“Eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson stepped onto the grass at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field and into American history, Larry Doby joined the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first African American in the American League. . . . Doby’s trials, and the triumphs that earned him a place in Cooperstown, are a stirring story wonderfully told by Douglas Branson.”

—George F. Will, syndicated columnist for the Washington Post and author of Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball

“Douglas Branson’s new book on Larry Doby is a must-read for anyone who cares about the Jackie Robinson story and the integration of baseball. Doby has been neglected for far too long, so it’s exciting to see Branson give Doby his due.”

—Terry Pluto, author of Our Tribe: A Baseball Memoir and columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer

“From Bill Veeck to Reggie Mantle and Willie Mays, Douglas Branson examines and contextualizes Larry Doby’s contributions to the game during a time when baseball captivated the country. Branson’s personal memories of his subject add depth to a well-researched account.”

—Bill Brink, baseball writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette