Leroy Paige was born July 7, 1906, in Mobile, Alabama. "Satchel,” the 7th of 11 children of John and Lula Paige, began pitching on the sandlots as a young boy. His early years in pro baseball were with the Negro leagues; at the age of 42, "Satch" became the oldest rookie in the major leagues. It is estimated that between 1922 and 1963 he pitched in more than 2,500 games and won 9 out of every 10 he pitched. In 1948 he became the first black to pitch in a World Series game. He died in Kansas City on June 8, 1982.