A review by jdscott50
Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye
5.0
Some of my first books were juvenile sports biographies. When my class would go to the school library, I would pour over the section and read about Franco Harris and Jim Brown (no I am not that old, but the
library was small.) I think my favorite was reading about Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception. These stories are very white-washed of controversy. As in the Harris case, it has been claimed that his reception was illegal, but the referee was not about to tell a screaming capacity crowd of Pittsburgh Steeler fans that they lost the game on his ruling with only half a dozen security guards.
Much of what I have learned about Satchel Paige is in the same regard. It focused on his legendary pitching skills, his sayings, his personality, and his age, but never covered race. This biography of Paige tells the whole story. It also cuts through a great deal of mythology on the pitcher, finding his real age, his first start in Negro baseball, his rotator cuff injury that almost finished his career, and most shockingly, even though baseball was integrated, the Cleveland Indians ball club did not want him on the team and penalized him for problems that were more the fault of Jim Crow than his.
Integration in baseball, like Civil Rights, was not welcome, and those in the league tried to find other methods to push these new players out. Even though many played in the Negro Leagues for so long, it was no guarantee that they would stay in the majors. It is also further shocking that many of these players, when their playing days were over, went to menial jobs like janitors, and were left in poverty and forgotten from history. In fact, it was only Satchel Paige's personality and his timeless arm that prevented the same for him. His stint in the majors was relatively shortlived when compared to his decades playing
baseball. I think that another mythology from the book was his speed. Others in the league were faster, but he was smarter, more accurate, and honed those skills more carefully than others realized. Many
weren't merely blown away, although early on most were, but were outsmarted.
Overall, this is a great biography on Satchel Paige, one of the best I've ever read. It isn't just about Sachel, but cuts through the mythology surrounding him, so we can truly appreciate the amazing man he was, without question.
library was small.) I think my favorite was reading about Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception. These stories are very white-washed of controversy. As in the Harris case, it has been claimed that his reception was illegal, but the referee was not about to tell a screaming capacity crowd of Pittsburgh Steeler fans that they lost the game on his ruling with only half a dozen security guards.
Much of what I have learned about Satchel Paige is in the same regard. It focused on his legendary pitching skills, his sayings, his personality, and his age, but never covered race. This biography of Paige tells the whole story. It also cuts through a great deal of mythology on the pitcher, finding his real age, his first start in Negro baseball, his rotator cuff injury that almost finished his career, and most shockingly, even though baseball was integrated, the Cleveland Indians ball club did not want him on the team and penalized him for problems that were more the fault of Jim Crow than his.
Integration in baseball, like Civil Rights, was not welcome, and those in the league tried to find other methods to push these new players out. Even though many played in the Negro Leagues for so long, it was no guarantee that they would stay in the majors. It is also further shocking that many of these players, when their playing days were over, went to menial jobs like janitors, and were left in poverty and forgotten from history. In fact, it was only Satchel Paige's personality and his timeless arm that prevented the same for him. His stint in the majors was relatively shortlived when compared to his decades playing
baseball. I think that another mythology from the book was his speed. Others in the league were faster, but he was smarter, more accurate, and honed those skills more carefully than others realized. Many
weren't merely blown away, although early on most were, but were outsmarted.
Overall, this is a great biography on Satchel Paige, one of the best I've ever read. It isn't just about Sachel, but cuts through the mythology surrounding him, so we can truly appreciate the amazing man he was, without question.