Editing Larry Doby (section)

==Negro leagues and World War II==
Negro league umpire Henry Moore advised Newark Eagles' owners [[Abe Manley|Abe]] and [[Effa Manley]] to give Doby a tryout at [[Hinchliffe Stadium]] in Paterson, which was successful; Doby joined the Eagles in 1942 at the age of 17 for $300.<ref name="Moore" />{{rp|p.20}} The contract stated Doby would play until September when he would start classes at college; to protect his [[amateur]] status he signed using the alias "Larry Walker" and local reporters were told he originated from Los Angeles, California.<ref name="Moore" />{{rp|p.20}} On May 31, Doby appeared in his first professional game when the Eagles played against the [[New York Cubans]] at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]].<ref name="Martin" />{{rp|p.19}}<ref name="Knight" />{{rp|p.83}} In the 26 games where box scores have been found, Doby's batting average was .391.<ref name="Moore" />{{rp|p.20}} Doby recalled a game against [[catcher]] [[Josh Gibson]] and pitcher [[Ray Brown (Negro leagues pitcher)|Ray Brown]] of the [[Homestead Grays]]:

<blockquote>My first time up, Josh said, 'We're going to find out if you can hit a fastball.' I singled. Next time up, Josh said, 'We're going to find out if you can hit a curveball.' I singled. Third time up, Josh said, 'We're going to find out how you do after you're knocked down.' I popped up the first time after they knocked me down. The second time, I singled.<ref name="Statesman">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/20/sports/sports-of-the-times-a-serious-statesman-of-the-game.html?ref=larrydoby|title=Sports of the Times: A Serious Statesman of the Game|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|last=Anderson|first=Dave|access-date=August 18, 2012|date=June 20, 2003}}</ref></blockquote>

Doby's career in Newark was interrupted for two years for service in the [[United States Navy]]. Doby spent 1943 and part of 1944 at [[Camp Robert Smalls]] at the [[Naval Station Great Lakes|Great Lakes Naval Training School]] near Chicago.<ref name="Ebony">{{cite magazine|last=Young|first=A.S.|title=A Black Man in the Wigwam|magazine=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]|date=February 1969|access-date=July 29, 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eEDAAAAMBAJ&q=larry+doby&pg=PA68}}</ref>{{rp|p.68}} He appeared on an all-black baseball squad and maintained a .342 batting average against teams composed of white players, some of which featured major leaguers.<ref name="Tygiel">{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120987/4/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218221238/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120987/4/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 18, 2014|title=Those Who Came After|date=June 27, 1983|access-date=August 1, 2012|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|last=Tygiel|first=Jules}}</ref> He then went to [[Treasure Island Naval Base]] in [[San Francisco Bay]], [[California]]. Before serving in the [[Pacific Theater of World War II]], Doby spent time at Navy sites in [[Ogden, Utah]] and [[San Diego, California]]. He was stationed on [[Ulithi]] in the Pacific Ocean in 1945. Doby heard of Jackie Robinson's minor league contract deal with the [[Montreal Royals]] of the [[International League]] from his base on Ulithi listening to [[Armed Forces Radio]], and as a result Doby saw real hope in becoming a Major League baseball player.<ref name="Martin" />{{rp|p.31}} While in Hawaii, Doby met fellow Navy man and future teammate [[Mickey Vernon]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/25/AR2008092504101.html|title=Mickey Vernon; Smooth Fielder, Hot Hitter for Senators|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Schudel|first=Matt|date=September 26, 2008|access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> Vernon, then with the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]], was so impressed with Doby's skills he wrote to Senators owner [[Clark Griffith]], encouraging Griffith to sign Doby should MLB ever allow integration.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WYfK1zOtoLwC&q=larry+doby+mickey+vernon&pg=PA186|title=Satch, Dizzy & Rapid Robert: The Wild Saga of Interracial Baseball Before Integration|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|year=2012|pages=186–187|last=Gay|first=Timothy M.|isbn=978-1-4165-4798-3}}</ref> During his time in the Navy, Doby was described by his colleagues as quiet.<ref name="Ebony" />{{rp|p.71}} Doby was discharged from the Navy in January 1946.<ref name="Martin" />{{rp|p.57}} In the summer of that year, Doby and Helyn Curvy were married.<ref name="Moore" />{{rp|p.33}}

After playing for the [[San Juan Senators]] in [[Puerto Rico]], Doby rejoined the Eagles in 1946.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6yuwT54mA0C&q=larry+doby+manager+chicago+white+sox+1978&pg=PA270|title=The Columbia Guide to African American History Since 1939|page=270|last1=Harris|first1=Robert L. Jr.|last2=Terborg-Penn|first2=Rosalyn|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=0-231-13810-5|year=2006}}</ref> He made the All-Star roster, batted .360 (fourth in the NNL), hit five home runs (fifth) and led the NNL in triples (six).{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} Manager [[Biz Mackey]] led the Eagles, including Doby, Monte Irvin and [[Johnny Davis (baseball, born 1917)|Johnny Davis]], to the Negro World Series championship over [[Satchel Paige]] and the [[Kansas City Monarchs]] in seven games to conclude the 1946 season. For the Series, Doby hit .372 with one home run, five RBIs, and three [[stolen bases]].<ref name="Martin" />{{rp|p.31}} Many in the Negro leagues believed Doby or Irvin would be first to break the MLB color barrier, not Robinson. On considering a career in Major League Baseball, Doby said, "I never dreamed that far ahead. Growing up in a segregated society, you couldn't have thought that that was the way it was going to be. There was no bright spot as far as looking at baseball until Mr. Robinson got the opportunity to play in Montreal in '46."<ref name="Dream">{{cite web|url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_negro_leagues_profile.jsp?player=doby_larry|title=Living to tell about it: Larry Doby recounts his time in the Negro Leagues|access-date=July 12, 2012|last=Hill|first=Justice B.|work=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]]|archive-date=February 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216221428/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_negro_leagues_profile.jsp?player=doby_larry|url-status=dead}}</ref>