Larry Doby
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball
player in the Negro leagues
and Major League Baseball
.
A native of Camden, South Carolina
, he was the second black player to play in the modern major leagues and the first
to do so in the American League
. A center fielder
, Doby appeared in seven All-Star
games and finished second in the American League MVP
voting. Appointed manager of the Chicago White Sox
in 1978, Doby was the second African-American to lead a Major League club. He was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in by the Hall's Veterans Committee
. He is one of five Hall-of-Famers to have grown up in Paterson, New Jersey
, though he was born elsewhere.
, Doby joined the Newark Eagles
in the Negro National League
at the age of 17, in 1942, starring as a second baseman
. Doby tried out for the Newark Eagles at historic Hinchliffe Stadium
in Paterson, New Jersey. A Negro league umpire by the name of Henry Moore advised Eagles owner Abe Manley
to give Doby a try out. Doby worked out with the Eagles prior to a game between the Newark Eagles and the New York Black Yankees (Hinchliffe Stadium was the Black Yankees home ballpark). At his Hall of Fame induction press conference in 1998, Doby said his most memorable moment at Hinchliffe Stadium was trying out for the Eagles, this after having a stellar career as a football and baseball player at Eastside High School. At that time he played under the name Larry Walker to protect his amateur status. His career in Newark was interrupted for two years for service in the Navy
. He then rejoined the Eagles in . Along with his partner, fellow Hall of Famer Monte Irvin
, Doby led the team to the Negro League Championship.
by their owner Bill Veeck
in , eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson
broke the color barrier
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
in the National League
. In his rookie season, Doby hit 5-for-32 in 29 games.
In , Doby became an important piece of Cleveland's World Series
victory against the Boston Braves. In Game Four of the 1948 Fall Classic, Doby became the first black player to hit a home run in World Series history. He also helped the Indians to win 111 games and the American League pennant
in .
At the end of the season, Doby was traded to the Chicago White Sox
for Chico Carrasquel
and Jim Busby
. He returned to Cleveland in for a short period of time, finishing his majors' career in with the White Sox (again hired by Bill Veeck) after a brief stint with the Detroit Tigers
.
Doby was a .283 career hitter with 253 home run
s and 970 RBI
in 1,533 games. He hit at least 20 homers in each season from 1949–56, leading the league in 1952 (32) and 1954 (32), and appearing between the top ten leaders in seven seasons (1949, 1951–56). He hit for the cycle
(1952), and also led the league in runs in 1952 (104), RBI in 1954 (126), on base percentage
in 1950 (.442), slugging average in 1952 (.541), and OPS
in 1950 (.986).
and Don Newcombe
. After retiring, he was a coach
for the Montreal Expos
and the Indians, and became manager
of the White Sox in the middle of the season. In a coincidental parallel, Doby was also the second black manager in the major leagues, after Frank Robinson
had become the manager of Cleveland in . Once again, it was Veeck who hired Doby.
pointed out that Doby had to suffer the same indignities that Robinson did, and with nowhere near the media attention and implicit support. More pointedly, in The Great American Baseball Card Book, the writers included a picture of Doby's baseball card and said that being the second black ballplayer was, in the minds of the press, akin to being "the second man to invent the telephone."
Doby threw out the ceremonial first pitch
at the 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
, played at Jacobs Field
. It was an appropriate choice, as the 1997 baseball season marked the fiftieth anniversary of Jackie Robinson
breaking the color barrier. It was also 50 years and 3 days since Doby became the first black player in the American League.
, at age 79. When Doby died, President
George W. Bush
made the following statement:
On August 10, , the Indians paid tribute to Doby on Larry Doby Day by collectively using his number (14) on their uniforms.
There is a question about his birth date, since the 1930 census states his age as 10. This would mean that his actual birth year would be 1919 instead of 1923. However, since census records have been known to be incorrect, this bit of data cannot be said to be conclusive at this time.
.
In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service
announced that Doby would be one of the four baseball players to be honored on a postage stamp in 2012, as part of its "Major League Baseball All-Stars" series.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player in the Negro leagues
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
A native of Camden, South Carolina
Camden, South Carolina
Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
, he was the second black player to play in the modern major leagues and the first
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
to do so in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. A center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
, Doby appeared in seven All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
games and finished second in the American League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting. Appointed manager of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in 1978, Doby was the second African-American to lead a Major League club. He was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in by the Hall's Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
. He is one of five Hall-of-Famers to have grown up in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, though he was born elsewhere.
