Frank Lautenberg: “I rise in sorrow because baseball lost a legend, African Americans lost a pioneer, and I lost a good friend. I went to…”

“I rise in sorrow because baseball lost a legend, African Americans lost a pioneer, and I lost a good friend. I went to high school with Larry Doby at Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ, and watched as he amassed records that were beyond comprehension for most people. He had four All-State letters. He played basketball, baseball, football, and he ran track well enough to earn an All-State letter in a big State like New Jersey, with that population. He was not only an exciting player to watch on the field, he was a good man. His five children and the whole country will miss him greatly. Few people realize that Larry began his groundbreaking athletic career in 1943 as the first African-American to play in the American Basketball League for the Paterson Panthers. He then moved on to baseball, playing for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League. After returning from his service in the Navy for two years, Larry hit .414 with 14 home runs in his final season in Newark, NJ. It was on July 5, 1947, just 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball, that Larry Doby signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians of the American League. He was the first African-American player in the American League. Larry had no intention or desire to become an important part of history. When Indians owner Bill Veeck predicted to Larry that he would 'be part of history,' Larry replied, 'I had no notions about that.'”