"It was eleven weeks between the time Jackie Robinson and I came into the majors.
Eleven weeks.
Come on.
Whatever happened to him happened to me.
I knew it was segregated times, but I had never seen anything like that in athletics.
I was embarrassed.
It was tough.
I knew being accepted was going to be hard, but I knew I was involved in a situation that was going to bring opportunities to other blacks."
Larry Doby.
Bill White later noted that Larry Doby had to go to the Chicago White Sox clubhouse to get a first baseman’s glove for his first MLB warmup, since none of his Cleveland teammates offered him one.
In 1945, Larry Doby was stationed on Ulithi, a volcanic atoll in Caroline Islands between Guam and the Philippines.
Seven-time All-Star from 1949- 1955.
1st Black player in the American League.
1st Black player to hit a home run in World Series.
1st Black player to hit a home run in an All-Star game.
1st Black player in the American Basketball League (preceded NBA), when he signed a contract for the 'Patterson Crescents'.
1st Black player to go directly to the majors from the Negro leagues.
1st Black player to lead either league in home runs.
World Series champion in 1948.
Two-time American League home run leader in 1952 and 1954.
American League's RBI leader in 1954.
"I give myself five years.
If I don't make it by then, I'll give up on the idea and get out of baseball ..."
Larry Doby.
@TimBrando@MarchMadnessMBB Tim: Watch the movie "Jacksonville WHO?" on You Tube. I think you will like it. It is the story of how that Jacksonville team was formed & how they overcame racial barriers to kick start race relations in Jax.
If this were to happen, Julius Erving would become the 9th member of the 30,000 Point Club and both Erving and Moses Malone would join the top 10 scoring list.
He was using drugs between holes at Augusta National. Contemplating suicide for two decades. Couldn't walk into rehab without help. Today he just beat two of the best golfers alive. One of, if not the greatest sports comeback stories of all time:
Anthony Kim. Father. Husband. Three-time PGA Tour winner before age 25 - alongside only Tiger, Phil, Sergio, and Adam Scott.
Then his Achilles ruptured in 2012. He vanished, for twelve years.
He was battling drug and alcohol addiction daily. Using during majors. Making bathroom stops between holes just to get through the round. Contemplating ending his life for almost two decades while the world thought he was living the dream.
His body eventually shut down. He could barely walk into rehab. His wife Emily and daughter Bella pulled him back.
He got a second chance with LIV Golf in 2024. Finished dead last. Didn't earn a single point in two full seasons. Got relegated from the league in August.
Most people would've quit. He showed up every single day and worked to get 1% better after being cut from the league.
He earned his spot back through a qualifying tournament on pure merit.
Today, in the final round at LIV Adelaide, playing alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm - two of the biggest names in golf - he came back from a 5-shot starting deficit and has just shot nine under to win the golf tournamnet.
This man was ready to leave this earth. Now he just did the unthinkable. If that doesn't prove you can come back from anything, nothing will.
It's never too late.
@livgolf_league@AnthonyKim_Golf
#LIVGolfAdelaide
Artis Gilmore -Jacksonville U, BB HOF & Bobby James Valhalla HS '68. Best 2 players ever from my HS and College. Met in NYC at premiere of SOUL POWER- Story of the ABA - 4 part series debuting Thursday, Feb 12 on Amazon.
https://t.co/8gAxvnCeTI
PAUL CASSELL: Actor,THE BEAR, LAW & ORDER, CASTLE talks about his acting career and the importance of having multiple sources of income (he is a successful baker) to sustain that career.