Paige, Satchel (Leroy Paige) [key], 1906–82, American baseball player, b. Mobile, Ala. He began pitching in 1924, joined his first professional team two years later, and became a star in the Negro leagues during the 1930s. Celebrated for his extraordinary pitching ability and also known for his witty aphorisms, Paige became legendary while barnstorming in the segregated American baseball leagues to which African-American players were restricted prior to the integration of the major leagues beginning in 1947. He played in as many as 2,500 games and is credited with more than 50 no-hitters. In 1948, at the age of 42, he joined the Cleveland Indians of the American League. He pitched for six seasons in the majors and was the first star of the Negro leagues to be inducted (1971) into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
See biography by L. Tye (2009).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies
