Paterson, NJ – Major League Baseball Hall of Fame legend Larry Doby was remembered today at a gala 10:00 a.m. ceremony that marked the recent issuance of the new Larry Doby commemorative postage stamp. The highlight of the 45-minute event was the unveiling of an oversized 24”X36” enlargement of the new Larry Doby commemorative stamp. The stamp image, based on historic photographs, shows Doby at bat. Appropriately, the ceremony was held in the lobby of the Main Post Office at 194 Ward Street that was dedicated in 1998 by Public Law 105-162 to the former Paterson resident and seven-time Major League All Star.
Among the ceremony participants were: New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell, Mayor Jeffrey Jones, Postmaster Erik Slager, USPS Northern New Jersey District Manger Priscilla M. Maney, Pastor Kenneth Clayton from St Luke’s Baptist Church in Paterson, and the baseball legend’s son - Larry Doby Jr.
Larry Doby was the first African American to play in the American League. He joined the Cleveland Indians in 1947 shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. Known as a man of quiet dignity and courage who endured isolation, discrimination, and countless indignities, Doby helped pave the way for racial progress in America’s national pastime.
“Today we honor Larry Doby not only for his feats in professional baseball, but for his ability to overcome obstacles which seemed insurmountable at the time," said Rep. Pascrell, who sponsored legislation in Congress (H.R. 2116) designating the post office at 194 Ward Street in Paterson as the Larry Doby Post Office, which became Public Law 105-162. "Having Larry Doby's legacy preserved by a U.S. postage stamp allows people across the nation to share in honoring what he gave to the game and to our country. Larry Doby was not only a tremendously gifted athlete, but was also a compassionate leader who Paterson and New Jersey are very proud to call their own."
Larry Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina, and raised there mainly by his maternal grandmother while his mother made a living as a domestic worker in Paterson, NJ. He eventually joined his mother in Paterson and attended Eastside High School, where he earned 11 varsity letters in several different sports.
Doby began his professional baseball career with the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he returned to the Eagles in 1946 to help them defeat the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro World Series championship. The following year Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck purchased his contract at midseason and brought him to the majors.
After a stellar playing career, Doby coached the Montreal Expos, the Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago White Sox. In 1998 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Doby died of cancer June 18, 2003, in Montclair, New Jersey.
“So as we celebrate the issuance of the Larry Doby stamp; we honor the man and his accomplishments, we recognize his contribution to the game of baseball and to American culture, and we look forward to seeing this stamp help perpetuate the positive American values that Larry Doby so magnificently personified,” concluded USPS Northern New Jersey District Manager Priscilla M. Maney.
###
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance, out of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
