Evening star., 1952-02-19


sprans could Dolby according Cleveland
observers is complex He u.s. they mixed
guy The first Negro to stick in the American League
indeed only Jackie Robinson in the majors-Lary
has back at time when he should be reaching his peak
THE DoBY- To- WASHINGTON rumor is not new. General
Manager Greenberg talking of last September
the Indians battling for the He'd be
real good ball PLAYER for Grf predicted Hank to this re-
porter train ride New York Boston Larry him
self would be helped Right now he isn't playing close to his
potential" .-
Greenberg didn't elaborate, possibly because he
puzzled as the next party on the Dolby subject In his first
full with Cleveland 1948 Dolby 3O hitter The
next although he fell off to 2So he driving
scoring often and hitting longer ball He
was Is old and nearly everybody said he was due to
arrive with bang.
And the following season. 1885, pretty
being the top fielder in the American League He
hit 1926 He drove 1O2 hit Is omers started and
finished all IA innings of the Astar and generally
take after Robinson Roy Campanea
the title of No. Negro ball player.
AT BLUSH harsh appraisas of Dobys 1851
appear unustied He was 300 hitter until the last week of
the campaign, which he finished with 1895 He hit 20
which bad output But he only batted across SO
and most of these against second clubs
Against the Yanks and Red Sox he didn't do much.
This is what exercised Greenberg This plus the oodi
ness of star longtime Cleveland coumnist
lower of the Indians travelling the train during the
Tribes last Eastern swing put it this way:
"Dobys emoonay disturbed He apparently doesn't think
people like him He's always been that way in his good
years but be wearing him down. When Rob-
nson went Brooklyn and felt he encountered prejudice
ne 1OugnC Ddck Stlll dOeS Wnen Veeck Drought up
satche Paige OF satch just shrugged He's been around he
accepts unavoidable embarrassment But Dolby
different in that sulk and broods if he feels getting
q fair shake
JACKIE ROBINSON, from the beginning, held the
specgrudgng otherwise-of Southern bah players
He had been famous football and basketball at UCLA
pro when he first joined the Dodgers
The ageess Paige who could be close So fewer illusions
than either Robinson Dolby
Gordon Cobbedick crack writer for the Plain Dealer
banged piece Dolby for Sport Magazine long
and said Few persons outside of his family have
got close to Dolby He has inmates in baseball He has
taken little part the social cultural life
lands sprawng coored community His contacts with his
Negro teammates and Harry Simpson, almost
strictly professional"
IN the Indians dressing in md1947 when he first
ported forgotten been paved
Robinson" he reminds "Doby had such advantages"
WASHINGTON FANS ALWAYS seemed to have accepted
Dolby for what he -an impressive ball player Three
he hit in Griffith Stadium-two off Sid Hudson-wl be
talked about years. hit in the megaphones
center another cleared the horns third high
the cigarette sign in rghtcente They compared
blows with Ruths best.
But also in Washington that Dolby deeply
barrasSed Late in the 1948 he arrived Griffith
Stadium to find pckets for alleged Communist organi
zaon carrying signs demanding that Griffith give Negroes
break and hire player such Robinson Dolby.
The reaction Dolby strong His name was being
used without permission Second Baseman
with him, noticed the effect. -. za @#
Forget it," Gordon advised They're only using YOU III
q symbol" -
Whereupon the all Dolby queries might have
in Larrys reort II don't want be any symbol"
said. Il just Ito be ball player" 2S.%~s