/managed over 5,000 games of professional baseball.  Frank Robinson has entertained us with 51 years of the game he played, lived & conquered.  A game to which he says that "once it gets in your blood, you can't get it out".  Indeed Frank, and thank you from the grateful fans of Washington.