Larry Doby ⭐ MLB Pioneer - 79 Years Ago
Larry Doby has often been called "the forgotten pioneer."
While Jackie Robinson rightly receives enormous recognition for integrating Major League Baseball, Doby carried nearly the same burden as Jackie Robinson, but without the same recognition and zero public support.
Robinson had the benefit of spring training with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization and a season in the minors to prepare. Doby was called directly from the Negro Leagues, handed a major league uniform, and expected to succeed immediately in one of the most hostile environments imaginable.
On July 5, 1947, he became the first Black player in the history of the American League, forever changing baseball.
He became a superstar, not merely a symbol.
Doby was a seven-time All-Star, led the A.L. in HRs twice, and was one of the game's premier power hitters during the late 1940s and early 1950s.