New York, NY – Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced Frank Robinson will serve as the league's executive vice president of baseball development.
Robinson has held many positions under Selig following his Hall-of-Fame playing career and a lengthy stint as manager. He was most recently the special assistant to the commissioner, and will now shift his focus to the management of MLB's Urban Youth Academies in Compton, Houston and Puerto Rico, as well as the development of future sites in New Orleans, Hialeah (FL) and Philadelphia.
"With more than 55 years of knowledge and experience in our game, Frank Robinson continues to be an extraordinary ambassador for baseball," said Selig. "This position will allow Frank to represent the national pastime to the next generation and guide the development of inner-city kids on and off the field, a cause that has always been close to his heart."
Robinson, the only player to win the MVP award in both the American and National Leagues, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982 after a 21-season playing career, during which he hit 586 home runs. He was also the first African-American manager in baseball history.
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