MLB fans remember Jackie Robinson as the man who broke the color barrier back in 1947.
That happened in April.
However, it’s important to remember the first Black man ever to play in the American League.
Larry Doby made his MLB debut on July 5, 1947, a few months after Robinson.
He, too, had to endure racial abuse.
And, like Robinson, he went on to have a stellar career that finished in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
He played for the Cleveland Guardians (then Indians), and became, together with Satchel Paige, the first Black man to win a World Series in MLB, in 1948.
That was the last World Series title in franchise history.
Larry Doby Was A True Pioneer
Fans all over the country and the world are remembering the 75th anniversary of Doby’s MLB debut.
“On July 5th, 1947 Larry Doby became the 1st black player in the American League when he entered the lineup as a pinch-hitter in Chicago for the Cleveland Indians. He never gets the respect he deserves- His #14 should be retired across baseball, @MLB,” McNeil (@reflog_18) tweeted., with the picture of a really cool shirt.
On July 5th, 1947 Larry Doby became the 1st black player in
the American League when he entered the lineup as a pinch-hitter in Chicago for the Cleveland Indians.He never gets the respect he deserves- His #14 should be retired across baseball, @MLB 👀#DobyDay #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/qR7Stf6hBf
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) July 5, 2022
Beyond the fact that he helped break a significant barrier, Doby was a fine player.
He didn’t quite show it in 1947, but when everything was said and done, he had an amazing career.
75 years ago today, Larry Doby broke the American League color barrier with the Cleveland Indians. Here’s a collection of Doby material from the @NLBMuseumKC: pic.twitter.com/FHEMZHx1O8
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 5, 2022
Doby slashed .283/.386/.490 with a solid .876 OPS.
He slugged 253 home runs, scored 960 runs, and drive in 970 RBI in just 13 seasons in the bigs, some of them cut short.
He is a true baseball legend and his name should be mentioned more than it is.
#OTD in 1947, the vastly underappreciated Larry Doby made his debut with the @Indians, becoming the first African-American to play in the AL. Here’s a painting of him that was used by @topps in their 150 Years of Baseball card set from 2019. pic.twitter.com/GsF1G26ucZ
— Graig Kreindler (@GraigKreindler) July 5, 2022
Younger generations should know more about Doby, just as they know everything about Robinson.
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