Saturday, 23 November 2024

Satchel Paige

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Baseball
Statistics: 1 World Series Championship (1948)
1 Negro League World Series Championship (1942)
2 All-Star Games (1952 & 1953)
5 Negro League All-Star Games (1924, 1936, 1941, 1942 & 1943)
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame
In the history of the Negro Leagues, no pitcher was considered better than Leroy "Satchel" Paige, who was also one of his day's hardest throwers. Exceptionally popular, Paige drew crowds everywhere he went, and he might have been one of the most charismatic men in all of sports.

Later in his career, Paige expanded his repertoire, which protected his arm and allowed him to pitch much later in life than most pitchers. In 1948, as the Majors were slowly integrating, Paige signed with the Cleveland Indians at age 42 and would help them win the World Series, thus becoming the first player to win both the Negro World Series and World Series. Paige played organized baseball into his 50s, and he would become the first Negro League player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

We are proud to nominate Satchel Paige for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.