Due to a childhood injury of his left arm, naturally left handed Larry Nathaniel Kimbrough learned to equally use his right hand. Born, September 23, 1923 in Philadelphia, PA., Kimbrough went on to become one of the few ambidextrous pitchers in Negro League baseball. He pitched mainly with his right hand, but did throw some games left handed. He never switched between the two during a game.
After refusing to accept offers to sign with Negro League teams while in high school, Kimbrough began pitching for the Philadelphia Stars in 1942 after one year at Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, Ohio). He got the nickname “Schoolboy”. He started with a flash pitching a shutout against the Newark Eagles.
Following two seasons, Kimbrough received his draft notice for military service and did not return to the Stars until 1946. But he did not regain his pre-military magic on the mound and never became a star pitcher.
Although being only 23 years old at the time, Kimbrough retired from professional baseball after 1946 and had a long distinguished career with the US Postal Service.
To learn more about the Negro League
baseball era, read “Last Train to
Cooperstown: The 2006 Baseball Hall of
Fame Inductees from the Negro League Baseball Era”. To order go to (http://booklaunch.io/kevinlmitchell/last-train-to-cooperstown) www.klmitchell.com
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