Part One The Beginning
Leroy “Satchel” Paige. He threw his first professional pitch in 1926. He threw his last in 1966, forty years later. In between those years, he threw more pitches in more games and ballparks than any other pitcher in baseball history. He was, in fact, a living legend. He was also a great promoter, of himself. But beyond that, he was probably one of the most talented and skilled players ever to throw a ball from a pitcher’s mound.
He came from humble beginnings to baseball immortality. He was born Leroy Robert Paige on July 7, 1906, in Mobile, Alabama. He was delivered at home by a midwife, which was more than most black women could afford in those days. His mother, Lulu, was already worried about how she was going to feed and take care of her other four daughters and two sons who had come before Leroy. There would be five more to follow. Lulu was a washerwoman. For those who do not know what that is, it means she did laundry for richer people. His father, John, alternated between his job tending lilies in gardens uptown and sitting on the corner stoops where he liked to loiter, rarely caring or tending to the needs of his expanding brood.
With skin the color of a chestnut, the newborn’s prospects looked woeful. They were about to get much worse. Born in the heartland of the Confederacy, his birthplace, Mobile, had for 200 years welcomed outsiders. Irish Catholics, fleeing the famine, Jewish merchants, legions of Creoles, the offspring of French or Spanish fathers and their chattel mothers. They, in turn, challenged inbred thinking on everything from politics to race. The result of that in the Post-Civil War-Reconstruction period was blurred color lines that would be unthinkable in Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, or the rest of Alabama.
Unfortunately for young Leroy, that way of thinking changed dramatically in the year of his birth. Blacks were suddenly not allowed to do many things they had been doing freely for years. Separate seating on streetcars. No longer allowed to go to restaurants, saloons, brothels, or hotels. They could not be buried in certain cemeteries. They were not allowed to marry whites or play ball on the same field with them. They were also not allowed to go to the same schools. Leroy was too young to understand any of this, but he nonetheless felt its impact.
The difference between him and white children was the way he was addressed, his clothing, or lack thereof. Shoes? He later recalled; they were someplace else. All of the Paige kids knew that by age 6 was that they had to help put food on the table, and in a good year, shoes on their feet.
Leroy worked the alleyways like a pro, cashing in empty bottles he would find there. He delivered ice, and that brought in small change. But he was growing fast. As he grew, his parents expected more earning power. The most obvious place to look for work was the L&N rail station. He would polish the shoes of wealthy white travelers. He also would carry their bags to luxurious hotels like Mobiles, Battle House, for as little as a dime. Realizing he was not going to make much money doing that for as little as a dime a trip, he got some rope and jury-rigged a contraption that would allow him to carry two-three or sometimes four bags at a time.
The contraption amused the other baggage boys. One day one of them said, ” you look like a walking satchel tree.” The description fit him to a tee, and it stuck. Leroy Paige became no more, and Satchel took over. His parents also, somewhere along the way, changed the spelling of his last name from Page to Paige. Satchel would later say they added the “i” to sound more high-toned.
While he played baseball as a child, it was when he went to a reform school that he became a player. Two weeks before his 12th birthday, he was sentenced to the Alabama Reform School for Juvenile Negro Lawbreakers. Part of the reason was he missed school so often. The other was that he started taking suitcases and anything else that was easy to grab. Now the court was telling him he would not see freedom again for six years. It all seemed like a bad dream until they closed the doors behind him. Then he knew it was real.
The good news was that his new home gave him plenty of time for his favorite pastime, throwing a baseball. There was a coach, Edward Byrd, who taught him the fundamentals. And for probably the first time in his life, he paid attention. At almost 6 feet and 140 pounds, his wiry arms and stilt-like legs were almost perfect for propelling a baseball. He once joked that if he turned sideways, you would not be able to see him.
