Milestones Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians and Hank Thompson of the St. Louis Browns make history August 9, 1947January 24, 2019 Milestones On August 9, 1947, Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians and Hank Thompson of the St. Louis Browns make history by becoming the first African-American players to oppose each other in major league history. Doby’s Indians earn a 5-2 win.