Current Music: "Center Field" John Fogerty
My old friend Steve sent me a reminder that today, June 8, is the day that Satchel Paige passed away. He may well have been the greatest pitcher that ever played the game. He didn't make it to the majors until he was passed his prime because of the color barrier in place at the time. Even passed his prime, he was better than most. There were many players in the Negro Leagues that were every bit as good as, or better than, the major leaguers, but major leaguers are what others are jugded by, and he was over the hill before he got the chance to face them. He was still pitching (in the minors of the Kansas City franchise) in his sixties! It could have been LATE sixties, he was famous for fudging his age.
Thanks, Steve for the reminder and here is my favorite Satchel Paige story:
Back in the 30’s-40’s major leaguers used to put together teams of “all-stars” and travel around the country playing each other in small town ballparks. They called it “barn-storming” and they did it for the money, they didn’t make the big bucks that they do now. Even the great Babe Ruth used to barnstorm with his own team of all-stars.
Another of the all time great pitchers in the majors was hall of famer Dizzy Dean. Now when I was a kid playing little league, Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese (another hall of famer, played short for the Dodgers, in Brooklyn and in LA) use to do the “game of the week” broadcast, but in the 30’s Ol’ Diz was probably the best pitcher in the majors (remember, Satchel wasn’t in the majors, he was in the Negro Leagues) http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/
In fact, Dizzy predicted that he and his brother would win 40 games one year, and just to make sure they did, Dizzy won 30.
So anyway, it was middle America, somewhere, in the 30’s probably, I don’t know for sure. I read the story in an old book of baseball lore and can’t remember those details.
Satchel Paige’s all-stars from the Negro League against Dizzy Dean’s all-stars, major leaguers. It was getting twilight, not many parks then had lights, especially the small town parks where the barnstormers played. They were already in extra innings, still tied zero to zero when, as Paige’s team heads in to bat and Dean’s team takes the field, Satchel looked at Dizzy and said, “Mr. Dean, if you don’t give up a run we’re gonna be out here all night”.
There's no doubt who Dean thought was best:
Here are two quotes about Satchel, from “Mr. Dean”
"I know who's the best pitcher I ever seen and it's old Satchel Paige, that big lanky colored boy. My fastball looks like a change of pace alongside that little pistol bullet ole Satchel shoots up to the plate."
"If Satch and I were pitching on the same team, we would clinch the pennant by July fourth and go fishing until World Series time."
And here are a few quotes from Satch himself:
Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter.
Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common.
The only change is that baseball has turned Paige from a second class citizen to a second class immortal.
I ain't ever had a job, I just always played baseball.
I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I toss one that ain't never been seen by this generation.
I've said it once and I'll say it a hundred times, I'm forty-four years old.
If a man can beat you, walk him.
Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home plate don't move.
My pitching philosophy is simple - keep the ball way from the bat.
And probably the most famous quote attributed to Satchel Paige:
Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you. | 
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