december june american professional baseball player negro leagues major_league_baseball mlb second black player break baseball color barrier native south_carolina sport state athlete high school new_jersey accepted basketball scholarship years age began professionally playing baseball team second baseman joined united_states navy world war military service complete returned baseball teammate helped eagles win july joined breaking mlb color barrier black player american_league signed contract play cleveland indians player directly majors negro leagues seven time star center fielder teammate african american players win world series championship indians won helped indians win franchise record games pennant finished second valuable player mvp award voting rbi leader home run champion went play chicago_white_sox detroit_tigers retirement player later served second black manager majors chicago_white_sox appointed position executive office served director national_basketball_association nba selected hall died age early life born south_carolina father served world war worked horse played semi pro baseball drowned accident age new_york state mother divorced david death moved new_jersey remained lived grandmother moving live father sister brother law attended segregated south_carolina state law opportunity play organized baseball came student private school affiliated methodist church managed father known locally african american circles baseball expertise gave baseball lessons reflecting years growing south_carolina including worn handles bats said growing didn baseball bats use tree tin bases completing eighth grade moved north age reunited mother visited weekly lived friends multi sport athlete playing baseball basketball wide receiver football track winning state football championship team invited play florida promoters allow black player team participate consequently team voted trip gesture support summer vacation played baseball black semi pro team played future hall_of_fame shortstop brief stint professional basketball team unpaid substitute player completing high school accepted athletic scholarship play basketball dating classmate sophomore year according able remain close main reason selected summer enrolled accepted offer play remainder season transferred result negro leagues world war negro league umpire advised owners stadium successful joined eagles age contract stated play september start classes college protect amateur status signed alias local reporters told originated los_angeles california appeared professional game eagles played new_york yankee stadium games box scores found batting average recalled game catcher pitcher homestead time said going find hit fastball singled time said going find hit singled time said going find knocked time knocked second time singled career newark interrupted years service united_states_navy spent camp robert great lakes naval training school near chicago appeared black baseball squad maintained batting average teams composed white players featured major went treasure island naval base california serving spent time navy sites utah san_diego california stationed pacific_ocean heard minor league contract deal international_league base listening result saw real hope professional baseball player hawaii met fellow navy man future teammate impressed skills wrote senators owner encouraging sign mlb allow integration time navy described colleagues quiet discharged navy january summer year married playing puerto_rico rejoined eagles star roster batted fourth hit home runs fifth led triples manager led eagles including championship seven games conclude season series hit home run rbis stolen bases negro leagues believed break mlb color barrier robinson considering career mlb said dreamed far ahead growing segregated society couldn thought way going bright spot far looking baseball robinson got opportunity play montreal major_league_baseball career cleveland_indians owner team president proposed integrating baseball informally segregated turn century rejected commissioner begun process finding young talented player negro leagues told reporter cleveland integrate indians roster find black player necessary talent level withstand pressure black athlete reporter suggested seen great lakes naval training school mentioned talked reporters covered negro leagues indians scout rated favorably important reported field behavior concern dodgers rated young negro league prospect unlike signed robinson season bringing national_league different strategy letting remain eagles instead bringing indians farm system told afternoon team field negro player declined pay purchasing rights robinson played determined buy contract eagles problem paying purchasing rights business manager eagles believed club close relationship new_york_yankees yankees uniform interest finalized contract deal july paid total second baseman taking eagles determined stay indians days agreed offer stated white free agent sign bonus press told signed indians wanted manage fans cleveland introduced moved slowly carefully said eagles july batting average home runs point season played sent assistant public relations personnel member took train newark chicago indians scheduled play chicago_white_sox day july indians chicago midst road trip debut second black baseball player robinson play majors establishment baseball color line hired police officers accompany went player manager initially hard time finding place lineup played second base shortstop career regular shortstop second baseman day met new teammates time walked line stuck hand hands came return ones cold fish look said don belong years later teammates shake hand turned backs tried introduce warm ups minutes teammates interacted asked play catch given chance engage gordon befriended closest friends team entered game seventh inning pinch hitter relief pitcher recorded movie kid cleveland tells story gordon struck swings immediate bat save face new teammate second strike result foul ball associated_press chicago_tribune stated struck pitches instead addition gordon standing base bat pride prejudice biography game quickly dressed incident cleveland escort took downtown indians players stayed black hotel chicago predominantly black south near segregated