Atlanta Braves: 50 years ago today, Satchel Paige became a Brave
Many don’t realize that arguably the most well-known Negro League player played for the Atlanta Braves. In fact, it happened 50 years ago today, and it may have been the most important team he played for.
Many know the name Satchel Paige. The fun-loving, outspoken pitcher played for years in the Negro Leagues before breaking plenty of barriers for African-American pitchers, the first pitcher to have pitched in the Negro Leagues to pitch in the World Series. Then 42 years after he pitched in his first professional game for the Chattanooga Black Lookouts in 1926, he signed with the Atlanta Braves in 1968.
For a player who broke through many racial barriers, 1968 was a tough year. In April, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. In June, civil rights leader Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated while on the campaign trail, running for President. Heck, even someone involved in human rights activism her whole life, Helen Keller, passed away that June. A player with Paige’s roots could have chosen nearly any other team than the one located in the heart of the “deep South”, but the Atlanta Braves it was.
Why was Paige’s Atlanta Braves time so important to him?
Don’t try to find Paige’s career ERA as a Brave. You won’t find it. While he was an active player for 50 days in 1968, he did not appear in a single game. Why was this?
More from Braves News
- Braves News: Braves 2023 rotation speculation, Correa deal on hold, more
- Atlanta Braves: Current Left Field Mix
- Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 11-15
- Braves News: Braves sign Luplow, Atlanta’s shortstop plans, more
- Atlanta Braves Could Go With Six-Man Rotation in 2023
First of all, Satchel Paige was 62 years old! That’s when one should be considering Social Security, not another go in the major leagues. Then again, this was Satchel, who broke into the major leagues at 42 years old.
The big reason that the Braves signed Satchel Paige to a contract was that Satchel had 158 days left of active playing time to qualify for a major league pension. He could serve that active time as a player or coach. When the 1968 season finished, and Paige was ~110 days short, he signed on to be a coach with the 1969 Atlanta Braves.
Simpson has a rough week in the booth. dark. Next
While he made the World Series with Cleveland and was an All-Star twice with the St. Louis Browns, the Atlanta Braves were quite possibly the most important team that Satchel Paige played for in his MLB career.