Satchel Paige
Pitcher

1948-9 Cleveland Indians
1950-3 St. Louis Browns
1965 Philadelphia Athletics

• The greatest pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues.

• Pitched professionally from 1924-65.

• Started with the semi-pro Mobile Tigers at the age of 18 in 1924. Paige was a member of the Birmingham Black Barons from 1927-30 and a member of the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Kansas City Monarchs for much of the 1930s and 40s.

• Pitched the Monarchs to pennants in the 1940s.

• Became the oldest player to pitch in the majors when he threw 3 scoreless innings for the Kansas City A's in 1965 at the age of 59.

• Paige became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for their Negro League accomplishments in 1971.

Paige with the A's, 1965

• Was 6-1 with a 2.47 ERA as a 42-year old rookie with the World Series-winning Cleveland Indians in 1948.

• In an exhibition game in 1930, Paige struck out 22 big leaguers including Hall of Famers Hack Wilson and Babe Herman.

• Paige was 31-4 with the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1933. He won 21 games in a row at one point in the season and pitched 62 consecutive innings without giving up a run.

• Paige was known as much for his showmanship and flashy personality as for his stellar pitching. His most famous saying is, "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you."

• Had one of the most dazzling fastballs in the history of the game. He nicknamed it, "Long Tom." He also threw a "bee ball," so called because it would "be where I want it to be."