Description An African American family in Cleveland, Ohio, listens on their new radio to the first game of the 1948 World Series, in which Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League, won the game for the Cleveland Indians.
Reviews Customer Booksource Emma Williams, Collection Development Specialist at Booksource Star Star Star Star Star 8/27/2012 2:43:23 PMIn Just As Good, author Chris Crowe celebrates the lesser known African American baseball player Larry Doby –the second African American (after Jackie Robinson) to cross the color line in baseball. Told through the voice of a young African American boy named Homer, readers experience the fourth game in the 1948 World Series game between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Braves. Homer says he had “been aching for a miracle” ever since he had been banned from the Little League team because he was black. He is sure that another African American player on his own home team will prove that his people are just as good as whites at baseball (and everything else for that matter)! Larry Doby is his man! On the day of the big game, Homer’s Dad brings home a new radio. From here, Homer details the rundown of this emotionally-charged game where Doby becomes the first African American man to hit a homer in the World Series! This heartfelt tribute to a great player and civil rights champion reminds us of a point in history where baseball played an important role in breaking down racial lines. The book includes a detailed historical note at the end with quotes from Doby and important facts about baseball’s color barrier.