Byrd totally understood the talents this wiry kid had been given. His hands were large and made a baseball look like a golf ball. He had a snap in his wrist when he threw the ball that seemed like it was being catapulted. The coach was determined that it would not be wasted. Satchel himself knew how to exploit his storehouse of kinetic energy. His first move was to kick his leg so high it would black out the sky and befuddle the hitter. Then he would swing his arm far enough forward so it seemed like his hand was right in the batter’s face when he let go of the ball. Thus, was born the “Paige pose”. It was the look that would serve him well over his 40 years as a player.
Byrd also taught him that you could not just win with just your physical gifts. You had to outwit the hitter. Watch his knees. Find any weakness you can, then exploit it. Satchel, in those days, was as wild as most young pitchers are. But a baseball coming out of his hands looked like a cannonball. It was going that fast, and most hitters could not catch up to it. Satchel liked to say that he traded five years of freedom to learn how to pitch.
I would be the first to suggest that his Negro League records are pretty mild compared to the number of years he pitched. And I would also say, totally inaccurate. But they are what they are. He started his Negro League journey at Chattanooga. He would then pitch in Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City. His true stats are impossible to verify. If you look at his Baseball Reference page, it shows 121 wins, 81 losses, and a 2.71 ERA. Those are the stats that were recorded at some point.
Satchel himself circumvented the usual channels and kept a notebook in which he wrote down his stats. If it is to be believed, and he was the best at self-promotion, he pitched in over 2500 games with 2000 wins, 250 shutouts, 50 no-hitters, a 21-game winning streak, and a 62-inning scoreless streak. Of course, none of that is official. But I believe the numbers are probably somewhere in between.
His first real Negro League action came in 1927 with the Birmingham Black Barons. If his stats were to be believed, he never won more than 13 games in any season. But Negro League teams played upwards of 175 games a year. Not only did they play scheduled games, but they played a lot of barnstorming games prior to and after the season. Then most stars would head for Latin America to play in the winter leagues there. Baseball was a year-round pursuit for them. And Satchel, for many years, was their biggest draw.
He would call the infield in, purposely load the bases, and then strike out the side. His off-speed pitches were learned long after his natural fastball. Sometimes he would start but only pitch four innings. Not long enough for the win, but long enough to lose. And he pitched against everybody: White pros, minor league teams, the winter leagues; he did it all. He also might have been the inspiration for the movie, “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings.” Billy Dee Williams was Bingo Long, aka Satchel, James Earl Jones was Leon Carter, aka Josh Gibson. Former Giant and Angel outfielder Leon “Daddy Wags” Wagner also had a part in the film as one of the All-Stars, as did Richard Pryor.
Negro League teams also sometimes would play triple-headers. According to Paige, he won all three games a couple of times. He pitched for the Homestead Grays for one season. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Baltimore Elite Giants, and some other teams, but he is mostly remembered for his time with the Kansas City Monarchs. When you see photos of his time in the Negro Leagues, they are usually with KC.
Other than the fact that he was a huge star and a top draw in the league, little is really known about the life of those players. Oh, guys like Buck O’Neil did what they could to educate fans as the years have passed, and many of their stories involved Satchel and guys like Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and others. I myself am hoping to make a trip this summer to the Negro League Museum in Kansas City.
All through the thirties and into the early forties, Satchel plied his trade. Most Negro League players wished they could play in the Majors. But every time it was brought up, it was quickly dismissed. Baseball’s good old boy generation just would not have it. When word got out that Branch Rickey was scouting players to play in the majors, at first possibly, it was believed he wanted a black team in Brooklyn in the Negro Leagues. But when the truth finally was realized, almost everyone assumed the player to break the barrier would be an established star like Satchel or Josh Gibson.
But Satchel turned 40 the year Jackie signed, and Josh Gibson died in 1946 at the age of 35. Rickey needed someone younger and someone who would not become the sideshow a player like Satchel would.
It would take a while, but someone would finally give Satchel his chance in 1948. The self-proclaimed greatest pitcher alive would finally get to face his white rivals.
Part Two to follow later this week.
