This Date In Baseball History- December 9, 1965 – The Cincinnati Reds traded outfielder Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson. The Reds GM Bill DeWitt remarked after the deal that Robinson was ‘an old 30.’ Robinson went to the Orioles and in his first season- not only won the American League MVP Award but also won the Triple Crown- with 49 home runs, 126 RBI’s and .316. In his 6 seasons with the Orioles they would go to 4 World Series, winning 2. Pappas had two decent seasons with the Reds before moving on. The other two were not factors. One of the most notoriously bad trades in baseball history.
slicethelife 
This one I never understood at all. Just a stupid trade and remark by the Red’s GM.
The remark just gave Robinson all the motivation one would need…
Like Clemens coming to Toronto in that – suddenly the player was very motivated to prove he still had it and make the old team look silly. What a Baltimore team for a few years, with him and Brooks Robinson too.
You also have to wonder- if Robinson stays with the Reds- does their success in the 70’s start a little earlier?
Probably so…he’d have been there with Bench still healthy & at his best for one thing.