In-Depth Anatomy of Satchel Paige Road to Success (Essay Example)
“Age is a case of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it don't matter” (Paige). First African American pitcher, Leroy Satchel Paige, to play in the Major leagues in 1948 wrote that quote. The quote expresses how age is just a way people view you from their minds. The ones who don't believe that age has a part in your success, achieve more as an individual. This quote specifically goes out to all the young boys and girls who have goals in their life, that age doesn't define you, your work ethic does. While in the United States in the 1920s when racism was still active, Satchel Paige had a great desire to play baseball for the Major Leagues, however could not due to the color of his skin. We have come a long way since then, Major Leagues are now filled with different races and the unity between all humans has grown stronger than ever. Leroy Satchel Paige, one of twelve siblings, was raised in a low-income family who soon became the world's first African American pitcher in the MLB. Satchel Paige, the man who broke the color line, and hopes to have many colored individuals play in the Major Leagues and leave behind a legacy.
Satchel Leroy Paige, an influential baseball player, earned his place in history by establishing the mindset of gaining control in tasks to benefit his future, and who achieved his place in the Major Leagues. Satchel Paige, America's first Major League pitcher who had come from a low-income family, has had many rocky mountains in his journey to be placed in the Major Leagues. One of the bigger challenges was the constant thought of making it to the end and never giving up. Satchel was asked what kept him going all these years? From the biography “Satchel Paige” published in 2011, his response was, ‘“You're born with speed, see but you can get the control. We had a lot of players when I came up who could throw the ball hard, way harder than I could, as far as that's concerned, but they couldn't gain control. It's such a thing as I practiced all the time; I just practiced control. Anything you practice you begin to come good at, regardless of what it is, whether it's baseball or not¨ (Satchel Paige). This speech uplifted his viewers, informing them that practicing all these years had allowed him to learn that gaining control is much more important than just simply practicing. He expresses the idea of control because regardless the practice hours will pay off for an athlete. Everyone is born with speed, but to be better than your opponents, gaining that speed and momentum will help you in other ways than just practicing. Furthermore, the act of racism was still in action and had made it harder for Satchel to achieve his goal. His dream as a youngin was to be in the Major League and take home a trophy. He didn't do it for fame or money, but more so for the experience and wanted to take his childhood passion into reality. Due to the wide discrimination “the racist policy of baseball, Paige had to wait until he was forty-two years old, in 1948, to become the first African American to pitch in the big leagues”( Satchel Paige). Hence the racist policy, this had blocked Paige from entering the Major Leagues till 1948. As a result of his skill and potential, he was admitted as the first African American to pitch in the big leagues after several years of playing in the Negro Leagues with other stars like Jackie Robinson. Both of them went into the Major Leagues as the first African American and first African American pitcher.
While Satchel Paige had a rough start in his career, he has gone to be one of the first few baseball players to be accepted into the Major Leagues, and along with him Jackie Robinson were both produced by the Negro Leagues, which have gone to produce many all-star players. Satchel Paige and Jackie Robison, both early members of the Negro Leagues who soon went onto the Major Leagues have set an example for the upcoming athletes. Satchel left the Negro Leagues and joined the Major Leagues in 1948 due to the unwritten rule against black players. Satchel was soon able to join the Major Leagues due to the Brooklyn Dodgers. From the text “Negro Leagues” published in 2020, the text states, “Although they eventually fell by the wayside after the integration of the major leagues in the 1940s… While Robinson’s historic moment was a major step forward for African American baseball players, it also spelled the beginning of the end for the Negro Leagues”(Negro Leagues). The major shift into where the colored were allowed in the Major Leagues had an incredible impact on the black community and changed the lives of one another. Paige became a legend during the Negro Leagues and was soon invited to join the Major Leagues by Brooklyn Dodgers, general manager of Branch Ricky, who reached out to Jackie Robinson with his batting skills, then shortly after reached out to Paige about his amazing pitching skills. Soon after taking into consideration that he could benefit that team as well, Jackie Robison was taken in first then shortly after Paige was taken into consideration and officially joined the League in 1948. Lastly, Satchel, being an African American baseball player, had hardships when getting to the national league. When the Negro Leagueswere formed in 1920, Paige shortly joined the league in 1926. Satchel was honored for his skills while playing in school and was noted for having many pitching skills that could benefit the team. As the Negro Leagues got more popular, “their existence, the Negro Leagues produced many notable players. Some of these included such baseball legends as Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson” (Negro Leagues). The Negro Leagueswere the founders of many talented players including Satchel Paige, Wille Mays, and Jackie Robinson. This group of players has played a fundamental role in the development when it comes to professional baseball in the United States. Satchel Paige was recognized for his incredible pitching kills and brought the Negro Leagues to a higher degree when it comes to professional baseball.
Overall, Leroy Satchel Paige, the first African American to be a pitcher for the MLB, went from a low-come family of Mobile AL into a man who broke the color line and allowed colored individuals to be able to play in the major leagues. Satchel had established the mindset of gaining control in tasks to benefit his future, allowing him to obtain his strength while playing what he loves most. Satchel had a great desire to play for the major leagues however could not due to the color of his skin. He couldn't play until 1948 because of the unwritten rule against colored people joining the big leagues. Along with Satchel, famous baseball player Jackie Robinson also got accepted into the major leagues, and with them together have revealed the potential different races are brought into the sport of baseball. Going back to the beginning, Satchel used his time when he had a large audience to teach them to have control over everything they do. Over his time of being a professional baseball player, he has encountered many players who were as good as him, or even better. However, he never had the mindset of being a failure, he'd always tell his fans, “If a man can beat you, walk him"(Paige).
Works Cited
"Satchel Paige." UXL Biographies, UXL, 2011. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2108101754/SUIC?u=deka56893&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=6a76b79c. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.
"Satchel Paige." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1602000778/SUIC?u=deka56893&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=6d8e3b8e. Accessed 17 Feb. 2022
"Negro Leagues." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/GFXVHB437033008/SUIC?u=deka56893&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=92b3f4cb. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.