Nicely told.
I remember watching Satchel on TV in the 1960s. I think he was playing for Charley Finley in Kansas City, before the move Oakland. Yeah, an absolute legend.
Thanks Duke, It was fun research. The other part is coming. I saw him interviewed on TV a couple of times. The guy was a walking baseball encyclopedia. He also pitched against some of the greatest hitters who ever lived. I would have loved to watch him pitch to Josh Gibson. Yesterday, I ordered a Josh Gibson baseball card.
Time to throw Busch into the LF mix? Nobody else is claiming the job.
Maybe a month into the season. Right now, Peralta, Taylor, Outman, Trayce & Heyward figure to split those at-bats and we’ll see if they are producing enough to justify their roster spots.
Peralta is going to be out there. He played well in the WBC and will be back in camp today. Tonight’s game time moved back to 6:40 PST. Busch has already been reassigned to the minor league camp. They want him out there playing everyday. Outman is now playing himself onto the OKC roster.
Every player, especially younger ones, have their ups and downs offensively. Hopefully Outman is going through that and will bounce back. If he is now seeing mostly off speed stuff and he is in the process of adjusting then he needs at bats to do it. He might not see quality off speed stuff in OK to overcome a weakness.
It’s spring training.
1) The powers that be know more than we do about every single player. It’s not just about the stats.
2) If you want to talk about spring training stats among the outfielders and it’s a very small sample:
Outman .265/.366/.529/.895
Heyward .200/.300/.400/.700
Taylor .135/.256/.216/.472
Peralta .071/.235/.071/.306
Thompson .095/.296/.143/.439
How is Outman “playing himself onto the OKC roster.”?
You touted Heyward and Thompson during the off season. How are they doing?
I’m sorry for doing this to you Bear, I really am. But sometimes I hear some weird things around here.
You are not doing anything to me Eric. The explanation is an easy one. Thompson doesn’t have any options. He is on an MLB contract for very little money. Defensively, he is pretty close to Outman, and he also can play all three outfield positions. His plus is that he is a right-handed hitter. Outman’s two biggest competitors are lefties. Taylor is a swing man. He is going to play SS some of the time backing up Rojas, so he is not really in the full-time outfield mix. Heyward will be on borrowed time for sure, and he might not be having as successful a spring as Outman is, but, he is cheap, the Cubs are paying most of his salary, and he is a good defensive outfielder. Heyward has also hit two homers to Outman’s one.
He also has a huge proponent for him on the team, Freddie Freeman. He was the one who recommended the Dodgers sign Heyward. Outman has options left. Would he be better served playing in a platoon situation with the Dodgers or facing pitchers each and every day from both sides of the plate? I believe the latter. Had he continued to rake like he was in the beginning, he probably would have forced the Dodgers to make a decision between him and Heyward. As it is, Heyward can be added to the roster without cutting anyone when players are put on the 60-day IL at the end of spring, ie: Buehler, Treinen and Reyes. Heyward does have 2 homers in his appearances and he has made some spectacular defensive plays. Although those might not get your attention, they get the attention of the big brass. If any rookie really deserves a shot at the roster and making it, it is Hunter Feduccia, who has no shot.
Buehler and Treinen are already on the 60-day IL, Bear. Feyereisen is also, but for some reason Reyes is not. Also, I don’t see that Lux has been added.
The time frame for adding players to the 60-day is the beginning of Spring Training, not the end, although I have no idea why Reyes and Lux haven’t been added yet.
In any case, there would be two spots available once that’s done, one for Heyward and one for…………………?
Lux and Reyes will be added at the end of spring training no doubt. Hudson might end up on the 15 day IL to start the year.
If Taylor is going to play SS sometimes then wouldn’t an extra outfielder come in handy? It doesn’t matter anyways, keep reading.
Do you really think the powers that be care what Freeman wants?
Outman has hit 2 homers too and do you really think spring training matters that much?
