CLEVELAND — Bill Sizemore might be 91 years old, but there's a day, 75 years ago, that he remembers as if it were just yesterday. It was his first Cleveland Baseball game and the first time he ever watched the legendary Larry Doby play.
Sizemore grew up in Virginia, but when he was 16, he took a trip to Ohio to visit his brother. He and five others shoved into a 1941 Chrysler and hit the road. It was his first time in a big city, and he had big plans.
"Larry Doby was playing that day. I had a good seat, so I got to see everything," Sizemore said.
Sizemore fought through traffic and crowds to get into Cleveland Stadium, where the then-Indians played ball. He took his seat and watched what would become part of history in the making.
"I kind of forget things at my age, but it's either the first or second time he was up, [Doby] hit a home run—and the spectators went wild," he said, recalling the game.
Doby made his debut for the Indians in 1947, becoming just the second Black player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier and the first to play in the American League. He would go on to become a seven-time All-Star, a two-time American League home run leader, and was part of Cleveland's 1948 World Series championship—the last title the franchise has seen to this day.
Sizemore remembers some people in the crowd still having some things to say about Doby when he was at the game, something he refused to stand behind.
"There was a few people that were a little mouthy. As a matter of fact, one guy said 'Throw him out of the ballpark,' but it was nothing like that from me," he said.
In fact, Sizemore was there cheering on Doby. At 16 years old, watching him play, there was no question—Doby was instantly one of his favorite players of all time.
"I never saw anyone run the bases as fast as he could," Sizemore said. "Larry Doby was one of my favorites."
Sizemore watched Doby early in his MLB career and continued watching him as often as he could. Sizemore went back to Virginia, but when he was 18, he moved to Akron, the place he's called home ever since. Decades of work in construction, 72 years in the local laborers' union No. 894, a family with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, all make Sizemore who he is.
But so does his love for Cleveland baseball. 75 years after his first game, Sizemore still gets out to the ballpark to watch his favorite team play.
"I'll still go. Doing pretty good for my age," he said.
Sizemore loves telling the stories of his youth and watching baseball in Cleveland. From Bob Lemon, Rocky Colavito, and everyone who's followed, Sizemore enjoys sharing his memories from those days when history was being made.
"What I really enjoy is some of the memories that he has," said Sizemore's son-in-law, Dave Schott. "He's seen the guys that are only in history books as far as my baseball fandom is concerned, so I'm I'm interested in everything that he has to say."
Of all the stories Sizemore shares, watching Larry Doby play baseball in Cleveland for his first game as a fan might be his favorite. A story he was more than happy to retell just ahead of the Guardians' celebration of Doby on Saturday.
It's a day Sizemore is excited to see each year, because there's only one way to describe No. 14.
"A Cleveland legend," Sizemore said, looking up at the statue of Doby in front of Progressive Field. "He'll always be a legend in Cleveland."
