The
best known fact about Larry Doby is that he is the person who followed Jackie
into the Major Leagues, but he doesn't get the credit. He was almost as good
all-around as Robinson, and he was the first African-American to win the
World Series. In my opinion, Jackie wouldn't have had such a career
if he had spent a lot of time as the only African-American in baseball. Larry
Doby also played baseball thirteen years, making the All-Star team seven
times. He played for the Cleveland Indians, breaking the American League
color barrier. Doby was more of a shadow though. He didn't get the publicity
because he was number two. In fact he said, "Why should I get more
publicity than Mr. Robinson? Mr. Robinson was first, so why should I get
more? I've never known of the second person to get more than the first
person". To this day, Doby does not get the attention he deserves
for accomplishing such a huge task, even if he was second. But he experienced
everything, as he says "When I was growing up, my parents used to always
tell me, "sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt
you. I found that to be different in real life."
"The things I was called did hurt me. They hurt me a lot. The things people did to me, spitting tobacco juice on me, sliding into me, throwing baseballs at my head. The words they called me, they do hurt. I always was taught to treat people the way you want to be treated. I was raised to respect people. I found out that all people are not raised that way."