U. S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Cleveland Indians present family of Larry Doby, the first Black to play baseball for the Indians and in the American League, a signed copy of the congressional medal legislation honoring Doby, legislation introduced by Brown and U.S. Senator Rob Portman, also of Ohio.... Doby was the second Black to break the color barrier in major league baseball behind Jackie Robinson, who played in the National League, Robinson the first Black to play major league baseball in the modern era...."Larry Doby seldom receives credit for his role in integrating all of professional baseball and its past time to honor his contributions to both Civil Rights and America's game," said Senator Brown, a Cleveland Democrat...Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black
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| United States Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a Cleveland Democrat |
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| Larry Doby |
Doby was the first African-American to go from the Negro National League to major league baseball and to play in the American League, effectively integrating all of professional baseball.
He signed with the Cleveland Indians, the franchise then owned by Bill Veeck, in July 1947, three months after Jackie Robinson made history by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League, Robinson the first African-American to play major league baseball in the modern era.
The center-fielder was also the first-African-American to officially play major league baseball with the Cleveland Indians, the baseball club now owned by Larry Dolan, who purchased it in 2000 for $323 million from Richard Jacobs, who, along with his late brother, David Jacobs, paid $35 million for the lucrative franchise in 1986.
"Larry Doby seldom receives credit for his role in integrating all of professional baseball and its past time to honor his contributions to both civil rights and America's game," said Brown, who displays in his Washington, D.C. office a replica of the statue of Dolby that stands at Progressive Field in Cleveland. "Doby's heroism surpasses his remarkable skill - he overcame discrimination and hostility to break barriers, leading Cleveland to victory and moving our country in the right direction."
A family man, Dolby died in 2003 in Montclair, New Jersey at the age of 79.
Brown and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced legislation to honor Doby for his career and contributions to the American Civil Rights movement.
The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent and President Trump signed the bill into law last December.
Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum all supported Brown's bill.
During his 13-year career in the American League, Doby tallied 1,533 games, batting .283, with 253 home runs and 970 runs batted in. He played in two World Series, leading the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World Championship over the Boston Braves. He was the first African-American player to hit a home run in a World Series game, led the American League in home runs twice, and was voted to seven All-Star teams.
In 1978, the Chicago White Sox hired Doby as their manager and he became the second African-American manager in Major League history. He later served as Director of Community Relations for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association.
He was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2013.
He had a batting average in the major leagues of .283, and needed his career with 253 home runs.
Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina in 1923 and moved to Paterson, New Jersey in 1938, where he became a standout athlete at Paterson Eastside High School.
He attended Long Island University on a basketball scholarship before enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He was discharged in 1946 and went on to play baseball in the Negro National League for the Newark Eagles and then with the Cleveland Indians in 1947, intimately concluding his baseball career with the White Sox in 1959.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
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