Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement as Hall of Famer Larry Doby is being posthumously honored with the Congressional Gold Medal today:

“This is a proud day for Major League Baseball as Hall of Famer Larry Doby posthumously receives the Congressional Gold Medal.  After starring for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League and serving in the Navy during World War II, Larry Doby became the American League’s first African American player with the Cleveland Indians in 1947.  He soon established himself as a perennial All-Star slugger whose excellence on the field led him to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Larry Doby will forever be remembered as a pioneer who demonstrated great character and courage throughout his life.  His legacy as a trailblazing player and manager endures to this day, and he will always remain one of the great heroes that our national pastime and nation have ever known.”