[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 93 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6754-S6760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. 
        Hollings):
  S. 985. A bill to designate the post office located at 194 Ward 
Street in Paterson, NJ, as the ``Larry Doby Post Office''; to the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs.


                   larry doby post office legislation

  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, I rise today with Senator Lautenberg 
to jointly recognize Larry Doby, the first African-American player in 
the American League. Mr. Doby's lifelong dedication to major league 
baseball, his community, and his country is truly remarkable and must 
be recognized. As an ambassador for baseball, Mr. Doby has served the 
league for nearly 20 years as a player, as a coach, and currently as a 
special assistant to the president of the American League.
  Mr. Doby, born in Camden, SC, later moved to Paterson, NJ, where he 
starred in four sports and ultimately garnered numerous offers for 
athletic scholarships toward his higher education. Although Larry Doby 
accepted an offer to play basketball for Long Island University, his 
collegiate athletic career was shortened as he enlisted in the U.S. 
Navy to serve our country in World War II. Following World War II, Doby 
played for the Negro League Newark Eagles, where he led the league with 
a batting average of .458 and 13 home runs.
  Some of Larry Doby's major league baseball accomplishments include 
being the first African-American player in the American League, the 
first African-American player on a world series team, and the second 
African-American to manage in the major leagues. Mr. Doby will be 
recognized by major league baseball at the all-star game in Cleveland. 
The naming of this post office in Larry Doby's honor in his hometown of 
Paterson would be a fitting tribute to this great American.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 985

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Larry Eugene Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina, 
     on December 12, 1923, and moved to Paterson, New Jersey, in 
     1938.
       (2) After playing the 1946 season in the Negro League for 
     the Newark Eagles, Larry Doby's contract was purchased by the 
     Cleveland Indians of the American League on July 3, 1947.
       (3) On July 5, 1957, Larry Doby became the first African-
     American to play in the American League.
       (4) Larry Doby played in the American League for 13 years, 
     appearing in 1,533 games and batting .283, with 253 home runs 
     and 969 runs batted in.
       (5) Larry Doby was voted to 7 all-star teams, led the 
     American League in home runs twice, and played in 2 World 
     Series. He was the first African-American to play in the 
     World Series and to hit a home run in a World Series game, 
     both in 1948.
       (6) Larry Doby was recognized for his remarkable 
     achievements in baseball with his induction into the Baseball 
     Hall of Fame in 1987.
       (7) After his stellar playing career ended, Larry Doby 
     continued to make a significant contribution to his 
     community. He has been a pioneer in the cause of civil rights 
     and has received honorary doctorate degrees from Long Island 
     University, Princeton University, and Fairfield University.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF LARRY DOBY POST OFFICE.

       (A) In General.--The post office located at 194 Ward Street 
     in Paterson, New Jersey, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Larry Doby Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     post office referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to 
     be a reference to the ``Larry Doby Post Office''.

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise to join with my friend and 
colleague, Senator Bob Torricelli, in introducing a bill to name a U.S. 
post office in my hometown of Paterson, NJ after a true American hero, 
Larry Eugene Doby.
  Mr. President, 1997 marks the 50th anniversary of the breaking of 
major league baseball's color barrier. In April 1947, Jackie Robinson 
played his first game with the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and 
ended segregation in our national pastime; simultaneously, he entered 
America's pantheon of heroes.
  While we rightfully honor Mr. Robinson, we cannot forget that heroes 
rarely fight their battles alone. Larry Doby is one of those heroes. 
Only 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson first graced a major league 
diamond, Larry Doby of Paterson, NJ took the field with the Cleveland 
Indians, becoming the first African-American player in the American 
League. Once on the team, he brought an ability and level of 
consistency to the game that few could match. He was the first African-
American player to hit a home run in the world series, and he was named 
to six straight American League all-star teams. During his 13 year 
career, he attained a .283 lifetime batting average and hit 253 home 
runs.
  Mr. President, the day Larry Doby first took the field was definitely 
a great day for baseball enthusiasts. Millions of fans were able to 
enjoy the excitement he brought to the plate and the skill he brought 
to the field.
  But it was also a great day for every American. Along with Robinson's 
earlier integration of the National League, Doby's joining the American 
League was a double play against racism and inequality. And in the 
early years it wasn't easy. Doby had to meet the challenges of the 
game, while also facing sometimes angry opponents. But whether he was 
faced with a curve ball hurled by an opposing pitcher, or a foul remark 
hurled by a bigoted fan, he handled it with dignity, grace, and skill.
  Because of the manner in which he handled such adversity, he not only 
tore down the walls of exclusion, he also opened the windows of 
opportunity for many other African-American players, who followed him 
into the major leagues. Thanks to his example, we all learned that, in 
the words of Martin Luther King, ``We must judge a person on the 
content of his character, and not the color of his skin.''
  Mr. President, Larry Doby is rightfully called a legend for his 
consistency on the field and a hero for his character off the field. 
But I have the privilege of also calling him a friend. We grew up 
together on the working class streets of Paterson. As a baseball fan, 
an American and a friend, I admire the contributions that Larry made to 
both the game of baseball and to the struggle for equality.
  When it comes to Larry, others may have filled his uniform, but no 
one will ever be able to fill his shoes. Above all, Larry Doby proves 
that good and great can exist in the same individual.

[[Page S6760]]

  Mr. President, I urge all my colleagues to join with Senator 
Torricelli and me in celebrating Larry Doby by gracing the post office 
located at 194 Ward Street in Paterson, NJ with his name.
                                 ______