Larry Doby, Cleveland Indians
Image Source: Found on Twitter from BaseballHistoryNut.
Image Subject: Larry Doby, at the edge of the dugout waiting for his turn at bat. My guess is that the venue is Comiskey Park (the dugout matches photos I have seen of Comiskey for a comparable time) and my wild guess is that the person in the dugout background is second baseman Joe Gordon.
Fun Fact: The Baseball Hall of Fame website wrote a great piece on Larry Doby. Below is an excerpt from their website:
“Perhaps no one is more remembered for being second than Larry Doby.
“He was the second African-American to play in the National League or American League – but the first in the AL – in the modern era after Jackie Robinson. He was the second Black manager of an AL or NL club after Frank Robinson.
“He may have been second in those two regards, but Larry Doby was so much more. . .
“In 1947, only a few months after Jackie Robinson’s major league debut, Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck signed Doby, who became the first Black player in the American League. Doby suffered the same indignities as Jackie Robinson, but his struggles did not get the media attention Robinson’s received. Whether it was being forced to stay in separate hotels or eat in separate restaurants on the road, or not being accepted by some of his teammates, Doby persevered.
“During his time in the big leagues, Doby was a seven time All-Star and put together five-100 RBI and eight-20 home run seasons. In 1978, the same man who gave him his shot as a player in the major leagues in 1947, Bill Veeck, hired him to manage his Chicago White Sox.
“Upon his passing on June 18, 2003, President George W. Bush said: “Larry Doby was a good and honorable man, and a tremendous athlete and manager. He had a profound influence on the game of baseball.”
“Doby was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998.”
Painting Detail: Printed on 13” x 19” canvas and painted using Schmincke Mussini and Marshall’s oil paints. Finer details, like cap pinstripes, were made using Prismacolor pencils.
Acknowledgement: Baseball Hall of Fame website.