Larry Doby, baseball player, 273 home runs, 1947-1959

Larry Doby

⭐ Hall of Fame 1998

Born: 12/13/1923 in Camden, SC, USA

Died: 6/18/2003 in Montclair, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-07-05 | Final Game: 1959-07-26

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Lawrence Eugene Doby

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Biography

Larry Doby, born in 1923, was a pioneering position player in Major League Baseball who made history as the first African American to play in the American League. His career spanned from July 5, 1947, to July 26, 1959, during which he became a significant figure in the integration of baseball. Doby played 1,533 games, amassing 1,515 hits, 253 home runs, and 970 RBIs, while maintaining a career batting average of .283. A notable athlete, he also recorded 47 stolen bases, showcasing his speed and agility on the field. Doby's impactful contributions to the game were recognized through his selection as an All-Star seven times, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. His playing style combined power and finesse, making him a formidable opponent during the post-World War II era, a time when baseball was undergoing significant changes. As a trailblazer for African American athletes, Doby not only left an indelible mark on the game but also played a crucial role in the broader civil rights movement within sports. His legacy continues to inspire future generations of players.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
669.0 585.0 142.0 213.0 36.0 25.0 31.0 106.0 79.0 5.0 19.0 0.364 0.441 0.670 1.111

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1942 85.0 78.0 20.0 25.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 6.0 7.0 2.0 3.0 0.321 0.376 0.513 0.889
1943 132.0 108.0 21.0 38.0 8.0 6.0 5.0 16.0 20.0 1.0 4.0 0.352 0.457 0.676 1.133
1944 6.0 5.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.200 0.333 0.200 0.533
1946 312.0 277.0 74.0 100.0 14.0 10.0 12.0 46.0 34.0 2.0 8.0 0.361 0.431 0.614 1.045
1947 134.0 117.0 27.0 49.0 10.0 5.0 13.0 38.0 17.0 0 4.0 0.419 0.493 0.923 1.416

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1674 5883 1080 1697 277 72 273 1093 64 945 1012 0.288 0.389 0.499 0.888 28844.3

Career AVG .288 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +11.2% above league average.

Career OBP .389 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +17.4% above league average.

Career SLG .499 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — +31.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.888 vs. league average 0.711 across their career seasons — +25.0% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1942 NE NN2 23 79 18 25 4 2 1 8 3 7 1 0.316 .253 (+25%) .323 (+15%) .349 (+30%) .672 (+23%) 266.4
1943 NE NN2 28 103 18 31 8 3 4 22 5 20 0 0.301 .255 (+18%) .324 (+29%) .346 (+60%) .671 (+45%) 763.6
1944 NE NN2 1 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1946 NE NN2 59 234 59 85 12 10 7 52 6 29 0 0.363 .256 (+41%) .328 (+32%) .358 (+65%) .687 (+49%) 1920.2
1947 NE NN2 30 114 25 40 10 5 8 41 3 17 0 0.351 .262 (+34%) .336 (+29%) .376 (+96%) .712 (+64%) 1174.2
1947 CLE AL 29 32 3 5 1 0 0 2 0 1 11 0.156 — — — — 1174.2
1948 CLE AL 121 439 83 132 23 9 14 66 9 54 77 0.301 .263 (+14%) .340 (+13%) .379 (+29%) .719 (+21%) 1831.7
1949 CLE AL 147 547 106 153 25 3 24 85 10 91 90 0.280 .262 (+6%) .343 (+13%) .384 (+22%) .727 (+18%) 2211.1
1950 CLE AL 142 503 110 164 25 5 25 102 8 98 71 0.326 .265 (+23%) .346 (+28%) .401 (+36%) .747 (+32%) 3733.5
1951 CLE AL 134 447 84 132 27 5 20 69 4 101 81 0.295 .260 (+13%) .336 (+27%) .385 (+33%) .721 (+30%) 3107.2
1952 CLE AL 140 519 104 143 26 8 32 104 5 90 111 0.276 .252 (+9%) .326 (+17%) .369 (+46%) .696 (+33%) 3384.0
1953 CLE AL 149 513 92 135 18 5 29 102 3 96 121 0.263 .264 (avg) .335 (+15%) .397 (+23%) .733 (+19%) 2291.5
1954 CLE AL 153 577 94 157 18 4 32 126 3 85 94 0.272 .261 (+4%) .333 (+9%) .390 (+24%) .723 (+17%) 2103.2
1955 CLE AL 131 491 91 143 17 5 26 75 2 61 100 0.291 .258 (+13%) .332 (+11%) .393 (+28%) .726 (+20%) 2013.0
1956 CHW AL 140 504 89 135 22 3 24 102 0 102 105 0.268 .258 (+4%) .331 (+18%) .397 (+17%) .728 (+18%) 2171.7
1957 CHW AL 119 416 57 120 27 2 14 79 2 56 79 0.288 .257 (+12%) .323 (+15%) .391 (+19%) .715 (+17%) 1475.6
1958 CLE AL 89 247 41 70 10 1 13 45 0 26 49 0.283 .257 (+10%) .324 (+7%) .394 (+24%) .719 (+16%) 728.3
1959 DET AL 18 55 5 12 3 1 0 4 0 8 9 0.218 .256 (-15%) .323 (-4%) .392 (-21%) .715 (-13%) -117.1
1959 CHW AL 21 58 1 14 1 1 0 9 1 2 13 0.241 .256 (-6%) .323 (-18%) .392 (-25%) .715 (-22%) -117.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
17 60 8 14 2 1 2 7 13 8 0.233

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1954 WS CLE 4 16 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 0.125
1948 WS CLE 6 22 1 7 1 0 1 2 2 4 0.318
1946 NWS NE 7 22 7 5 1 1 1 5 9 0 0.227

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 2 21 1 1 4
2B 123 119 269 350 38 56
3B 1 1 1 1 0 0
OF 1452 629 3644 90 63 27
SS 10 9 18 33 10 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1942 NE 2B 11 11 24 20 2 4
1942 NE 3B 1 1 1 1 0 0
1942 NE OF 11 11 26 2 0 1
1943 NE 2B 19 19 50 68 5 12
1943 NE SS 9 9 16 32 10 4
1944 NE OF 1 1 2 0 0 0
1946 NE 2B 59 59 123 160 17 26
1947 NE 2B 30 30 71 99 14 14
1947 CLE 1B 1 0 8 0 0 1
1947 CLE 2B 4 0 1 3 0 0
1947 CLE SS 1 0 2 1 0 0
1948 CLE OF 114 0 287 12 14 3
1949 CLE OF 147 0 355 7 9 2
1950 CLE OF 140 0 367 2 5 1
1951 CLE OF 132 0 321 12 8 3
1952 CLE OF 136 0 398 11 6 3
1953 CLE OF 146 0 354 10 6 3
1954 CLE OF 153 153 411 14 2 6
1955 CLE OF 129 129 313 6 2 1
1956 CHA OF 137 136 371 4 5 2
1957 CHA OF 110 109 255 3 4 0
1958 CLE OF 68 64 141 5 0 0
1959 DET OF 16 16 23 1 1 1
1959 CHA 1B 2 2 13 1 1 3
1959 CHA OF 12 10 20 1 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 3
Second Base 123
Third Base 1
Shortstop 10
Left Field 22
Center Field 1342
Right Field 105

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1950 TSN All-Star OF

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1954 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 210.0 336 5
1952 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 46.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 57.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 29th 3.0 336 0