Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige is often referred to as the “Babe Ruth” of the Negro League. He played for over 20 years on several teams in the Negro League and was widely considered to be the league’s greatest ever pitcher. In 1948, Paige became Major League Baseball’s oldest ever rookie when he signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. At 42 years of age, he went 6-1 for the Indians and helped led the Tribe to a World Series victory. Satchel Paige continued pitching for several more seasons in the majors, including making All Star Game appearances in 1952 and 1953 as a St. Louis Brown, at the ages of 46 and 47. He even made a brief cameo appearance at age 59 for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. Satchel Paige was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, the first ever inductee from the Negro League.