Greatness in the Shadows: Larry Doby and the Integration of the American League

Branson, Douglas M.

ISBN 10: 0803285523 / ISBN 13: 9780803285521

Editore: University of Nebraska Press, 2016

Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Codice articolo G0803285523I2N00

Riassunto:

Just weeks after Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, Larry Doby joined Robinson in breaking the color barrier in the major leagues when he became the first Black player to integrate the American League, signing with the Cleveland Indians in July 1947. Doby went on to be a seven-time All-Star center fielder who led the Indians to two pennants. In many respects Robinson and Doby were equals in their baseball talent and experiences and had remarkably similar playing careers: both were well-educated, World War II veterans and both had played spectacularly, albeit briefly, in the Negro Leagues. Like Robinson, Doby suffered brickbats, knock-down pitches, spit in his face, and other forms of abuse and discrimination. Doby was also a pioneering manager, becoming the second black manager after Frank Robinson.

Well into the 1950s Doby was the only Black All-Star in the American League during a period in which fifteen black players became National League All-Stars. Why is Doby largely forgotten as a central figure in baseball’s integration? Why has he not been accorded his rightful place in baseball history? Greatness in the Shadows attempts to answer these questions, bringing Doby’s story to life and sharing his achievements and firsts with a new generation.

Recensione: "Eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson stepped onto the grass at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field and into American history, Larry Doby joined the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first African American in the American League... Doby's trials, and the triumphs that earned him a place in Cooperstown, are a stirring story wonderfully told by Douglas Branson."-George F. Will, syndicated columnist for the Washington Post and author of Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball -- George F. Will "Douglas Branson's new book on Larry Doby is a must-read for anyone who cares about the Jackie Robinson story and the integration of baseball. Doby has been neglected for far too long, so it's exciting to see Branson give Doby his due."-Terry Pluto, author of Our Tribe: A Baseball Memoir and columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer -- Terry Pluto "From Bill Veeck to Reggie Mantle and Willie Mays, Douglas Branson examines and contextualizes Larry Doby's contributions to the game during a time when baseball captivated the country. Branson's personal memories of his subject add depth to a well-researched account."-Bill Brink, baseball writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette --Bill Brink

Dati bibliografici

Titolo: Greatness in the Shadows: Larry Doby and the...
Casa editrice: University of Nebraska Press
Data di pubblicazione: 2016
Legatura: Hardcover
Condizione: As New
Condizione sovraccoperta: No Jacket