Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige, though not born in Kansas City, considered it home and became one of the greatest legends of the Negro Leagues as a pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs and six other teams. His fastball and colorful personality made him a household name among fans and non-fans alike. According to the story of his nickname, at age 11 he carried bags at the train station in Mobile, Alabama, and devised a harness to carry several suitcases at once, prompting others to call him a walking satchel tree. Paige began his professional career in 1926 and signed with the Kansas City Monarchs in the late 1930s, where he added a curve and his famous hesitation pitch to a repertoire that included the “bee-ball,” “jump ball,” “trouble-ball,” and “long-ball.” He helped lead the Monarchs to four consecutive Negro American League pennants from 1939 to 1942, a World Series victory over the Homestead Grays in 1942, and a fifth pennant in 1946. When he entered the major leagues in 1948 at age 42, he was the oldest rookie ever to play major league baseball, and later, during a brief stint with the Kansas City A’s in the 1950s, manager Charlie Finley was reported to have given him a rocking chair to rest on between appearances on the mound. In 1971, Paige became the first player from the Negro Leagues elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Kansas City, Missouri · United States