A little less than three months after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Larry Doby became the first black player in the American League when he pinch hit for the Cleveland Indians.
For plenty of reason, Jackie Robinson is remembered for being the player to break the color barrier. Hand selected by Branch Rickey to become the first black player in the Majors since 1884, Robinson hit the ground running and went on to a Hall of Fame career. His success helped open the door for other Negro League players to get their chance in the Majors, with most of baseball becoming integrated within the next couple of years.
Following the Dodgers, the next team to integrate would be the Cleveland Indians. They signed outfielder Larry Doby and added him right to the roster. On this day in 1947, a little less than three months after Robinson made his debut, Doby became the first black player in the American League when he pinch hit for Bryan Stephens in the top of the seventh.
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Doby would strike out in that at bat, and struggled through his first season, posting a .156/.182/.188 batting line. He struck out 11 times in his 33 at bats that year, and had only one extra base hit. However, the Indians stuck with Doby, and he began rewarding them the following year, blossoming into a power hitter and a key part of the contending Cleveland teams in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.
Doby would go on to accomplish several historical moments in his career. He became the first black player to lead either league in homers, when he slugged 32 homers in 1952. Doby was a seven time All Star, and finished second in the MVP vote in 1954, when he produced a .272/.364/.484 batting line with a league leading 32 homers and 126 RBI.
Interestingly enough, the second black player in the history of the Majors would also become the second black manager. Three years after Frank Robinson took over as the Indians manager, Doby would manage the White Sox for the second half of the 1978 season, going 37-50 with a team that would finish fifth in the AL West.
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Larry Doby was overshadowed during his career, but he made his mark on the history of the game when he stepped into the batter’s box for the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.