Jump to content

R.I.P. Larry Doby


Recommended Posts

I think Doby's relative obscurity went hand in hand with the fact that he wasn't the first African American to make it to The Show. Most people tend not to remember the second of anything no matter how notable an accomplishment might otherwise be. For what it's worth, Doby may have had as tough a time in his own way as Jackie Robinson, but for entirely different reasons. First of all, the story goes that he was openly shunned by a number of his teammates. Just like Jackie Robinson. But, unlike Robinson, there was no Pee Wee Reese to help him pave the way to acceptance. BTW, if you're not familiar with the the Reese / Robinson relationship, it's one of the great humanitarian stories in sports. At any rate, Doby was pretty much on his own. Also, at the outset, he was forced to play in the infield, when he was a natural outfielder. Lastly, again unlike Robinson, he initially struggled at the plate and in the field so his value to the team and to its fans was not immediately established. As we all now know, Doby went on to enjoy a fine career, a real mainstay of those great Indian teams in the late '40's and early '50's. A truly deserving member of the Hall of Fame.

Up over and out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...