Leroy Robert 'Satchel' Paige was an extraordinary ballplayer. He invented a gang of pitches that he would notoriously name: The Midnight Runner, The Long Tom, The Short Tom, The Four-Day Creeper, and a pitch now outlawed, The Hesitation. He was a legend amongst hitters. One time walking three hitters just to face his rival, Josh Gibson. He struck him out in three pitches.
His talent led him all around the Deep South and Caribbean, playing ball for such clubs as The Birmingham Black Barons and The San Juan Senadores. Of course back then, black ballplayers were not allowed into Major League Baseball. That was until 1947 when Jack Roosevelt 'Jackie' Robinson took the field for The Brooklyn Dodgers. A lot of people thought it should of been Satchel.
Satchel Paige wrote in his autobiography Maybe I'll Pitch Forever, "...signing Jackie like they did still hurt me deep down. I'd been the guy who'd started all that big talk about letting us in the big time. I'd been the one who'd opened up the major league parks to the colored teams. I'd been the one who the white boys wanted to barnstorm against. I'd been the one that everybody'd said should be in the majors. But Jackie'd been the first signed by the white boys and he'd probably be the first one in the majors."
Undoubtably, Satchel was one of the greatest pitchers to take the mound. But breaking the color barrier had more value then stats could ever justify. The name Jackie Robinson prints large in 20th Century history books well Satchel sadly slips through the pages. However, Satchel eventually did make the majors and earned an MVP in the year 1952. He was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1971.
Check out this interview with Satchel conducted by Jackie Robinson for a radio show back in 1960. May his name live on...
No comments:
Post a Comment