Book Description
Never before in paperback: A New York Times Notable Book-the life and times of the first Negro League star inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Some say Satchel Paige was the greatest pitcher ever-and certainly his dazzling record of perhaps as many as 2,000 wins, first in the Negro Leagues and then in the integrated major leagues, ranks as one of the most remarkable athletic feats of the century. He also became famous for the advice he freely offered others, including the now legendary
"Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." Mark Ribowsky gives the best picture yet of life in the Negro Leagues as he brings to life a man whose act as a lovable eccentric with a golden arm masked a decidedly darker side as womanizer, hard drinker, and contract jumper always on the lookout for number one. Sporting News hailed Don't Look Back as "a fine and perceptive biography... that captures the essence of a complicated and terribly significant person."
Customer Reviews:
Excellent bio,seperating myth from stereotype.......2001-03-09
Satchel Paige is an enigmatic figure in american histroy. Mention his name, people inevitably think of the negro leagues,or thta terrible bingo long movie.In fact, Paige was ,in many repects, the first modern ballplayer. He played for a percentage of the gate, would only pitch a couple of innings in these contests,had no compuction about jumping from team to team{or country to country}The minstel show,stephifetchit aura that he calculated with the all too eager white press was, of course, a huge ruse. He was a sometimes bitter man{quite understandably so}He knew, instinctively, that he was the best pitcher in the world{although,curiosly, his peers voted Smokey Joe williams better in a 1950 vote in the Pittsburgh Courrier} He despsed the Jim Crow laws, and what he had to do to get around them. HIs civil rights stands were taken in the 20's 30's and 40's, when such things often meant death. He pitched for what might have been the greatest team of all time{the Pittsburgh crawfords of the early 30's] Dimaggio called him ethe toughest pitcher he ever hit against.All of these nuggets are in this book. Mr. Ribowsky did a fine job here. Paige is a figure who should be celebrated for what he was:an american original,a species often sighted but rarely seen. A wonderful book!
Demi-God.......2000-07-28
After reading this book, I am utterly convinced that Satchel Paige is as much of a baseball legend as a Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth. This book not only entertains but it fascinates, so much that I would'nt be suprised if someone mistook this biography for a peice of baseball folklore or a non fictitious work designed to capture the imaginations of baseball fans. This book portrays the life of Robert Leroy Satchel Paige in a most interesting way. In some cases he stands biggerthan life portrayed as a demi-god in the face of the gods of Major League Baseball and in some cases his mortality is revealed in the very midst of his immortality, and this is what makes this portrayal so unique.
Book Description
“Much of what we know about Satchel Paige . . . is undoubtedly true, some of it is probably apocryphal, all of it contributed to his legend as a ballplayer and one-of-a-kind personality.”
-- From the foreword by Bob Costas
Satchel Paige’s witty quips and savvy observations -- on everything from health to wealth, from race relations to baseball-- are an enduring part of American mythology. At long last, a definitive collection of quotes, stories (from Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, and many others), vintage newspaper articles, photos, and memorabilia celebrates the inimitable magic of Leroy “Satchel” Paige.
Stats
Games: 2,600
Shutouts: 300
Strikeouts: (1 Game) 24
Won: 1,934
Lost: 104
Airplanes: 1
Goats That Ate Birth Certificate 1
Born: July 7, 1901 -- July 7, 1905 -- July 7, 1906 -- July 7, 1909 -- July 7, 1911
Customer Reviews:
Fun and poignant!.......2003-07-17
One cannot help but be moved by this little book of various sayings of and articles about Satchel Paige. Yet this is one of the most delightful reads I have experienced in quite a while. David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut have put together a collection of witicisms and rare articles that will delight the baseball fan and history buff.
Beautifully illustrated with vintage photographs and pictures, this book is a gem. A reader will learn about the spirit of a man who looked Jim Crow in the face and won!
A jewel, just like Satchel.......2001-08-30
Satchel Paige. Just saying the name brings to mind a personality as vibrant and singular as any seen in the world of baseball. This short, effective book presents a glimpse into the truly marvelous wit and wisdom of the pitcher who seemed terminally young, throwing baseballs with purpose and precision into his 60s. A pitcher who once struck out 24 batters in one game. A player many claim was the ultimate master of the pitched ball. A competitor with constant chatter and quips. A man who was relegated to second-class citizenship because he was African-American, yet with whom all the white teams of the 1930s wanted to play against in the barn-storming games because he was such a draw. Take a peak at this book and you'll glean a new insight into the man who became a legend. The authors have captured the essence of Satchel via quotes about and by Paige, lots of photographs, stats, stories, and memorabilia all wrapped in a wildly successful graphic design.
