Political Quotes

“Hall of Famer Larry Doby, the first black baseball player in American League history, died last night at the age of 78 in his home in Montclair, New Jersey. Larry Doby was one of the Cleveland Indians finest centerfielders, a slugger with speed. He was with the Indians in one of their most successful eras, from 1947 to 1955 during which they won two league pennants and a World Series, besides finishing second to the New York Yankees four times. He hit a decisive home run as the Indians won their last World Series in 1948. He led the league in home runs and runs batted in when the Indians romped to the American League pennant in 1954, winning 111 games, the fourth most in baseball history. Larry survived and endured many racial insults after arriving in the majors only 3 months after the first black player, Jackie Robinson, of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. He never seemed to hold any grudges because of the torment. Doby is quoted as saying, "Life is too short for that. People who judge others based on the color of their skin have more problems than I do." When he first stepped onto a major league field on July 3, 1947, amid a deluge of publicity, he was an uncertain, nervous 22-year-old. He knew that many fans and teammates resented his presence at Municipal Stadium. Doby batted only 32 times that first season and got five hits, a paltry .156 average. He stated, "It was one of the toughest things I ever had to go through.…”