President Trump Pays Tribute to the Late Frank Robinson, Says He's a 'Big Fan'
President Donald Trump paid tribute to the legendary Frank Robinson just one day after the Hall of Famer's death.
Trump tweeted a tribute to Robinson on Friday afternoon and called himself a "big fan" of the "highly respected" baseball pioneer.
"I was a big fan of Frank Robinson, both as a great player and man," Trump wrote. "He was the first African American manager in baseball and was highly respected at everything he did. He will be missed!"
Many people from the baseball community have honored Robinson on Twitter, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. Former president Barack Obama also acknowledged Robinson's legacy on Twitter on Thursday.
"We lost two great Americans today – Frank Robinson and John Dingell – citizens who inspired me and so many others by leading on the civil rights issues of our time, opening doors to others, and leaving it all on the field," Obama said.
Dingell, 92, was the longest serving member of Congress on record and worked in the House of Representatives for 59 years and 22 days. Trump honored Dingell on Twitter on Friday afternoon before tweeting about Robinson.
During his 21 seasons in the MLB, Robinson was one of the game's foremost trailblazers. His accolades include winning the 1966 AL Triple Crown, National League and American League MVP titles and earning 14 All-Star nods. Robinson made major league history as the first African-American manager when he lead the Cleveland Indians during the last two years of his playing career. The Reds and Orioles star managed four franchises over 16 seasons.