If Thompson and Heyward are being paid very little money then wouldn’t it be easy to release either one? It doesn’t matter anyways because count how many players would be on the roster with all of Taylor, Heyward, Thompson, Outman, Peralta included. It’s 13.
Is somebody else going to make the team as the 13th guy?
Yes, I think the Dodgers have a lot of respect for Freeman. I also think his recommendation meant a lot to them and is a huge reason they signed the guy, he was not on their radar before that. Plus his work ethic since he has been with the team is exemplary. So he is going to get some room before they decide to cut him loose. They need another infielder more than an outfielder. Spring matters to non-roster guys and rookies trying to make the team. For the guy with big contracts or a guaranteed MLB contract, not so much.
Taylor has looked terrible this spring and has not gotten his swing back. But you can bet he is one of the 26-man roster. The outfielders who are making the team, Peralta, Betts, Thompson, Heyward. Outman has an outside shot, but I am pretty sure they would rather have him playing every day instead of once in a while. Taylor is the swing man in the outfield and Rojas’s backup. Barnes and Smith the catchers. It looks like Martinez is going to get some reps in left as well as at DH. Vargas, Rojas Freddie and Max are the full-time infielders. The leaves one opening. If they decide they need a backup infielder, then Yonny Hernandez is at the top of the list. If they decide to keep another outfielder, then it is most likely Outman. But they could also surprise everyone and put a multi-positional player like Luke Williams in that spot.
I have no idea what you’re talking about when you say Outman will only play sometimes. He’s going to play most of the time IF he is platooned because he’ll be playing against RHP and there are WAY more RHP than LHP. Unless you think Thompson, Taylor, Heyward will start instead of Outman. And if you think spring training stats matter then Outman has beat all of them by far.
And what makes you think Outman will be platooned?
.286/.375/.714/1.089 is his stats against LHP if you think spring training stats matter.
The only real argument you have is the Dodgers carrying another infielder. Everything else you’ve said is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Sorry about that but it’s true.
That is your opinion Eric and you are entitled to it. You have your ideas and I have mine. We will see next week when they announce the rosters. As for Outman playing some of the time, even if he is on the team, he is not going to start every game against RHP. Not when you have Heyward and Peralta there. Plus the fact that so far, Thompson has hit righties better than lefties.
Playing every day at AAA is the best thing for him. Remember, he had limited time in AAA. He did well, and that is great. But is he ready? And as this front office has shown over and over the last several years, they prefer veterans over the kids. By the way, I do not do mumbo jumbo. I speak from watching this team for over 65 years, And watching the way AF works.
Here’s another thing you’ve said that doesn’t make sense.
“Thompson plus is that he is a right-handed hitter.”
Yes with reverse splits and that means he hits RHP better than LHP the same as Outman.
Read it again Eric, I said plus the fact that Thompson hits righties better than lefties. That means less chances for Outman to play if they want Thompson in the game. I did not say Thompson plus. Correct grammar would have been Thompson’s plus. Check your reading comprehension skills. Like I said, you have your opinion and that is fine, I have mine. Next Thursday at the latest, we will know who is on the roster unless they decide before noon that day. A lot of the stuff you post makes no sense to some of us either like your disdain for defensive metrics.
Look at Thompson’s career stats. Now you’re adding Luke Williams and Yonny Hernandez to the discussion. Wow that’s a bunch of way below average statistics there.
You AGAIN say you’ve watched this team for over 65 years. What’s the difference between that and my 44 years. I know as much as you, 44 years is more than enough. You remind me of a principle in high school or any school like you’re superior over everyone.
You talk about the Dodgers favoring vets then what about Vargas he’s not a vet.
Did you ignore what I said about all of Taylor, Thompson, Peralta, Heyward, Outman? If all make the team it adds up to 13 position players.
I hear some weird things around here.
We’ll see soon I guess.
