Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige excelled as the Negro leagues main attraction in the 1930s and 1950s. His athletic ability, phenomenal durability, and incredible showmanship guaranteed large crowds wherever he pitched for over four decades in the Negro leagues and major leagues. teammate Jimmie Crutchfield said of him: "When Satchel got to that ball park it was like the sun just came out." The future Hall of Famer was still pitching in the majors when he was nearly 60 years old.
Played For
Cleveland Indians (1948-1949)
St. Louis Browns (1951-1953)
Kansas City Athletics (1965)
All-Time Rankings
Satchel Paige ranks #5 among the Top 50 all-time at SP. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1942
Stats are sketchy for Negro league competition, but it's safe to say Paige was still near his peak this season. On July 21 he intentionally walked two batters to face Josh Gibson in the ninth inning with the bases loaded. Paige told the 30,000 fans in attendance at Forbes Field that he was going to give Gibson three fastballs. Gibson saw the fastballs, but couldn't hit them, striking out to end the game. In addition to his 1942 season, a few sources have Paige with a 63-11 record in 1932-1933.
Teams Played For
Birmingham Black Barons, Nashville Elite Giants, Chattanooga Black Lookouts, Cleveland Cubs, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Kansas City Monarchs, New York Black Yankees, Satchel Paige's All-Stars, Philadelphia Stars, Baltimore Black Sox (Negro Leagues 1926-1947, 1955) and Cleveland Indians (1948-1949), St. Louis Browns (1951-1953), Kansas City A's (1965)
Paige also pitched three years in the International League in the 1950s and 1960s. Paige pitched regularly from the age of 17 (1924) to the age of 60 (1967). He probably won more than 2,000 games when all of his wins are combined from official leagues to barnstorming and exhibitions.
Born
Leroy Robert Paige was born on July 7, 1906, in Mobile, AL.
Died
June 8, 1982, Kansas City, MO
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: SLA
Major League Debut
July 9, 1948 ... Paige was the oldest man to make his debut in the big leagues.
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1948
Roy Campanella
Richie Ashburn
Robin Roberts
Mike Garcia
Carl Erskine
Hank Bauer
Ray Boone
Don Mueller
Satchel Paige
Nicknames
Satchel, Satch, Satchmo, Ol' Satch, Dad
Satchel came from his childhood. His given name was Leroy.
Uniform Numbers
#29 (1948-1949, 1952-1953, 1965), #22 (1951), #49 (1951)
Similar Players
Pedro Martinez, Dizzy Dean, Bob Feller
Related Players
Buck O'Neil, Dizzy Dean, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Jackie Robinson, Monte Irvin, Larry Doby
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1951 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1971 |
Negro League |
|
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1948 World Series
Feats
Legend has it that Paige would often call his fielders in and proceed to strike out the side on nine pitches without any defensive help behind him.
Transactions
Before 1948 Season: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cleveland Indians; Before 1950 Season: Released by the Cleveland Indians; Before 1951 Season: Signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Browns; Before 1954 Season: Released by the Baltimore Orioles; September 10, 1965: Signed as a Free Agent with the Kansas City Athletics; October 15, 1965: Released by the Kansas City Athletics.
All-Star Selections
1952 AL
1953 AL
Best Strength as a Player
All of his pitches were reportedly top-notch, and his fastball was one of the best in the Negro leagues.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Paige also filled in at other positions, and in his youth he was often one of the fastest player son his team. He really didn't have a glaring weakness.
Learn More about Satchel Paige
Search Amazon.com for Books about Satchel Paige ⇒
Search for Satchel Paige at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
