Larry Doby - Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Doby was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on March 3, 1998, by the Veterans Committee at the age of 73. "This is just a tremendous feeling. It's kind of like a bale of cotton has been on your shoulders, and now it's off," said Doby. When he received word about his election it was via telephone call from fellow Hall member Ted Williams. Upon hearing of Doby's election, Gene Mauch, said, "You have to be some kind of special person to go through what Larry and Jackie Robinson went through. They both are. I'm not too sure there's a player in the game today who could handle it."

He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on July 26, 1998. Doby became the first member born in South Carolina elected to the Hall. Although he was the first to play in the MLB, Doby was the last member elected to the Hall of the four players to ever play in both a Negro league and MLB World Series: Doby, Satchel Paige, Monte Irvin, and Willie Mays. Paige was a teammate of Doby's when both played for Cleveland and Irvin when with Newark.