Negro Leagues
Doby made his Negro League professional debut in 1942, just a month before he graduated from Eastside High School. He played for the Newark Eagles under the alias "Larry Walker." He played extremely well for the Eagles in his first season, batting .391. He was offered money to play for the team the next season, but decided to go to college instead (McMurray).
The next time he played in the Negro League was after he returned from World War II in 1946. In that year he rejoined the Newark Eagles team. Although he was unable to play in the Negro Leagues during the war, he kept playing ball while stationed at navy camps (O'Toole). In the 1946 season, the Eagles won a Negro League World Series title, and many people began to notice the talent and progress of Doby, including Bill Veeck of the Cleveland Indians.
Doby ended his Negro League career on July 4, 1947, just one day before he would make his Major League debut. He ended his career with the Newark Eagles with a bang, finishing the game with a home run. At that time, Doby was leading the Negro League in batting with a .415 average (O'Toole).
Negro League Career Statistics (baseballreference.com):
Batting Average = .304
Home Runs = 8
RBIs = 60
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