I learned so much from this book!.......2001-06-10
I'm not much of a baseball fan, and Satchel Paige has always just been a name to me, but a friend showed me this book and I couldn't resist reading it. I do like history, philosophy, and stories about people with integrity who overcome obstacles to do what they love and live by their own standards, and Satchel Sez pleased me on all of those levels. For those of you who are as uninformed as I was before I read this book, Leroy "Satchel" Paige started out with a job carrying suitcases at the age of seven and went on to become the greatest pitcher baseball has ever known, with stats that far outshine the records set by white players who were allowed careers in the big leagues. Satchel played in the Negro Leagues for almost his entire career - he spent a few years in the Major Leagues. He was eventually named the oldest rookie when he was in his sixties. "Age is a question of mind over matter," he said. "If you don't mind, it don't matter." The book is colorful, fun, and easy to read, pairing quotes and anecdotes by and about Satchel with lots of photographs of the man himself. Satchel's humor and easy-going nature are captured here, but at the same time the book portrays his grace and dignity, a side of him that has often been overlooked due to racial stereotypes. Satchel has lots of advice to give on everything from baseball to aging to women to stomach trouble. Some examples are: "Slow down, you last longer," "Be satisfied in your own world," and "Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Home plate don't move." He also offers inspiration, such as, "You have to believe in yourself. When you believe, you do." One of my favorite quotes could be applied to the racism he faced: "It's not what you don't know that hurts you. It's what you know that just ain't so." I'm also impressed by Satchel's goodwill. For sure, he trash-talked and was never modest about his genius, but he was generous at the same time. Once he didn't show up to the Negro League equivalent of an All-Star game because the owners of the teams refused to donated all of the proceeds to returning wounded GIs. When he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (Negro League players were supposed to be recognized separately), he said, "There were many Satchels." I am simultaneously impressed, informed, and inspired by Satchel Sez, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Amazon.com
Originally published in 1962, Paige's autobiography is as enticingly full of personality as the fabulous pitcher himself. Paige's career overflowed with legend from beginning to end; the most compelling character to come out of the Negro Leagues, he finally broke into the Majors as a relatively old man in his 40s, and continued to stymie Big League hitters on and off until he could finally sit back and collect Social Security. Paige lived large, casting a giant shadow on and off the diamond as he battled prejudice with a disarming mixture of skill--during the barnstorming era of the '20s and '30s, the white stars of game hated facing him--and an unforgettable wit: "Don't look back," he counselled, "something might be gaining on you." His breezy autobiography is colorful, spirited, conversational, and immodest, but as Satch would be the first to admit, he had very little to be modest about. The literature of the game is more vivid for its presence. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
Satchel Paige was forty-two years old in 1948 when he became the first black pitcher in the American League. Although the oldest rookie around, he was already a legend. For twenty-two years, beginning in 1926, Paige dazzled throngs with his performance in the Negro Baseball Leagues. Then he outlasted everyone by playing professional baseball, in and out of the majors, until 1965. Struggle—against early poverty and racial discrimination—was part of Paige's story. So was fast living and a humorous point of view. His immortal advice was "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."
Customer Reviews:
He'll pitch forever in our hearts........2006-08-15
"Maybe I'll Pitch Forever" was written in the sixties and is in the words of Leroy (Satchel) Paige as told to David Limpman. It isn't his only book as I recall one from many years ago, but surely is the best. It is one of the best baseball books that I have had the honor of reading. Way back in August of 1948 I got to see Satchel pitch and win against the Washington Senators in Washington D.C.. They called him an old man then, however he proved to be very key to the Cleveland Indians winning the world championship in 1948. Had he been allowed in the majors when in his prime no pitcher would have a better major league record. Not even today. Great pitchers from the past like Bob Feller and Dizzy Dean all agree with that. Paige was an iron man and in the Negro Leagues would pitch many a time every game in a season. In exhibition games he struck out and defeated the top white stars in America. The book is a great baseball story that has both humor and a touch of sadness. Satchel Paige rose above racism and endured despite great hardship. He was not perfect by any means, he is quite honest about that, but beautifully talented and eventually a good family man. One wants to believe in a "Field of Dreams" and that "Hall of Famer" Satchel Paige is in the lineup with the other legends of baseball who books are still being written about to this day.
Essential baseball reading.......2004-02-20
Not only a great baseball life but a great American life is revealed in "Maybe I'll Pitch Forever," the story of Satchel Paige, one of baseball's greatest, but not best-known, pitchers.
Paige is often thought of today, like Yogi Berra, as a kind of primitive intelligence capable of spinning lines like "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." As with Yogi, Paige's wit has obscured the magnitude of his achievement as a player. He was, by the acclaim of nearly all who played with him and against him, one of the greatest pitchers of all time, although of course he had but a brief opportunity to show his skills in the Major Leagues.
