Larry Doby Field's new turf unveiled during ribbon cutting in Paterson
A New Jersey baseball field named after Major League Baseball and civil rights icon Larry Doby has an all-new look.
The newly renovated Larry Doby Field was unveiled Wednesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Eastside Park in Paterson. Synthetic turf replaced the old grass, with Doby's iconic number 14 prominently etched into center field.
"So we want to pay proper tribute to Larry Doby, who stepped up to the plate for civil rights," Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said.
Larry Doby Jr. threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Wednesday.
"This is state of the art. So, it's even nicer than, I'm sure, the fields that he played on," Doby Jr. said.
- Watch: "Larry Doby: Second to none"
Larry Doby's impact on baseball and civil rights
The field was dedicated more than 20 years ago to Doby, who grew up in Paterson and died in 2003. He was the second African-American to play Major League Baseball but was the first to integrate the American League. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
The field serves as the home of Doby's alma mater, the Eastside High School Ghosts. His legacy carries on with the youth of Paterson.
"The fact that kids are going to be able to play here and learn life lessons here and hopefully maybe some go to college and some go the pros, that would make him very happy," Doby Jr. said.
The Eastside Ghosts will play their first home game of the season next week.
