Larry Doby, An Appreciation

By Lou Parrotta

This past month, the world lost some monumental figures. Gragory Peck, who gained fame in movies such as the landmark To Kill a Mockingbird; David Brinkley, who revolutionized television news; Maynard Jackson, the first African-American Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia; and Hume Cronyn, a legend of the theater. Amidst all of these sad losses, though, was one that should have received even more attention; Larry Doby.  

Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball's American League on July 5, 1947, 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson did so in the National League, died after a courageous battle with cancer. Doby was always known throughout his life as "the second one" when it came to integration, and he failed to receive the attention he deserved for the great work he did on the field and in all of society. 

While Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown in the early 1970s by the Sportswriters, Doby had to wait until 1998 to finally receive the recognition he so deserved, and it had to come from his peers on the Veterans Committee.  

Doby was one of the American League's most feared sluggers in the days when hitting 30 home runs was a hard thing accomplish. Driving in nearly 1,000 runs in his career, Doby was one batter opposing pitchers did not want to face when playing the Cleveland Indians. He was a terrific fielder and one of the most professional players to ever put a uniform on. Doby helped lead the Tribe to the World Series championship in 1948 and another appearance in the Fall Classic in 1954. 

Doby began his career in the old Negro Leagues, amassing a .414 average his final year prior to making the majors. He is one of four individuals to have played in both the Negro League World Series and the Major League World Series, joining Monte Irvin, Willie Mays and the great Satchel Paige. He is also one of the few former Negro League stars to play in both the Negro Leagues All-Star Game and the Major League All-Star Game.  

Doby forever was second in integrating baseball. Not only was he the second black player, he was also the second black manager after Frank Robinson, when he filled out the last four months of the Chicago White Sox's 1978 campaign as their skipper. 

It has got to be tough to live in the shadows of well-known first people to do ground-breaking things in life. It also has to be difficult to realize you went through all of the same problems and rough spots as Jackie Robinson did, yet people are not very good at remembering who you are. It is much along the same lines of the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, the second person to walk on the moon, the second person to be President, etc. It is much like being the second black person to become Mayor of Atlanta, GA (remember, Maynard Jackson who also passed away this week was the first). The great thing about Larry Doby was his willingness to not be bitter and to carry on his legacy in a quiet and unassuming way. Rest in peace, hero. You deserve the rest after a lifetime of struggle.