LARRY DOBY

Larry Doby was the first Black player in the American League. Signed by Bill Veeck in August 1947, Doby was no publicized as much as Jackie Robinson, who broke the National League’s color barrier four months earlier. But he was every bit as talented. Doby was a power-hitting center fielder and a key member of Cleveland’s pennant winners in 1948 and 1954. During the latter season, he hit 32 home runs becoming the first former Negro Leaguer to win a major league home run crown. He also became the first Black player to hit a home run in the World Series. Before joining Cleveland, he starred with the Negro National League’s Newark Eagles for four seasons, leading them to a championship in 1946. He played in every All-Star Game from 1949 through 1954. After his major league playing career, Doby, along with Don Newcombe, became the first former major leaguers to play for a professional Japanese team, the Chunichi Dragons.

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Text and images courtesy of Dick Perez’s The Immortals - An Art Collection of Baseball’s Best