Never Look Back - Baseball History - Leroy "Satchel" Page

"body">sauntered to third and then struck out the next
Never Look Backthree batters.
New Year resolutions come and go -- except forSatchel's most devastating pitch was the
me."hesitation." In some mysterious manner, he could
Many years ago - none of your business howpause in mid-delivery for a millisecond. It was just
many -- I adopted a set of good intentionsenough to confound the best batters.
propounded by the legendary African-AmericanHe let me swing against that pitch in the exhibition
baseball player Leroy Paige.warm up. I struck out on three throws and quit
He was best known as "Satchel" - a nickname hefor the day.
acquired as a young boy carrying luggage for* * *
nickels at the Mobile, Ala., train station.Breakthrough for blacks aspiring to the major
I had the pleasure of interviewing the renownedleagues came in 1947. Branch Rickey signed Jackie
star when he earned a living barnstorming theRobinson for the old Brooklyn Dodgers.
country with a back-up team from the old NegroThereafter, the Negro League faded for lack of
League.good players.
At that time, I was a rookie sportswriter for theSatchel was signed up by the Cleveland Indians in
Flint (Mich.) Daily Journal and relegated to the least1948 as the oldest rookie ever to play major
assignments - black baseball players so regardedleague baseball. He racked up a 6-1 record with a
prior to World War II.2.48 ERA that year to help the Indians win the
There aren't many of us old baseball fans aroundAmerican League pennant.
to recount the feats of Satch who may haveHe pitched one inning in the 1949 World Series
been the greatest pitcher of all time. Mywon by Cleveland.
evaluation of Satchel is hard to prove because heSatch retired a couple a couple years, then came
played the game before blacks were accepted inback to play a season with the St. Louis Browns.
the major leagues.However, the great Paige was then somewhere
* * *in his late forties - an old man by baseball
There were many professional Negro baseballstandards. He professed not to know his age.
teams in my days of sports writing. Black playersWith much of youthful speed gone from his fast
were famous in big cities where there was aball, he relied on breaking stuff, including the
population of African-Americans large enough tohesitation speech.
support a team.He did right well until they outlawed the hesitation.
In addition to Paige, there was Cool Papa Bell, JoshSatch was dropped from the roster but played in
Gibson, Oscar Charleston who often back-flippedthe 1952 and 1953 All Star games.
to catch a fly ball, Jody Johnson and Pop Lloyd -Twelve years later, at the dubious age of 59,
just to mention a few.Satchel pitched three innings for the Kansas City
They played for such teams as the St. LouisAthletics to become the oldest player to pitch in a
Stars, East St. Louis Cubs, Chicago Americanmajor league game.
Giants, Kansas City Monarchs, WashingtonRoy Campanella chaired a committee to select
Homestead Grays, Birmingham Black Barons andsome players from the old Negro League for a
Pittsburgh Crawfords.special section of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The
Though not nearly as well paid as their whitecommittee concluded two years of work without
counterparts -- $60 a month plus eats and lodgingmaking any recommendations. It was too difficult
was typical - Negro League players playedto choose from the hundreds of candidates.
heads-up often-unorthodox baseball. A few starsNevertheless, the first African-American to be
such as Paige and Gibson drew $125 a week.enshrined at Cooperstown - on the basis of
After the World Series, pick-up teams of whiterecord, not skin color - was Satchel Paige in 1971.
major league players toured Negro League townsHe died in 1982.
to play exhibition games. In these contests,Sometimes I wonder if he had any regrets that
African-American teams regularly trounced thethe color barrier was not broken before his prime,
white stars.instead of in his declining years.
The opportunity to learn new tricks was theBut then I dig out the clipping of that interview of
principal reason major leaguers went barnstormingso long ago and re-read the sage advice he gave
in the Negro League.a young sportswriter for a long and happy life -
* * *pearls of wisdom I adopt every January as my
Satchel brought the Kansas City Monarchs to Flintroad map for the coming year:
to play the leading team of the pro-competent1. Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
Industrial League. The Monarchs, with Paige on the2. If your stomach disputes with you, lie down
mound, walloped our local boys -- but with aand pacify it with cool thoughts.
grace and skill that brought fans to feet many3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around
times.gently as you go.
He had an accurate fastball with which he could4. Go light on the vices, such as carrying on in
nip the corners. Opposing batters claimed itsociety. The social ramble ain't restful.
disappeared on its way to the plate.5. Avoid running at all times.
His curve had drop that made grown men cry. It6. And, finally, the admonition that made Satchel
was like rolling a ball off a table.Paige immortal: Never look back. Something may
To show off in exhibition games, Satchel wouldbe gaining on you.
pitch an inning while seated in a rocking chair onJanuary 16, 2000
the mound, or call in the outfield to sit behind him.
while he fanned out the side.Click here to see this article on Lindsey Williams's
Once Gibson led off the first inning with a singlewebsite
and then razzed Satchel. Irritated, Satchel waved.
his teammates to the dugout, ignored Gibson who