Early career
A local star athlete from Paterson, New JerseyPaterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, Doby joined the Newark Eagles
Newark Eagles
The Newark Eagles was a professional Negro league baseball team that played in the second Negro National League from 1936 to 1948.- Formation :...
in the Negro National League
Negro National League (the second)
The second Negro National League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. It established in 1933, two years after the first Negro National League had disbanded...
at the age of 17, in 1942, starring as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. Doby tried out for the Newark Eagles at historic Hinchliffe Stadium
Hinchliffe Stadium
Hinchliffe Stadium is a historic 10,000-seat municipal stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, built 1931-32 on a dramatic escarpment above Paterson's National Landmark Great Falls, and surrounded by the city's National Landmark Historic District, the first planned industrial settlement in the nation...
in Paterson, New Jersey. A Negro league umpire by the name of Henry Moore advised Eagles owner Abe Manley
Abe Manley
Abraham L. "Abe" Manley was an American sports executive and husband of the first woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Effa Manley...
to give Doby a try out. Doby worked out with the Eagles prior to a game between the Newark Eagles and the New York Black Yankees (Hinchliffe Stadium was the Black Yankees home ballpark). At his Hall of Fame induction press conference in 1998, Doby said his most memorable moment at Hinchliffe Stadium was trying out for the Eagles, this after having a stellar career as a football and baseball player at Eastside High School. At that time he played under the name Larry Walker to protect his amateur status. His career in Newark was interrupted for two years for service in the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He then rejoined the Eagles in . Along with his partner, fellow Hall of Famer Monte Irvin
Monte Irvin
Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five...
, Doby led the team to the Negro League Championship.
Professional Baseball
Doby was signed by the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
by their owner Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
in , eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
broke the color barrier
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. In his rookie season, Doby hit 5-for-32 in 29 games.
In , Doby became an important piece of Cleveland's World Series
1948 World Series
The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians against the Boston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of . The Indians spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston...
victory against the Boston Braves. In Game Four of the 1948 Fall Classic, Doby became the first black player to hit a home run in World Series history. He also helped the Indians to win 111 games and the American League pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
in .
At the end of the season, Doby was traded to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for Chico Carrasquel
Chico Carrasquel
Alfonso Carrasquel Colón, better known as Chico Carrasquel was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles...
and Jim Busby
Jim Busby
James Franklin Busby was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball and right-handed batter who played for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox and Houston Colt .45's .Busby was born in Kenedy, Texas, and attended...
. He returned to Cleveland in for a short period of time, finishing his majors' career in with the White Sox (again hired by Bill Veeck) after a brief stint with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Doby was a .283 career hitter with 253 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 970 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 1,533 games. He hit at least 20 homers in each season from 1949–56, leading the league in 1952 (32) and 1954 (32), and appearing between the top ten leaders in seven seasons (1949, 1951–56). He hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
(1952), and also led the league in runs in 1952 (104), RBI in 1954 (126), on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
in 1950 (.442), slugging average in 1952 (.541), and OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
in 1950 (.986).
Japanese baseball
In , Doby became the third American to play professional baseball in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, after Wally Kaname YonamineWally Kaname Yonamine
Wallace Kaname "Wally" Yonamine , also known as Wally Yonamine, was a multi-sport American athlete who played in the All-America Football Conference and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball....
and Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
. After retiring, he was a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
and the Indians, and became manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
of the White Sox in the middle of the season. In a coincidental parallel, Doby was also the second black manager in the major leagues, after Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
had become the manager of Cleveland in . Once again, it was Veeck who hired Doby.
Second man
During the season, when the long-departed Jackie Robinson's number 42 was being retired throughout baseball, and the still-living Larry Doby was being virtually ignored by the media, an editorial in Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
pointed out that Doby had to suffer the same indignities that Robinson did, and with nowhere near the media attention and implicit support. More pointedly, in The Great American Baseball Card Book, the writers included a picture of Doby's baseball card and said that being the second black ballplayer was, in the minds of the press, akin to being "the second man to invent the telephone."
Doby threw out the ceremonial first pitch
Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team...
at the 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 68th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1997 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the...
, played at Jacobs Field
Jacobs Field
Progressive Field is a ballpark located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and is the home of the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball and the American League. Along with Quicken Loans Arena, it is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex...
. It was an appropriate choice, as the 1997 baseball season marked the fiftieth anniversary of Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
breaking the color barrier. It was also 50 years and 3 days since Doby became the first black player in the American League.
Eulogy
Doby died on June 18, 2003, in Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, at age 79. When Doby died, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
made the following statement:
On August 10, , the Indians paid tribute to Doby on Larry Doby Day by collectively using his number (14) on their uniforms.
There is a question about his birth date, since the 1930 census states his age as 10. This would mean that his actual birth year would be 1919 instead of 1923. However, since census records have been known to be incorrect, this bit of data cannot be said to be conclusive at this time.
Honors and awards
In 2010 Doby was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of FameNew Jersey Hall of Fame
The New Jersey Hall of Fame is an organization that honors individuals from the U.S. state of New Jersey who have made contributions to society and the world beyond....
.
In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
announced that Doby would be one of the four baseball players to be honored on a postage stamp in 2012, as part of its "Major League Baseball All-Stars" series.
See also
- Negro league baseball players
- First black MLB players by team and date
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
External links
| Accomplishments |
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