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A Unique Story About Hall of Famer Larry Doby by Charlie Danrick

Charlie Danrick, a frequent contributor to Loveofthegameproductions.com, had the largest collection of audio tapes of special baseball games in the world before partnering with MLB to distribute his fabulous game collection. Charlie wrote, in his won unique style, a perspective on Hall of Famer Larry Doby. I appreciate Charlie’s work, he is a true sportsman with a sense of humor that is pure East Coast. Check this story, you won’t be disappointed. Also, Charlie’s taped games can be found on MLB.com’s home page.

Click below for the story on a day in the life of Larry Doby, trust me it is different from the eulogies written over the past few days, it even includes another Hall of Famer, but I won’t ruin the surprise!Although Larry Doby was an A.L pioneer by becoming its first African-American player plus becoming, next to Frank Robinson,it’s second black manager and despite his better than average figures amassed during his playing days, my personal remembrance of him wasn’t exactly too hot. I’ll explain.

It happened in July ’88. I, as an ex- MLB Properties licensee, plus my, at that time 20 year old son Rich ,were invited to attend the All Star Game at Riverfront Stadium,Cincinnati plus the licensee meeting at the Omni Netherland Plaza hotel(ONPH)plus the party at the Cincinnati Zoo the night before the game,plus the Old Timers’ Game plus the brunch buffets with the players and their wives and announcers, umpires etc. Who could turn all that down?

So there Rich and I were at Newark Airport awaiting our flight to Cincinnati on the now defunct Piedmont Airlines. Ever hear of Piedmont? The only airline company that never heard of vacuum cleaners but we’ll save that for another time. Actually it wasn’t to Cincinnati proper since it doesn’t have an airport.Flights land at Erlanger, Kentucky and then there are buses to take across the Ohio River right into downtown Cincinnati where the temperature was registering 102 on the bank building and the humidity felt like 1000 instead of 100%. Good Lord almighty..keep out of the Queen City in July!

When Rich and I boarded at Newark, got to our assigned aisle and began putting away our carry ons,I thought I recognized someone sitting almost directly across the aisle-Gaylord Perry but somehow he didn’t appear to be him because I was fooled by his hair which wasn’t there. I never remembered seeing him bald but so be it. Rich and I took our seats and right in back of us sat a gentleman and his wife who looked like business people for one reason or another. Maybe because of the way each was nattily dressed? Who knows?

The plane took off on time which today is a rarity and right about the time we got to cruising altitude,I began hearing an awful noise right in back of me. It sounded like a cross between a buzzsaw and a floutist. I turned to look and there sat the gent sleeping and snoring up one hell of a storm.I looked at his wife pleadingly; she smiled,did nothing and I went back to suffering. Just about that time I glanced across the aisle and said to myself,”That must be Gaylord Perry but how am I to know without asking but if I talk out loud,he’ll be bombarded by autograph hounds which wouldn’t be fair.” So instead while looking at him,he looked up,saw me and I made a motion of licking two right fingers as if I were loading up for a spitball. He smiled,nodded his head yes, which of course told me that indeed he was Mr. Perry.

The snoring was still proceeding as maddeningly as ever; I turned to look at his wife, she smiled but did nothing again.And this chain of events lasted for the whole 2.5-3.0 hours.

Finally we landed at Erlanger, the snorer awoke and I stared at him, teeth gnashing. Slowly we deplaned and headed for the luggage carousel. While standing waiting for ours to circle,I noticed that Gaylord was standing right alongside me. We shook hands and he thanked me for keeping everything subdued. Our luggage and his arrived at the same time and as we began walking to the bus, Gaylord turned to me and asked, “By the way Charlie, do you know my friend Larry Doby? He was sitting right in back of you.”

Although I felt like telling off Mr. Doby, nonetheless I thought better of it, said hello, tried to shake hands but he gave me nothing but an unfriendly look. It seems his wife was aggravated by my resenting her buzzsawing husband’s ruining my flight and must have told him about it. Larry simply ignored me and walked on.Gaylord said to me, “Guess he’s in a bad mood or something” and that was that.

Rich and I stayed at the ONPH, the home of the Old Timers,and while walking to the bus to get there, I asked Gaylord what he was doing at the All Star Game to which he replied,”I’m one of the Old Timer Game pitchers.” Upon arriving and checking in and bringing up our luggage, Rich and I went downstairs to the lobby and once again encountered Gaylord who was talking to Larry. The latter had nothing to say to me while Perry went out of his way introducing us to his friends such as Luke Appling, Harmon Killebrew, Warren Spahn who was as warm as ice and many many more famous names.

Is there a sequel to this piece? Yes there is but it doesn’t include Mr. Doby. I had once heard a story about Gaylord Perry, THE HITTER.It was when Alvin Dark managed his team, the S.F.Giants. During batting practice one day, Gaylord was slugging the balls over the walls as if he were anythng but a pitcher. So one of the Bay Area sportswriters approached Dark to ask, “Why do you insist upon keeping Perry as a pitcher. Look at the way he’s creaming those pitches. Play him daily as an outfielder and you’ll have another home run hitter,” to which Dark replied, “The day Perry hits a home run during a game will be the day a man will walk on the moon.”

A few years ago I came upon a taped broadcast of a Dodger-Giant game dated July 20,1969.While listening to it, Vin Scully was giving a blow-by-blow account of the “Eagle” approaching the moon’s surface which would culminate that same day in Neil Armstrong’s walking on it. Do you know what happened during that game? Gaylord Perry homered! So I called MLB to get the number of their Alumni Fund in order to get his exact address in Williamston,NC. I sent Gaylord a copy of that game with just a thank you note for being so congenial to Rich and me in Cincinnati.I never mentioned hearing the story I just related to you. However Perry did reply by letter and outlined that same story in handwritten form. He was thrilled to have gotten that tape and showed it. That letter is framed, on my wall and not even a million buck eBay bidder could ever get it….well I wouldn’t exactly go THAT FAR however it was a great time in my life.

And Mr. Doby…God bless you and rest in peace. It could have been worse. You and your wife could have been snoring together.

Charlie

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