Larry Doby | |||
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Doby with the Indians in 1953
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Center fielder / Manager | |||
Born: Camden, South Carolina |
December 13, 1923|||
Died: June 18, 2003 Montclair, New Jersey |
(aged 79)|||
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MLB debut | |||
July 5, 1947, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
June 26, 1959, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .283 | ||
Home runs | 253 | ||
Runs batted in | 970 | ||
Games managed | 87 | ||
Win–Loss record | 37–50 | ||
Winning % | .425 | ||
Teams | |||
Negro leagues Major League Baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball As manager |
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Career highlights and awards | |||
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Member of the National | |||
Baseball Hall of Fame | |||
Inducted | 1998 | ||
Election Method | Veteran's Committee |
Negro leagues
Major League Baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball
As manager
Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier. A native of Camden, South Carolina and three-sport all-state athlete while in high school in Paterson, New Jersey, Doby accepted a basketball scholarship from Long Island University. At 17 years of age, he began his professional baseball career with the Newark Eagles as the team's second baseman. Doby joined the United States Navy during World War II. His military service complete, Doby returned to baseball in 1946, and along with teammate Monte Irvin, helped the Eagles win the Negro League World Series.
In July 1947, three months after Jackie Robinson, Doby broke the MLB color barrier in the American League when he signed a contract to play with Bill Veeck's Cleveland Indians. Doby was the first player to go directly to the majors from the Negro leagues. A seven-time All-Star center fielder, Doby and teammate Satchel Paige were the first African-American players to win a World Series championship when the Indians won in 1948. He helped the Indians win a franchise-record 111 games and the AL pennant in 1954, finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award voting and was the AL's RBI leader and home run champion. He went on to play for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Chunichi Dragons before his retirement as a player in 1962.