Black History Month: Baseball
Satchel
Leroy "Satchel" Paige played in the Negro Professional Leagues starting when he was 16. He was the pitcher who put a tin can on wooden fence, walked back to pitching distance, and then threw a baseball and knocked the can off the fence. "Just to show I could do it."
While touring across the country with a Negro League team, Satchel had the infielders sit down behind him. Then he proceeded to strike-out the other team.
The color line was broken in Major League Baseball in 1947 when Jackie Robinson was signed by the Dodgers.
In 1948 when he was 42 Satchel was allowed to pitch in the American League for the Cleveland Indians. The oldest player to ever play in their first game in the MLB.
In his MLB career Paige won 118 games and lost 80 with Earned Run Average (ERA) 2.70 innings pitched 1695.0 and strikeouts 1438. Close to one strikeout per inning. After his career he retired at age 59. These days players retire because age at 35-39 Satchel retired at age 59. Foolish rules robbed fans of seeing the best years of Satchel Paige pitching.
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"Joe DiMaggio and Bob Feller both said that Paige was the best they ever saw. Hack Wilson said that the ball looked like a marble when it crossed the plate. Dizzy Dean said that Paige's fastball made his own look like a change-up."
America's Pastime is a Joke
When a baseball player begins to loose his sight he changes occupations and becomes an umpire.
They have most of the baseball games at night because the bats sleep in the day.
“Why do we sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ when we’re already there?”
When a baseball player begins to loose his sight he changes occupations and becomes an umpire.
They have most of the baseball games at night because the bats sleep in the day.
“Why do we sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ when we’re already there?”
Justina Ford, Denver's Baby Doctor
When Justina and John Ford moved to Denver in 1902, Justina, who had graduated from medical school in Illinois, was not allowed to join the Colorado Medical Association or practice in a hospital because of racial discrimination.She was a woman and she was black. So, she set up a practice and office in her home at
2026 Arapahoe Street. She was the first African American woman physician in Denver, For patience's she accepted anyone who needed medical help regardless of ability to pay. She delivered nearly 7,000 babies in her 50 year career. .
Near our home in a suburb of Denver, a new elementary school is named Justina Ford Elementary.