Larry Doby Integrates American League in Baseball
Larry Doby became the first African-American to play in the American League on this day when he took the field with the Cleveland Indians.
Jackie Robinson is more famous for becoming the first African-American in all of major league baseball when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers (of the National League) on April 15, 1947.
Doby’s first game was played against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The next day, a Sunday, over 30,000 people attended the game, with an estimated 30 percent being African-American. Some African-American churches reportedly ended their services early so people could go home, change clothes and attend the game.
Learn more about Larry Doby at the Baseball Hall of Fame:
http://baseballhall.org/hof/doby-larryRead about Larry Doby: Chris Crowe, Just as Good: How Larry Doby Changed America’s Game (2012)