On July 7, 1906, the greatest pitcher ever to play professional baseball was born. No it wasn’t Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, or even Sandy Koufax. They were all great, but the greatest pitcher ever to play professional baseball was named Leroy “Satchel” Paige. The great Joe DiMaggio once called Satchel Paige “the best and fastest pitcher I’ve ever faced.”
Page was not only a great pitcher but a consummate showman. More than once he’d call in his outfielders to the infield and then single-handedly strike out the other side. During a Negro League World Series game in 1942, when he intentionally walked two batters so that he could face power hitter Josh Gibson with the bases loaded. Gibson was the Babe Ruth of the Negro leagues. Gibson was the only man in history (that includes MLB players) to hit a home run clear out of the…
