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Schmuck: Frank Robinson wasn't easy to get to know, but he was certainly worth the effort

Fans and Orioles staff pay their respects to Hall of Famer Frank Robinson by placing flowers at his statue in the flag court at Oriole Park. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun video)

Frank Robinson was one of the toughest players in the history of baseball, but the hard shell you had to break through to get to know him was just a very effective disguise.

I found that out the hard way soon after I was hired by The Sun to take over the Orioles beat in January of 1990. The team was coming off its heart-warming “Why Not?