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OT: Honoring Larry Doby

zappaa

zappaa

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Jul 27, 2001
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zappaa said:
While Jackie Robinson got all the headlines, there was this man doing the very same thing in the American League one year later.
The Doby’s were dear friends of the Berra family and Larry Jr. still remain my best friend 60 years later.
Larry Jr has asked me to join his family tomorrow in Washington for the ceremony.
So honored!
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That's awesome and truly a GREAT story! What a friendship AND honor!
 
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Route 120 that extends from route 3, through the Meadowlands, and over to route 17 is also known as the Larry Doby Highway since 1997. Larry Doby himself, died on June 18, 2003.
 
zappaa said:
While Jackie Robinson got all the headlines, there was this man doing the very same thing in the American League one year later.
The Doby’s were dear friends of the Berra family and Larry Jr. still remain my best friend 60 years later.
Larry Jr has asked me to join his family tomorrow in Washington for the ceremony.
So honored!
Click to expand...
Zap, I believe Doby broke in with Cleveland in the summer of '47 same year as Robbie broke in with Brooklyn at the beginning of the season. Excellent ballplayer.
 
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zappaa said:
While Jackie Robinson got all the headlines, there was this man doing the very same thing in the American League one year later.
The Doby’s were dear friends of the Berra family and Larry Jr. still remain my best friend 60 years later.
Larry Jr has asked me to join his family tomorrow in Washington for the ceremony.
So honored!
Click to expand...
That's beyond outstanding! Have a great day with the Doby's and wear a Rutgers cap! Rep RU! 😂
 
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zappaa said:
While Jackie Robinson got all the headlines, there was this man doing the very same thing in the American League one year later.
The Doby’s were dear friends of the Berra family and Larry Jr. still remain my best friend 60 years later.
Larry Jr has asked me to join his family tomorrow in Washington for the ceremony.
So honored!
Click to expand...
Zap - does the name Sam Dente ring a bell? Jersey guy who played briefly with Doby on some Indians teams. Long story short, my Dad worked with him for a few years during the 1980's at Merit Mailers where I met him.
 
One of my colleagues at RU, an African American, was a Cleveland Browns fan. I was, too, being born in Akron, Ohio. He had never lived anywhere near Ohio. I asked why he was a Browns' fan and he said, "Because I was an American League baseball fan, and Larry Doby was the first African American to play in the American League. So I became an Indians fan, and then a Browns fan."

During a time when my friend was battling some poor health problems, I called the NJ Nets office and told a person there the story and asked if I could get Doby, who was working for them at the time, to sign a baseball for my friend. Doby very graciously agreed, and signed a second one for my kids as well. Nice guy, and what he went through in baseball was amazing.
 
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Thanks for the story; more fans today should know his history. I met Mr. Doby during a Yankees Old Timers Day in the 70's. Still remember that handshake and the honor of meeting him.
 
My wife’s Grandmother was a classmate of Larry at Paterson Eastside HS. She used to tell us some funny stories - let’s just say she said they used to share some classwork and test answers.
 
zappaa said:
While Jackie Robinson got all the headlines, there was this man doing the very same thing in the American League one year later.
The Doby’s were dear friends of the Berra family and Larry Jr. still remains my best friend 60 years later.
Larry Jr has asked me to join his family tomorrow in Washington for the ceremony.
So honored!
Click to expand...
Remember him as a coach for my expos in 1971-1973. Dave van Horne talked a lot about him on the radio games
 
SkilletHead2 said:
One of my colleagues at RU, an African American, was a Cleveland Browns fan. I was, too, being born in Akron, Ohio. He had never lived anywhere near Ohio. I asked why he was a Browns' fan and he said, "Because I was an American League baseball fan, and Larry Doby was the first African American to play in the American League. So I became an Indians fan, and then a Browns fan."

During a time when my friend was battling some poor health problems, I called the NJ Nets office and told a person there the story and asked if I could get Doby, who was working for them at the time, to sign a baseball for my friend. Doby very graciously agreed, and signed a second one for my kids as well. Nice guy, and what he went through in baseball was amazing.
Click to expand...
During the fall semester (9/86-12/86) of my senior year at Rutgers, I interned in the NJ Nets public relations department. Doby was the community affairs director at the time.

He was such a kind man. I wish I had the nerve to ask him about the role he played on breaking the color barrier. A big regret of mine.
 
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