arrangement established pattern day compelled follow spring training regular season cities playing career indians sunday july attendance estimated approximately percent crowd black congregations black churches let early walked immediately sunday service pinch hit game second listed starter base position expected fill indians brought play second base played position eagles proper base met resistance attempts borrow teammates including baseman asked replace day said gordon asked borrow baseman use second game earlier direct requests rejected loaned player recounts incident robinson refused asked indians traveling secretary robinson obliged game started remainder season recorded major league hit bats rbi indians win columnist wrote july cleveland man street right sort american evidenced right response question signing indians strike said man street hit counts conversely criticized players active retired noted player said watching play time negro race favor signed cleveland contract wanted demonstrate negro place major league baseball means establish point white wouldn considered good play semi pro club fast feet lets hasn quality possibly recommend rookie year hit games played games second base base shortstop season talked robinson telephone encouraging agreed shouldn challenge anybody cause trouble big leagues like figured spoke ruin things black players rookie season pursued time basketball court appeared signing contract january black player join league cleveland indians experienced spring training indians arizona unlike white teammates permitted stay nearby hotel instead stayed local black family rental car provided indians transportation spring training read books concerning outfield play received instruction encouragement indians manager speaker indians farm system director credited indians coach helping adjust majors learning outfield exhibition game houston new_york_giants hit home run traveled feet landing far fence center field moore wrote biography home run doubts cleveland team vanished year played games hit season home runs rbis regular season racially abused opposing teams asked president support getting players animosity played major role cleveland world series victory game october hit home run black player world series history picture featuring embrace white teammate pitched complete game day cover day new_york_times called photograph signature moment integration major_league_baseball picture said picture rewarding happy actually hitting home run picture finally showed moment man showing feelings indians defeated braves games cleveland world series championship season batting average series led indians nationally syndicated columnist argued won games year indians finished fourth fifth place series received celebratory parade new_jersey offseason teammates appeared film kid cleveland additional income available post season run series championship wife attempted buy home white neighborhood kept petition members community allowed purchase desired home city mayor intervened behalf season selected mlb star game indians selected joined black players chosen participate star game fined attempted steal home outs bases loaded game yankees july fine said based attempt steal home larry taken unnecessary chances careful home run rbi totals increased season considered best center fielder game week july batting average trailed batting champion average earned career batting average hits base percentage playing games hit rbi mark time career led finished eighth voting highest end season cleveland signed new lucrative contract named cleveland sports writers season time black player chosen hit home runs rbis fewer season batting average improved game hit streak second longest indians season mark games row indians general manager reduced salary lower home run numbers despite attributed lower numbers legs stating accept pay cut indians manager confirmed injury season stating injury including muscle tear thigh groin pull ankle twist received blame indians failure win pennant labeled press including sports editor article sport wrote larry mixed guy badly mixed guy stemming emotional impact discovering racial prejudice took issue assertion opposing pitchers knocking black assertion confirmed wrote baltimore american statistics colored players major leagues hit pitches total times campaign average times man player hit times season month spring training season employed olympic track field athlete come home new_jersey prepare legs hopes eliminating injuries affected previous season indians team doctor prescribed lower body warm ups start game leg injuries continued bother start season june hit cycle end season second rbis teammate slugging percentage runs scored home run totals highest leading season asked indians management pay raise earning previous season early march raise granted slated year batting average lowest joining league led strikeouts second final time career career high times hit home runs rbis year walks sixth time major league career named season indians named game held cleveland municipal stadium featured second largest crowd watch star game largest stadium prove final career star bat hit pinch hit solo home run eighth inning tie game squad went win home run hit black player star game game record hits highest scoring star game called best star game founder regular season resumed helped indians win franchise record games pennant regular season home runs career high rbis highest led finishing second voting indians swept world series eagles teammate new_york_giants season indians selected seventh consecutive final star game leg injuries affected severely point career enter game finished season home runs rbis hitting games fewest played cleveland disappointed leaving wrote columnist controversial athlete highly gifted frequently occasion downright teammates thought beginning symbol negro league responded looked black man human feel responsibility black players came responsibility basically people black people years spending seasons cleveland traded october chicago_white_sox chicago looking consistent home run hitter finishing season home runs team search long ball hitter certainly needed consistent time said vice president manager believed bat welcome addition club said guy murder played