Satchel Paige, 1940’s
Source: National Baseball Hall of Fame Library
Photo Subject: Satchel Paige pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs. A close look at the glove shows he had printed his name “Satchel Paige” on the wrist band, just as I did when I played Little League baseball.
Folklore: Satchel Paige was more than a great pitcher, he was the consummate showman. On many occasions he would pull in the outfielders to sit behind the mound while he proceeded to strike out the side with the tying run on base.
One apocryphal tale tells of Paige intentionally walking Howard Easterling and Buck Leonard to load the bases so he could pitch to Josh Gibson, the most dangerous hitter in black baseball. As the story goes, Satchel stuck out Gibson on three pitches, taunting him with each pitch. It makes a great story, but the box score can only support the strikeout with bases loaded, and Paige issued no base on balls for the game in question. Still, I want to believe this story is true.
Ted Williams claimed, “Paige was the greatest pitcher in baseball.” Joe DiMaggio said Satchel Paige was the “best and fastest pitcher I’ve ever faced.” Cardinal pitcher Dizzy Dean remarked, “He’s a better pitcher than I ever hope to be.” Homestead Grays first baseman and Hall of Famer Buck Leonard declared, “He threw fire.”
Painting Detail: Printed on 8-1/2 ” x 11” canvas and painted using Schmincke Mussini and Marshall’s oil paints. Finer details were made using Prismacolor pencils.
Acknowledgements: The websites “Historical Society of Missouri” on the MLB player quotes and the “National Museum of American History” on the Paige/Gibson story.