105: Larry Doby-MLB

Sports' Forgotten Heroes

When it comes to firsts, Larry Doby just misses the mark. Jackie Robinson was the first to cross the color line when he did so for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Larry Doby was second (but the first in the American League to do so) when he made his debut for the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1947. Frank Robinson was the first black manager in baseball history when he was named player-manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1975. Doby was the second black man to be named manager of a team when he was picked to do so for the Chicago White Sox in 1978. When you’re second, it just doesn’t come with the same notoriety. But being second is not a knock on Doby. In fact, Larry Doby was a star for Cleveland, and later the White Sox. In fact, he was the first black man to be part of a World Series champion when he led Cleveland to a 4 games to 2 win over the Boston Braves in 1948. He actually garnered regular season MVP consideration in his first full year with the team. He made the all-star team seven straight years from 1949 through 1955. He had a career batting average of .283, hit 253 homeruns and knocked in 970. In 1954 he led the American League with 32 homeruns and 126 RBI. Doby was a star and in 1998 received the ultimate honor with his induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. On this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, I welcome special guest, Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro League’s Baseball Museum, as we talk about the marvelous career of the first man to cross the color line in the American League – Larry Doby.

Links:

Sports' Forgotten Heroes website

Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page

Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter

© 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes