Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige, born in Mobile, Alabama, began work carrying suitcases at Mobile Union Station and devised a sling harness to hustle several bags at once; other red caps said he looked like a "Walking Satchel Tree," and the nickname Satchel stayed with him as he rose from humble beginnings to become a national treasure, a universal sports hero, and one of baseball's most illustrious figures. For thirty-nine summers and as many winters, he traveled throughout the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, thrilling millions with his extraordinary pitching feats and becoming the most celebrated moundsman in the history of the national pastime. He began a twenty-seven-year career with the Kansas City Monarchs and made Kansas City his home. Among the notable moments of his career were a 5-0 shutout for Cleveland against Chicago in 1948, his induction into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1971, and his attendance at the dedication of Satchel Paige Stadium just three days before his death. He was married to Lahoma Jean Brown on March 5, 1946, and they were the parents of Shirley Miller, Pamela O'Neal, Carolyn Mason, Linda Shelby, Robert Paige, Lula Paige, Rita Rogers, and Warren Paige.
