The Reds Trade Frank Robinson to the Orioles

On December 9, 1965, the Cincinnati Reds traded outfielder Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson. Reds general manager Bill DeWitt defended the deal by calling Robinson "an old 30." The remark became one of the most regretted assessments in baseball history.

Robinson had won the National League MVP award in 1961, hitting .323 with 37 home runs and 124 RBIs. Over 10 seasons in Cincinnati, he hit 324 home runs, made the All-Star team six times, and established himself as one of the most complete players in the game. He hit for power, played aggressive defense in right field, and ran the bases with a ferocity that intimidated opponents.

DeWitt believed Robinson's best years were behind him. They were not.

In his first season in Baltimore, Robinson won the American League Triple Crown, hitting .316 with 49 home runs and 122 RBIs. He was named the AL MVP, becoming the first player to win the award in both leagues. The Orioles swept the defending champion Dodgers in the 1966 World Series, and Robinson was named Series MVP as well.

Robinson spent six seasons in Baltimore and helped the Orioles reach four World Series. The team won the championship in 1966 and 1970, and Robinson was the emotional leader of a roster that dominated the American League.

The players Cincinnati received in return made little impact. Pappas went 30-29 over two and a half seasons with the Reds before being traded. Baldschun and Simpson contributed even less.

Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982 with 586 career home runs. The trade stands as one of the most lopsided in baseball history, a cautionary tale about undervaluing elite talent.