Paige's legend is alive

By Trevor Hayes

This week of the year is special one for Hall of Famer Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige. Today would have been his 103rd birthday, though that comes with some mystery. Paige's birth year is disputed, but the generally accepted date is July 7, 1906.

Thursday, meanwhile, is the unquestioned 61st anniversary of Paige becoming the oldest rookie in major league history. At 42 years and three days old, Paige made his debut for the Cleveland Indians on July 9, 1948. That year, he went 6-1 and helped the Indians win the World Series - something Cleveland has yet to repeat in 60 seasons.

Paige played six seasons in the majors and teamed with Hall of Famers Lou Boudreau, Larry Doby, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Early Wynn - as well as 2009 Hall of Fame electee Joe Gordon. When Hall of Famer Bill Veeck - the man who signed Paige with the Indians - bought the St. Louis Browns in 1951, he signed Paige again. Two seasons later, Paige officially ended his major league career, though it wouldn't be the last time he'd pitch.

"There never was a man on earth who pitched as much as me," Paige said. "But the more I pitched, the stronger my arm would get."

On Sept. 25, 1965, he returned for a single game to become the oldest player in the history of the game. Pitching for the Athletics in front of 9,289 at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium, the 59-year old worked three scoreless innings against the Red Sox. He struck out one and allowed just two base runners - one on an error and another on a double by future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.

Former Browns batting practice catcher Bill Purdy, who visited the Hall of Fame in May, had a special relationship with Paige. Purdy, who supports the Hall of Fame via the Museum's Membership Program, was with the team in 1952 and 1953. During that short time, a friendship developed between the two. Purdy's parents would often pick up Purdy and Paige when they returned to town with the team, dropping Paige off at a hotel near the Purdy family's restaurant.

On the field, Paige was still an effective pitcher well into his 40s. Purdy estimated that Paige was throwing 100 miles per hour during their bullpen sessions.

"I use my single windup, my double windup, my triple windup, my hesitation windup, my no windup," Paige used to say. "I also use my step-n-pitch-it, my submariner, my sidearmer and my bat dodger. Man's got to do what he's got to do."

That quote and many like it form the other piece of the Satchel Paige story. He was a classic character, known for his way with words and his clubhouse hi-jinks. Purdy said he used to put a little bit of Cramer's Red Hot - a medical salve that heated upon touching skin - on different articles of his teammates' uniforms while they hung in their lockers. He'd cover it with talcum powder and watch teammates dance, trying to figure out what was burning.

Another fond memory of Purdy's involves a catfish. Paige, an avid fisherman, would often head down to the Mississippi River. One day before a doubleheader, Paige had gone fishing and caught catfish. Purdy remembers him bringing the fish to the stadium and putting it in the clubhouse showers before the first game.

"It was the biggest catfish I'd ever seen in my life," Purdy said. "Now I don't know if it was still living or not, but there was this great big, enormous catfish back in the corner of the big gang shower.

"We played the first game and it was the middle of the summer and hot in St. Louis. All of us ran up between games to take a shower and change uniforms, but the guys didn't see this darn fish. One of them backed up and stepped on it. He let out a yell and you saw 15 guys run out of the shower faster."

Paige's zeal for life is something to be admired, so here's some advice from baseball's ageless pitcher, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971:

PAIGE'S FAMOUS "RULES ON HOW TO KEEP YOUNG"
1. Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
4. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain't restful.
5. Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.

Trevor Hayes is the editorial production manager at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.