Paige, Leroy

Paige, (Leroy Robert) “Satchel” (1906–82) baseball pitcher; born in Mobile, Ala. One of the game's greatest pitchers, he was for many years a star in baseball's black leagues before appearing in the major leagues with the Cleveland Indians in 1948. As a right-hander for the Kansas City Monarchs and other Negro League clubs, he relied on near perfect control and guile for his legendary success; it has been unofficially estimated that he appeared in some 2,500 Negro League games and pitched perhaps 300 shutouts, including 55 no-hitters. Famous for his colorful "Rules For Staying Young" (which included "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."), he was instrumental in breaking major league baseball's color barrier. In 1971 he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.