I do not feel superior to anyone Eric. I just look at the game differently than you and I explore all of the options. As for Vargas, it is his time. They play rookies when the rookies push themselves into the mix. They did it with Bellinger, and they did it with Seager. If you look at the roster, there is not a whole lot of star power behind the starters. I honestly do not believe that Williams or Hernandez will make the team, but they are options. Hernandez is already on the 40-man roster.
You are an avid fan and I respect that. I understand that Thompson’s career stats are not all that. But, the guy is on a major league contract. He is getting a spot on the roster based on what he did last year. It is his reward for the job he did. Does he have a long leash? Probably not. He could very well get released or traded in the first half of the year. Peralta is going to be the primary left fielder. Betts will be in right. The only real question is who is going to be the primary center fielder. All of the other spots are taken.
Outman, as you have pointed out, has outperformed all of the other candidates. Only one thing makes him different from the others, and that is that he has options left. Roberts has all but assured Heyward of a spot on the team. He is probably the only non-roster player who will be on the team.
You do probably have as much or maybe more baseball knowledge as I. That is cool, but, we evaluate and look at players from much different perspectives.
Because the front office believes in the vets first. They will give Peralta, Heyward, Thompson and Taylor priority over Outman. Roberts has already said Heyward has made the team a couple of weeks ago. They would rather have Outman play every day at okc. Not to mention the 6 strikeouts in his last 10 at bats and no excuses about bad calls.
Exactly
Yes, Peralta, at $6.5 million, is the left fielder. He’ll get some time off now and then of course. Taylor his sub? Yep. That would appear to be the plan.
2000 wins. That would be a record.
Sure hope Thompson gets his average over .100 this week. Would like to see JD hitting his weight by Friday. Mookie looks like he’s starting to hit. Smith will be ready. I think Muncy will be Muncy again. Too much swing and miss but an .800+ OPS.
I still see only one 150 inning pitcher in this rotation. Would like to be wrong about that.
More I watch Peralta the better I feel about LF. Looks like a .270/20/60 rbi guy with a +glove. He’s the starter.
Peralta has never hit 20 HR except once back in 2018 when he was 5 years younger and he is going to be in a platoon.
Pitino just signed a six-year deal. Don’t these guys ever think of retiring?
With who? Did not read that anywhere.
St. Johns
Oh, the basketball coach. I was thinking a pitcher.
Why retire when you (a) love the job and (b) get paid a ton.
Tonight’s Lineup vs Rockies (away) 9:40ET
1PeraltaLF
2Taylor,SS
3HeywardCF
4MartinezDH
5Vargas, M2B
6DuggarRF
7Williams, L3B
8Ward1B
9FreitasC
USA vs Japan in the WBC final tomorrow night. Urias and Barnes headed back to the Dodgers.
Weaksauce lineup tonight. Does anyone deserve to be out there with Mookie
Whether they do or not, they will be there. You get a MLB deal, you are going to be on the roster. Peralta is going to be the main left fielder. Who plays in center field, well, that is anyone’s guess.
They probably wish Taylor had taken the reins.
They probably wish they had not signed him to that ridiculous contract. AF isn’t the Boy Wonder everybody thinks he is.
So, the Dodgers don’t really have the best record in baseball since he took over as President of Baseball Operations?
I never thought he was a Wonder Boy. He’s a man who put his shoes on the same as us. What he is is that he is damn good at what he does, and yes, he makes mistakes. The only way you don’t make mistakes is to not do anything.
I will say this: Since Freidman took over, this is the absolute best the Dodgers have ever been EVER!
You mean AF isn’t perfect. Shame on him! All he’s ever done is put together a team that wins 100 games and is a WS favorite almost every year. Sure wish I was an Angels fan!
LOL. I never said he wasn’t good at what he does. I just don’t get all the god like adoration he gets. He has made his fair share of bad moves and no one says a word. But let him make a good move and that is all you talk about.
I call it the way I see it – I said the CT3 signing was bad at the time, but said he could prove me wrong. He hasn’t.
