Satchel Paige Makes His First Major League Start 68 Years Ago Today!

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The Great Satchel Paige Makes His First Major League Start 68 Years Ago Today!

“The fact that most baseball fans did not see him in his prime is one of the great tragedies of the game.” –Famous baseball photographer George Brace, speaking of Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige debuted in the major leagues on July 9, 1948, becoming the first black pitcher in the American League. Less than a month later, on August 3, 1948, in front of 72,434 fans at Cleveland Stadium, he made his first major league start. He went seven innings leading the Tribe to a 5-3 victory over the Senators. The Indians’ lineup that day included three other future Hall-of-Famers: Larry Doby, Joe Gordon, and Lou Boudreau; while Early Wynn went the distance for the Senators. After parts of  five seasons in the majors between 1948 and 1955, he returned for one game on September 25, 1965 with the Athletics and made his last start at age 59. He retired nine of ten batters in three innings of work against the Red Sox with Carl Yastrzemski getting the only hit off him that day.

Leroy “Satchel” Paige was the most famous and successful player from the Negro Leagues. His infectious, out-sized personality and his love for the game made him a star and turned him into a baseball legend. Satchel was a great showman and storyteller, often bestowing playful nicknames upon teammates and his pitches. A changeup was a “two-hump blooper” and a medium-speed fastball was a “Little Tom.” 

The nickname “Satchel” apparently originated from childhood work toting bags at a train station. Young Leroy Paige claimed he was not making enough money at 10 cents a bag; so he concocted a pole and rope contraption that allowed him to cart four bags at once. Another kid supposedly yelled, “You look like a walking satchel tree.”

Over the course of his long Negro League career that extended from the 1920s-1940s, his teams included: Chattanooga Black Lookouts, Birmingham Black Barons, Baltimore Black Sox, Cleveland Cubs, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Trujillo All-Stars, New York Black Yankees, Memphis Red Sox, Philadelphia Stars, and Kansas City Monarchs. He also played for teams in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Best estimates put his wins in the 400-600 range. In the majors, Satchel played for the Indians, Browns, and Athletics. In 1948, he became the oldest rookie in major league history at age 42. 

According to Dizzy Dean, Charlie Gehringer, and Joe DiMaggio, Paige was the greatest pitcher who ever lived. But his best years were behind him by the time he became the American League’s first black pitcher. His major league record was just 28-31, with a 3.29 ERA, and 288 strikeouts in 179 games. He was a two-time major league all-star, five-time Negro league all-star, World Series champion (1948), and Negro league World Series champion (1942). 

Paige also left his mark as a barnstormer. He beat Dizzy Dean in four of six barnstorming exhibition games in 1934, when Dean was at the top of his form. In 1946 he formed a team of Negro League stars to play against a team of white major leaguers assembled by Bob Feller. Feller’s team included 1946 American League batting champion, Mickey Vernon, Phil Rizzuto, Ken Keltner, Charlie Keller, and Stan Musial; with a pitching staff of Bob Lemon, Dutch Leonard, Johnny Sain, Spud Chandler, and Fred Hutchinson in addition to Feller. Paige’s team included stars Buck O’Neil, Hank Thompson, Artie Wilson, Quincy Trouppe, and Hilton Smith. Records that remain indicate that the two teams were evenly matched and played to large crowds.

Satchel Paige died on June 8, 1982 at age 75. He was elected to the National baseball Hall of Fame in 1971 by the Negro League Committee. 

Popular Witticisms Attributed to Satchel Paige:

“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” 
“Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” 
“If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.” 
“Hit a home run, pitch a shutout. That’s how to win a game.” 
“He’s so fast, when he flicks the light switch off, he’s in bed before the room’s dark” [Satchel speaking of Cool Papa Bell]
“Never look back. Someone may be gaining on you.”
“I never had a job. I always played baseball.”
“Women and money. They’re two of the strongest things in the world. The things you do for a woman you wouldn’t do for anything else. Same with money.”
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”
“Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Just throw strikes. Home plate don’t move.”
“I don’t generally like running. Avoid running at all costs.”

-Gary Livacari

Information: Excerpts edited from the Satchel Paige Wikipedia page; and Time.com article on Satchel Paige
Photo Credit: George Brace Baseball Photo Collection; Time.com; others  from Google search

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