MLB notebook: HOFer Frank Robinson dead at 83

Hall of Famer and trailblazing baseball legend Frank Robinson passed away Thursday at the age of 83. Robinson died in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends.

FILE PHOTO: Washington Nationals Manager Frank Robinson waves to the fans on his last day as the Nationals manager in Washington October 1, 2006. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

It was reported last week that Robinson, Major League Baseball’s first black manager, was in the late stages of a long battle with bone cancer.

“We are deeply saddened by this loss of our friend, colleague and legend, who worked in our game for more than 60 years,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to Frank’s wife Barbara, daughter Nichelle, their entire family and the countless fans who admired this great figure of our National Pastime.”

Robinson ranks 10th in baseball history with 586 career homers and won MVP awards in both the National and American Leagues. He also became the first African-American manager when he was hired by the Cleveland Indians in October 1974.

—The Miami Marlins agreed to trade All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jorge Alfaro and two pitching prospects, both teams announced.

Miami, which had been shopping Realmuto for months, received hard-throwing right-hander Sixto Sanchez, left-hander Will Stewart and international bonus slot money from Philadelphia.

The 27-year-old Realmuto is under contract for $5.9 million in 2019 and has one year of arbitration eligibility still remaining. Realmuto made the National League All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger award last season. He batted .277 with a career-high 21 homers, 30 doubles, 74 RBIs and 74 runs in 125 games.

—Two years after MLB’s disabled list was reorganized with new rules, it now will get a new name, according to an ESPN report.

Baseball players will now head to the “injured list,” a name MLB felt was more appropriate considering that disabilities and injuries are not exactly the same.

The most-used version of the injured list will still have players out of action for 10 days, which replaced the 15-day DL in 2017. There is also a 60-day list used for more long-term injuries and to open a spot on the 40-man roster to make a potential replacement player major league eligible. Players with a concussion or concussion-like symptoms may be placed on a seven-day list.

—Hunter Pence, a three-time All-Star who won the World Series twice with the San Francisco Giants, signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, the team announced.

The deal also includes an invite to major league camp at spring training in Surprise, Ariz.

Pence, 35, is a lifetime .280 hitter over 12 seasons with 224 home runs and 877 RBIs, but he batted just .226 with four home runs and 24 RBIs in 97 games with the Giants last season.

—New York Yankees reliever Zack (yes, it’s no longer Zach) Britton had some fun on Twitter, reporting what he called “breaking news.”

May 30, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro (38) breaks his bat hitting a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

“I will be going by my legal name ‘Zack’ instead of my stage name ‘Zach’….. everyone continue to breath normally…,” he wrote, adding the hashtags #beenlivingalie #birthcertfail.

No further explanation was given. In January, Britton, 31, agreed to a three-year, $39 million guaranteed deal with the Yankees.

—Field Level Media

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source: reuters.com