cleveland big difference number run run decisions lose winning yankees june swept new_york time season yankees swept game series won straight games longest winning streak point season help home runs game stretch know dealt weren worried larry knew come said finished season batting average led team home runs rbis chicago finished place record game august helped preserve pitcher hitter catch long line drive close calls game home run total tied team high managed average recorded rbis second highest team indians teammate finished second record december multi player trade baltimore_orioles traded april cleveland don gene appeared games indians season batting average home runs rbis sent detroit_tigers march exchange tigers general manager said gives power hope hits stadium season years tigers appeared games black player play tiger franchise hit rbis detroit sold year old white games sent triple affiliate san_diego_padres hitting home runs rbis fractured ankle sliding base hitting triple road game played sacramento sent local hospital sacramento going evaluation worked season injuries earn roster spot late april joined trial basis released team rays showed bone deterioration affected ankle finished year major league career batting average accumulated hits home runs rbis games bats career games spent indians played great talent played great talent didn lot difference said baseball participated baseball member travel delegation year came retirement americans play professional baseball japan league teammate signed contracts season returned october resumed work liquor retailer managerial executive appointments retiring player scout served minor league instructor organization batting coach manager managed teams seasons winter league baseball venezuela including winter season rejoined indians season base coach manager fired season indians named club player manager baseball black manager robinson hire manager returned work purchased second time hired team batting coach team finished season batting average runs scored home runs june team average recorded runs scored home runs finished season second team batting average yankees average home runs runs scored team firing manager teammate replaced june age second black manager majors robinson nice work man like work hard opportunity arises certainly opportunity fulfill dreams said named manager point season record july game manager suffered loss won game day team finished including sole managerial role hired player manager succeed deciding hire resigned manager second half season removing manager role batting coach position held named manager said larry role team capacity served role additional season resigned october retiring baseball named director communications national_basketball_association served nets director community affairs named special assistant president april second man new_york_times wrote second forgotten integrated american_league ball parks appeared class season long departed number retired baseball living virtually ignored media editorial sports_illustrated pointed suffer robinson near media attention implicit support wrote response tradition mlb players wearing homage robinson second place finishers america story history simple needs happens america don come don things certain way lost disappear got publicity putting racial thing deal took bad said gon nice second black said served robinson funeral fellow hall wrote knew larry knew admired robinson jealous attention robinson received teammate said college educated man officer service played triple level brought specifically black player major league baseball came second baseman didn time college education forced play different position major league season think circumstances difficult time don think gotten credit deserves experienced time majors incident took place game sliding second base shortstop opposing team tobacco juice called worst injustice experienced field endured racial stands games received death threats retired player recalled memories days barrier breaker know hit washington major seating parks came bat knew noise coming making felt like quarterback calling know couldn afford forgot shortly indians honored naming nearby street columnist wrote larry way pioneering robinson way national_league debut occurred short weeks later advance preparation indians threw ceremonial pitch played field decision game cleveland coincided season marking anniversary robinson breaking baseball color barrier years days black player american_league hall_of_fame elected march age tremendous feeling kind like cotton shoulders said received word election telephone fellow hall member hearing election said kind special person larry went sure player game today handle inducted july member born south_carolina elected hall play mlb member elected hall players play negro league death legacy wife children grandchildren great grandchildren moved wife neighborhood friends children families played baseball football kidney removed detected married years died month battle cancer died june home new_jersey age suffering cancer died president following statement good honorable man tremendous athlete manager profound influence game baseball missed african american player american_league helped lead cleveland indians world series title time star voted joins sending larry family difficult time mlb commissioner released statement day following death like endured pain pioneer grace dignity determination eased way followed achieved historic second years later second african american manage big league club following mlb commissioner said larry role history recognized slowly broke color line year naturally received attention larry played career dignity slid office positions basketball later baseball baseball wake obvious fact larry bit recognition long inducted came induction august later inducted august indians paid tribute collectively number uniforms franchise honored eagle avenue indians renamed field ceremony present ceremony indians president cleveland mayor members family city new_jersey renamed baseball field field june section named said opposing players talk catcher talked everybody finally tell umpire tell shut asked family inning announced baseball players appear postage stamp series stamp released july
Larry Doby