Ranking the Center Fielders Joe DiMaggio made playing center field for the New York Yankees cool. He was graceful and he was a winner (10 pennants in 13 seasons), and helped establish the Yankee mystique. Switch-hitting Mickey Mantle combined power and speed in ways no one ever had before. Other great Yankee center fielders…
Chris Dimino and Larry Doby recount his life on and off the field that he’s been shortchanged by that narrative. The HOFer lived an incredible one. Baseball AND Social History lesson. The first African-American player in the American League, Larry Doby was a power-hitting center fielder and a key member of Cleveland’s pennant winners in…
Larry Doby Positions: Centerfielder and Second BasemanBats: Left • Throws: Right6-1, 180lb (185cm, 81kg)Born: December 13, 1923 in Camden, SC usDied: June 18, 2003 in Montclair, NJBuried: CrematedHigh School: Eastside HS (Paterson, NJ)School: Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus (Brooklyn, NY)Debut: 1942 (9,149th in major league history)AL/NL Debut: July 5, 1947vs. CHW 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SBLast Game: July 26, 1959vs. BAL 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SBHall of Fame: Inducted…
Bryce Harper, thanks to being issued four bases-on-balls, scores four times and records an RBI without ever swinging his bat in Washington’s 15-1 rout of the Braves at Nationals Park. The 22 year-old slugger from Las Vegas joins Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, and Larry Doby, who also were 0-for-0 and scored four runs without an official at-bat.
The official first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever stamps takes place at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. The very popular philatelic series based on historic photographs honors Yankee Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby of the Indians, Willie Stargell of the Pirates, and Red Sox legend Ted Williams.
The United States Postal Service issues a set of four commemorative stamps depicting Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Joe DiMaggio and Willie Stargell. The issuance ceremonies are held in Cooperstown, NY as part of the Hall’s annual induction week-end.
The Indians pay tribute to Larry Doby on his day at Jacobs Field by collectively wearing his number 14 on their uniforms. In 1947, the future Hall of Fame outfielder became the first black to play in the American League, making his debut in Detroit with Cleveland as a pinch-hitter.
Larry Doby, the first black to play in the American League, is elected to the Hall of Fame along with former AL President Lee MacPhail. Also chosen by the Veterans Committee are Negro League pitcher Bullet Joe Rogan and turn-of-the-century shortstop Gorgeous George Davis.
Ira Berkow’s front page story about Larry Doby appears in the Sunday New York Times. The article spurs much interest about the first black to play in the American League, and many believe leads to the outfielder’s election to the Hall of Fame the following year.
On January 2, 1986, legendary major league owner Bill Veeck dies at the age of 71. The victim of a heart attack after several years of poor health, Veeck had owned the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox at various times during his career. Known as one of the most…