Satchel Paige made either the Hall of Fame or the "annex" depending on how you look at it but he made a lot more history than that.
He showed up on time!
For him that wasn't only a milestone it was a miracle.
Satchel Paige for the benefit of those who are not of his generation used to have to push himself to get to the ballpark by the eighth inning sometimes There were other times he never got there at all But anytime he did and he'd go out to that mound to pitch mister you were watching one of the real great ones of all time.
Satch pushed himself a little Tuesday morning.
Monte Irvin who works in the commissioner's office called for him about 9:30 to make sure he'd be on time for an 11:30 news conference at which the 65-year-old Paige was to be honored as the " first player to receive Hall of Fame recognition for achievements in the Negro baseball leagues Satch had been singled out for the distinction by a special committee.
"This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me" said Paige genuinely overwhelmed to Irvin.
Ray Dandridge who used to play for the Newark Eagles in the Negro National League accompanied Satchel and his wife Lahoma to the place where the announcement was to be made and one of the first to greet Paige was Larry Doby a teammate of his with the Cleveland Indians in the late '40's and now a batting coach with the Montreal Expos.
"Congratulations" Doby said.
"Thanks" Satch replied "Do you think they'll remember me?"
Paige and his wife were led to another room from where the conference was to be held Shortly thereafter Bowie Kuhn the commissioner announced why the news conference had been called and then unveiled a huge picture of Satch pitching in a St" Louis Browns' uniform.
That was supposed to be the signal for Paige to enter the room but you guessed it -- no Satchel.
Kuhn allowed an interval to pass and when Paige still failed to make an entrance he said:
"Satchel and Mrs Paige are with us and I would ask them to come forward now."
Another moment or so went by and then Paige and his attractive wife entered to the spontaneous applause of those media people already in the room Looking more -- like 55 than 65 Paige moved easily to a microphone set up for him and then came the questions.
How did he feel about the fact he'd be in a "special" section of the Hall of Fame instead of in the main section?
"I'm proud to be wherever they could put' me in the Hall of Fame" Paige answered.
How important a part did Bill Veeck play in his career when the Cleveland owner brought him to the big leagues in 1948 at the age of 42?
"Bill Veeck is very important in my career" Satch said "He gave me my chance in the big leagues."
What about his famous "tryout" with the Indians the one with the chewing gum wrapper?
"Well Lou Boudreau was the manager and he said he had heard of me throwing on a chewing gum wrapper" said Paige who has had to tell the story hundreds of times before "He wanted to see if I could do it you know throw the ball over the wrapper I think I did it four outta five times."
Later somebody wanted to know about the first time Paige had faced Willie Mays Willie's recollection the other day was that it was in Birmingham that he was 15 or 16 years old that he doubled his first time up and that Satch hit him on the arm with a pitch his second time at the plate.
"I thought it was in Memphis and he flied out to right field" Paige said "I don't ever remember hitting a man do you?"
They asked Paige who he thought were the best hitters he ever said and he said Josh Gibson Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams and then they asked him if he wasn't bitter over the fact it took him so long to reach the majors.
"No" he said "I had a world of my own I was leaving a lotta fun We was making money out there and we had some nice leagues out there drawing some nice people When the major leagues signed Jackie Robinson I figured he was the man to take They wanted a man with a college education."
