Earlier this month, MLB fired Jimmie Lee Solomon as executive vice president of baseball development. He was one of the highest-ranking African-Americans in the commissioner’s office.

Tuesday, they named a replacement:

Frank Robinson takes over Jimmie Lee Solomon’s role in Commissioner’s office as president of Baseball Development for #MLB

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 26, 2012

Robinson hit 586 home runs during a Hall of Fame career with the Reds, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels and Indians from 1956-76. Late in his playing career he became player-manager of the Indians, the first African-American fulltime manager, and managed for 16 years in the major leagues with the Tribe, the Giants, the Montreal Expos, and the Expos’ successor franchise, the Nationals, though his managerial career was not as successful as his playing career. He finished with an under-.500 record and never managed a team to a playoff spot.

Since retiring as a manager after 2006, he has done some work in the commissioner’s office and now, at age 76, takes on a fulltime role. Nightengale’s tweet says “president”, but this one says “vice president”:

MLB names Frank Robinson as executive VP

— DKnobler (@DKnobler) June 26, 2012