He makes his share of bad moves. If he didn’t, he would be God. But, if you look at where the Dodgers draft every year you have to know that he makes more good moves than anyone in baseball, and that’s all I ask.
Fair enough. I know it wasn’t AF, but I do recall you being one of the only people that thought the Adrian Gonzales trade was not wise. I did not like that trade either. I was not averse the the Taylor signing at the time, but, I thought $15M/year was way too much. I thought he should have got $8-9M/year.
Yes, I did not like the A-Gon deal. I understand why they did it but still disagree with it.
Agree that CT3 was signed for way too much. I do not get that rationale.
They probably wish more than anything that Bellinger had gotten back to where he was in 2019.
Re leftfield….
Gotta be Peralta plus either Taylor or Trayce. It’s too bad that Busch didn’t get more reps in LF–but the fact that they signed Peralta probably sealed his fate. They also signed Peralta after all but promising Heyward (another lefty bat) a spot on the roster–and maybe there was a promise!
These decisions put the squeeze on both Outman and Busch. The emphasis on grizzled veterans (let’s add JDM too) could backfire. How are Outman and Busch expected to grow if they don’t face ML pitchers? And remember: At 25, Outman and Busch aren’t exactly phenoms.
The Yankees have two prospects, age 21 and 22, battling for the SS job. The Dodgers’ youngest position players is Vargas at 23. There was talk about the Dodgers wanting to “get younger” but even if Outman breaks thru the average age of position players must be older now. The club said goodbye to Justin Turner, but hello to JDM, Peralta, Rojas and Heyward.
The only safe bet for success in the OF is Mookie . I think Peralta is proven but fading–and there are reasons to doubt the others (though certainly Outman deserves his shot). If nobody breaks thru, the pressure to deal for Reynolds will grow.
Busch got some opportunities at the beginning. He was getting a lot of AB’s, But he did not hit well until his last four at bats before he was sent back to the minor league camp. I think they want him to play everyday and he was not going to do that at the major league level. But, you will probably see the guy sometime this year.
Barnes 33
Freeman 33
Taylor 32
Muncy 32
Rojas 34
Peralta 35
Thompson 32
Heyward 33
Martinez 35
That’s a potential Dodgers starting lineup.
On the plus side, Mookie is still just 30!
The likely lineup, of course, would also include Vargas (23) and Smith (27). And maybe Outman (25).
But why isn’t this team younger?
They are in the process of getting there.
Other than Freeman and Betts, all are on short-term deals. Friedman likes to break in a couple of rookies a year… not too many at a time seems smart to me. We know that Stone and Vargas will debut this year. Outman will likely as well. Pepiot is still a rookie and Bobby Miller and Mike Busch will play too. That’s at least 6 rookies, which is a lot!
Just read Pages could be in majors if with another team. He’s on the way . . .
…”They are in the process of getting there.”
The 2024 rotation is anyway. Stone, Miller, May and maybe Pepiot, Grove, Jackson would be young and cheap. On the other hand Kershaw, Buehler, Gonsolin, and Urias could add some age back into the rotation if they return in 2024.
Good point about the contracts.
And the next long-term deal will go to….
Urias? Will Smith?
Ohtani???
The cost for Ohtani is going to be ridiculously high. I do not think they go there. I also firmly believe Urias leaves. Smith is the best candidate for a long term deal. And they are deep in catchers, so they could move him to another spot, like third.
Just curious, I googled up some MLB player age stats for 2022….
We have no clear idea how the Dodgers shake out this year–yet.
But in 2022, Baseball Reference says average age of Dodger batters was 29.6–third oldest, behind the Mets and Yankees.
Even with Vargas and (maybe) Outman in the lineup, the Dodgers may well have the oldest batters this season.
FWIW, the age of Dodger pitchers in 2022 was 28.8, pretty much middle of the pack.
Yet another transition year . . .
Not sure what you mean by that, but if you mean that some rookies will transition onto the team, then yes it is.