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Frank Robinson's debut as Cleveland Indians player-manager was historic (photos, audio)

By MIKE PETICCA
Special to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The pitch, a slider from New York Yankees righthander Doc Medich, started to run a little down and away.

But the baseball still found too much of home plate and stayed too high in the strike zone.

The Indians' Frank Robinson, still a feared hitter at age 39, whipped his bat through the zone as he snapped his wrists, made full contact and pulled a line drive over the left field fence in cavernous Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

Home run. And not an ordinary one.