O/T Why doesn't MLB Celebrate Larry Doby more?

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by packs

You brought up the WAR and other stats not me. Doby played in the Negro League from 18 to 22, which is time many Major Leaguers spend in the minor leagues.

But he couldn’t play in the Minor Leagues could he?

You have no idea if he would have played in the Minor Leagues, the Negro Leagues were pretty high level competition or we wouldn’t have enshrined players that played only there.

Getting back to the point, this why I said that it wasn’t a valid comparison. Not sure why you like to argue so much.

[packs]

You brought everything up I commented on but you discounted what I said because it was me who said it. I pointed out his age because it seems relevant when you're saying he lost 5 seasons. Those seasons were likely minor league seasons.

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by packs

You brought everything up I commented on but you discounted what I said because it was me who said it. Only the best of the best play full seasons of major league baseball before 22. Even Gehrig didn't play a full season until he was 22.

So are we just going to pretend like Doby didn’t play those seasons? What exactly is your point?

He played more seasons in a high level league that we don’t have valid stats for that ARE included in his legacy but because of some asinine logic about how he was too young we should discount that as never having happened and compare him to a player that played an entire career and amassed the same WAR as a player that didn’t have those same possibilities?

Again, comparing a player that played 5 years in the Negro Leagues and then had a very good career in the Majors to a guy 35 years later with none of those factors is (and I will say this slowly) NOT A VALID COMPARISON!

Also, Larry Doby is only 4 years younger than Jackie. He turned 24 the year he began playing for the Indians.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Did the Negro Leagues have a minor league system?

[packs]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

So are we just going to pretend like Doby didn’t play those seasons? What exactly is your point?

He played more seasons in a high level league that we don’t have valid stats for that ARE included in his legacy but because of some asinine logic about how he was too young we should discount that as never having happened and compare him to a player that played an entire career and amassed the same WAR as a player that didn’t have those same possibilities?

Again, comparing a player that played 5 years in the Negro Leagues and then had a very good career in the Majors to a guy 35 years later with none of those factors is (and I will say this slowly) NOT A VALID COMPARISON!

Also, Larry Doby is only 4 years younger than Jackie. He turned 24 the year he began playing for the Indians.

My point is pretty simple really. You keep asserting that Doby lost peak seasons of his career while he was 18 to 22. I don't think he did because that's not the case for the majority of major leaguers who tend to spend that time either playing college ball or minor league ball.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Even recognizing the limitations of the Negro League stats, it doesn't look like Larry was exactly a superstar at that early age, such that one needs to credit him with 5 extra outstanding seasons to make a fair assessment.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=doby--001law

[tedzan]

Very interesting thread........thought I'd give it a friendly bump by including some pictures.



1948 Cleveland Indians team photo pack (25 subjects).... Larry's 1st pix








1949 LEAF (issued in Summer of 1949) ...... 1949 BOWMAN (issued in the Fall of 1949)

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Very rare 1949 BOWMAN color printing errors (including Doby)





TED Z

T206 Reference
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[Peter_Spaeth]

Ted -- on the Campanella any idea why the gray ones only grade AUTHENTIC? Mine looks factory cut to me.

[pclpads]

Ted - your remembrance that, "Larry was a really friendly guy to meet with and chat and get his autograph," reminded me that when I was on the Padres grounds crew at SD Stadium around '76, he was a coach for Montreal. I gave him his '52T and '57T cards to sign. Very warm memory. Very pleasant man.