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Photo Credit: Sandra Molinares

MLB celebrates Juneteenth at Hinchliffe Stadium - Home of Larry Doby

Baseball, Featured, New Jersey Jackals, Professional

June 20, 2023

Paterson, NJ-- The New Jersey Jackals celebrated Juneteenth at The Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ on Monday. The newly renovated stadium celebrated with PlayBall and youth activities in celebration and recognition of the holiday at the stadium. The Hinchliffe Stadium recently underwent major renovations just in time for the NJ Jackals Baseball season. The baseball stadium reopened just a month ago on May 19, 2023, with a ribbon cutting ceremony surrounded by well-known celebrities.

The stadium was originally built in 1932 and was the home for many teams in the Negro Leagues. It was set to be demolished but the City saved the stadium, which cost $100 million dollars to renovate. The stadium, which held about 10,000 seats, was the home of many iconic Hall of Famers, like Satchell Paige and Larry Doby, who would be the Second African American to join the MLB, three months after Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Major League Baseball is proud to celebrate #Juneteenth. In recognition of the holiday, MLB, @JackalsBaseball and the @baseballhall held a special @PlayBall experience at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ earlier today. pic.twitter.com/AKLl67utlG

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2023

Hinchcliffe stadium was built after legendary Hall of Famer Larry Doby, who was the First African American player to play in the American League and the second black manager in the MLB. A Paterson, NJ native, Larry Doby was special to the City and he played an integral part of Major League Baseball by breaking the color barrier in Cleveland, Ohio. Larry Doby was called on July 4, 1947 while playing a double header game, only 23 year-old Larry Doby was shipped to Chicago to play the following day just a few hours later. He was the biggest star in the city, but it was not an easy journey.

The team and manager welcomed him as a teammate, but there were some players who refused to accept a black man on their team. The only black man on the team that year was Doby. Jackie Robinson and other teammates helped him overcome adversity and racism. Standing tall to racism while having to focus on playing the game was not an easy feat.

In an interview, his son explained how when he was playing with his team during the game everyone was focused one common goal, but the most difficult part was having to then go their separate ways after the game, they could not stay in the same hotel or eat together. Larry Doby's efforts and what he means to the game of baseball is special because he paved a way for other kids who were watching him play and chasing the same dream.

HOF Larry Doby was the First African American player to play in the American League and second black manager in the MLB. Paterson,NJ native (Represent)

.288/.389/.499 OPS .888
-7x AL All-Star
-2x AL HR Leader
-One WS with Cleveland in 1948 pic.twitter.com/Qe0fDobJ7g

— sandy stats (@sandy_stats) February 7, 2023

Larry Doby was the first black player to hit a home run in the World Series, and it would end up being the winning run of the World series. He won one World Series championship with the Cleveland Indians in 1948 and was a seven-time AL All-star and two-time AL home run leader.

Larry Doby was a pioneer for the Negro League and African Americans in the Major League. No. 14, Doby, deserves a day in MLB such as Jackie Robinson. He was an important player in the history of baseball and the stadium will continue holding the legacy of Doby and the Negro League. He will always remember Paterson and Paterson will never forget Larry Doby's days at the stadium.

Larry Doby's speech after induction to HOF "It's a very tough thing to look back and think about things that were probably negative, because you put those things on the back burner. Your'e proud and happy that you've been a part of integrating baseball. To show people that we can live together, we can work together, we can play together and we can be successful together."