Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1947-07-12

l y
hitting second baseman of thu
Negro National League, becam,
the first colored player to breal
! into the American League and the
second to become major league
player in modern times when the
Cleveland Indiens announced las
Wednesday his purchase from the
Newark Eagles.
The price tax reputed to have
been on Dody was $4,000.
The swath cut by Jackie Rob
inson in the National League sin
ce he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers
in spring training had paved the
way for other colored players to
be brought into the big eagues
The only questions were who would
be the next payer and who would
follow the lead of Branch Hickey
Dodger president, who had broken
the unwritten rule of organized
baseball.
Since baseball is big business
and Jackie had made the turns
tiles click in every city of the
other circuit, the signing of other
colored players by major league
clubs was inevitable.
Dody left the Newark Eagles
after the independence Day dou,
bleheader with the Philadelphia
Stars at the Bears Stadium IL
Newark and reported in Chicag
last Saturday for duty with thu
Indians. fie
Bill Veech, Cleveland president
said Dody, was secuted for the
Indians by Bill Killefer, who re-
ported that he had all the 'attri-
butes of a great ball player
81 don't think anw man wink
has the ability should bye barred
from major league baseball or
account of his color" Veeck said
"The entrance of Negroes into be
! tn major leagues is not only In
evitable, it is here
In announcing the purchase, Lot
Boudreau Indian manager, sale
the acquisition of Dody is aroutinf
baseball purchase = in my mind
He added that race creed or col
or are not factors in baseball
success, whether it be in the ma,
or or minor leagues. Ability ant
character are the only factors.
Dody will be given every chance
as will any other deserving re
cruit, to prove that he has thu
ability to make good with us. :
Dody is % years old. He ha'
hit thirteen homers, sixteen dou
bles and eight trigples while com
piling a .458 average with tn
| Newark Eagles this season.
Born in Camden, South Carolin;
the 1876 pound infielder playe'
every sport in East Side High S
hool in Paterson. New Jersey. HI
starred for the schools city bas'
ball champions in 1941 and 1874
entering Long Island University
He signed with the Eagles In tn
spring of 1913 but entered tn
Navy in July of that year.
Dody returned from three year
service i'm the Navy to spark tn
Eagles to the Negro National Lea
que championship. Newark the
defeated the Kansas City Mon
archs in the Negro word series
Aeft hand batter and a RICH
hand thrower, Dody who is n1arri
ed also has had previous playing
experience at other infield an
outfield positions. Tribe official
said, adding that they would Civ
him a thorough trial before de
| termining whether he should b
| farmed out to minor leagu
club or retained on the Indians
regular roster.
| In the Navy n 1913, Dody play
| ed Great Lakes, Illinois, with sucl
well known starts as schoolbo
Rowe, Virgil Trucks and Bo
Klinger, and compiled battinI
average Of .342.
| A big league berth was describ
ed by Dody himself as the dream
of his life but he said he WASH
sure whether he was more su
prised than excited, or more ex