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Brown, Portman Bill Honors Baseball Pioneer Larry Doby with
Congressional Gold Medal
Doby Was the First African-American to Play in the American
League, Effectively Integrating All of Professional Baseball
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed Senators Brown (D-OH) and
Portman’s (R-OH) bill honoring Larry Doby, the first
African-American to play in the American League, with the
Congressional Gold Medal for his career and contributions to
the American civil rights movement. It now heads to
President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. In joining the
American League, Doby effectively integrated all of
professional baseball.
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“Larry Doby seldom receives credit for his role in
integrating all of professional baseball and it’s past time
to honor his contributions to both civil rights and
America’s game,”
said Brown, who displays in his Washington, D.C. office a
replica of the statue of Doby that stands at Progressive
Field. “Doby’s heroism surpasses his remarkable skill – he
overcame discrimination and hostility to break barriers,
leading Cleveland to victory and moving our country in the
right direction.”
“As the first African American player in the American
League, Larry Doby broke down barriers with his remarkable
skill and competitive spirit and forever changed the game of
baseball,”
said Portman. “Through sheer determination, Doby became a
symbol for the fight for equality in our country, and
encouraged thousands of Ohioans and kids across our country
to push the boundaries of what they thought possible. I’d
like to thank my colleagues in the Senate for approving this
bill, and especially my colleague Jim Renacci for his
leadership to get this bill done in the House.”
Lawrence Eugene “Larry” Doby joined the Cleveland Indians in July
1947, becoming the first African-American to play in the
American League. During his 13-year career in the American
League, Doby tallied 1,533 games, batting .283, with 253
home runs and 970 runs batted in. He played in two World
Series, leading the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World
Championship over the Boston Braves. He was the first
African-American player to hit a home run in a World Series
game, led the American League in home runs twice, and was
voted to seven All-Star teams.
In 1978, the Chicago White Sox hired Doby as their manager and he
became the second African-American manager in Major League
history. He later served as Director of Community Relations
for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball
Association. He was inducted to the National Baseball Hall
of Fame in 1998 and the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame in
2013.
Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina in 1923 and moved to
Paterson, New Jersey in 1938, where he became a standout
athlete at Paterson Eastside High School. He attended Long
Island University on a basketball scholarship before
enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was
discharged in 1946 and went on to play baseball in the Negro
National League for the Newark Eagles. Doby passed away in
2003.
Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players
Association, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
in Cooperstown, New York, and the Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum support the bill.
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