How long did satchel paige play baseball

Throughout the s and '30s, Paige made a national name for himself pitching both for barnstorming baseball teams and established Negro Leagues clubs, including the Chattanooga Black Lookouts and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

By the late s, Paige's arm was suffering from the strain of over a decade of year-round pitching. Owner of the Kansas City Monarchs , J. Nonetheless, Paige was among the first handful of black baseball players accepted into the white major leagues and the oldest major league rookie ever. That year, Paige proved his credentials by helping the Indians win the pennant. He played for the Indians and then the St. Louis Browns until , after which he played in the minor leagues as his career wound down.

In the latter years of his career, Satchel Paige made one more contribution to Kansas City's baseball history. On September 25, , Charles O. Finley, the eccentric owner of the Kansas City Athletics major league team, hired Paige to pitch one game for the Athletics. Not content with his appearance to be remembered as a mere novelty, Paige struck out seven players from the Boston Red Sox. At the age of 59, he could still compete at the highest levels of the sport.

In , Paige finally retired from baseball and made his home in Kansas City. In he became the first black player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. On June 8, , Paige suffered a heart attack and passed away in his Kansas City home. This article has been adapted from an article published at KChistory. You are here Articles » Biographies. Satchel Paige. Jason Roe. Despite his incredible longevity, Paige rarely addressed the issue of his age, often quoting Mark Twain : "Age is a question of mind over matter.

If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. The legendary pitcher died of a heart attack in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 8, , less than a month before his 76th birthday. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives.

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball after joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in Baseball legend Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's hallowed mark of home runs and finished his career with numerous big league records. Baseball icon Babe Ruth set numerous records as a pitcher and slugging outfielder. He was among the first five players inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan established records with his 5, strikeouts and seven no-hitters during his year Major League Baseball career. One of the greatest baseball players in history, Willie Mays thrilled fans over a year big league career with his powerful bat and astonishing defensive skills. Branch Rickey was a baseball executive known for his groundbreaking decision to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues, thereby breaking the color barrier.

Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente became the first Latin American player to collect 3, career hits before his death in a plane crash. Jewish American baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax was a star player for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers before elbow arthritis forced him into early retirement. A trailblazing player in the Negro Leagues, baseball pitcher Satchel Paige also became the oldest rookie in Major League history and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Olivia Rodrigo —.