In fact, the book brings out, not only in Paige's words (he wasn't shy about declaring the peerlessness of his abilities), but in those of many others, that he should have been the first black to break the MLB color barrier, not Jackie Robinson. Why he wasn't is not precisely clear, although his strong independent streak (he was never reluctant to break contracts if it meant more money for him) may have had something to do with it.
All in all, the book offers a vivid view of the nomadic life that Paige and other black players lived in service to their sport. Paige pitched nearly year round, often every day, which of course seems nearly inconceivable to the modern fan, who is grateful when his team's starting pitcher goes seven innings with five days' rest. Paige not only pitched frequently, he did so from the East Coast to the West Coast to Mexico to Cuba. And he did it until he was into his fifties!
David Lipman allows his subject's voice to shine through, a key strength of the book. Satchel's humor, expressed in his own words, helps the reader to understand his surprising lack of bitterness at being denied an opportunity to pitch in the Major Leagues when it is obvious that he would be thought of as one of the best to ever play had he been given the opportunity from a young age.
A fine book, essential to the library of any student of the game.
Poignant description of a shameful period........2001-08-19
One of the better first hand descriptions of the Negro Leagues by one of the all time great pitchers. Satchel Paige describes this shameful period in America's history in his own unique way, with homespun language and a flair for entertainment. Paige expresses the joy of playing baseball and the pain of not being allowed to play in the major leagues until late in his career.
This book will let you experience what it was like to be a member of the Negro Leagues with all the barnstorming, year round playing all over the western hemisphere, the games against the major leaguers, and the love of the game experienced on the backroads of America and the big stadiums of the large cities. These dedicated men paved the way for the intergration of baseball and changed the United States for the better.
If you love baseball, purchase this book and learn more about the history of the game - a history that was obscured by the bright lights of the segragated country and big leagues. You will learn about great players who put it all on the line for the grand old game.
a well-done tribute to one of the best.......1999-05-18
Any baseball buff worth his or her salt has heard of Satchel Paige. This book is a reprint of a book first published in 1962, so all the language is quite dated. Enjoyment of it requires a willingness to understand that 'coloured' and 'Negro' were once acceptable terms for black people without getting bent out of shape.
The co-author to whom the book was told by Mr. Paige did a good job, it seems, in standardizing Mr. Paige's English without losing his unique and very entertaining mode of expression. It is fairly entertaining and Mr. Paige displays a good deal of self-honesty concerning his strengths and weaknesses. There is a lot about how he felt at any given time in his career that gives real insight into himself and his peers.
The reasons you want to read this book are twofold. One, there's a lot of good baseball lore being told here. Two, and more importantly, this man gave his life to the game, showing courage and determination any American can be proud of. With all Mr. Paige missed out on due to the social structure of his time, to listen respectfully to his words now is one way to pay tribute to him.
Average customer rating:
- A "PAGE" in the history of baseball.
- A True Baseball Legend
- The Ransomes hit a homer with this one
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Satchel Paige
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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Similar Items:
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Maybe I'll Pitch Forever
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Satchel Paige: Don't Look Back
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Satchel Paige's America (Alabama Fire Ant)
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Just Like Josh Gibson
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Black Diamond
ASIN: 0689856814 |
Book Description
No one pitched like Leroy "Satchel" Paige. Fans packed the stands to see how many batters he could strike out in one game. He dazzled them with his unique pitching style, and he even gave nicknames to some of his trademark pitches -- there was the "hesitation," his magic slow ball, and the "bee ball," named because it would always "be" where he wanted it to be.
Follow Satch's career through these beautiful illustrations as he begins playing in the semipros and goes on to become the first African American to pitch in a major League World Series, and the first Negro Leaguer to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Customer Reviews:
A "PAGE" in the history of baseball........2007-03-25
I must confess, until Woody Allen and Mia Farrow named their son "Satchel" I knew little with regard to this sports figure with the exception of infrequently shelving in the library, a biography book. When Allen-Farrow's son was born, I then had a number of queries regarding the man. I finally sat down and read about him when I had to read this book for a librarian's program, this being required reading. I remember the days when glass bottles would be returned to the local supermarket "for pennies" and those bottles would be refilled, as it is mentioned.
Also,
"fast talking, + slow walking"
-- (and I was tempted to think)
= begats slow working!
His "attitude" problem, I HAD A PROBLEM with!
The book is fine for anyone interested in baseball and/or the history of baseball.
A True Baseball Legend.......2003-08-30
I really enjoyed reading about Satchel Paige in this story. Here is some information on this terrific book about Satchel Paige. Leroy or, Satchel Paige was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He once pitched three innings for Oakland A's when he was 64 years old, which is a world record. When he was little he grew his strong arm by throwing rocks at chickens. Satchel was sometimes a trouble-maker also. Once he got into trouble the police because he tried to rob a store. When Satchel was older he played in the Negro Leagues. A little later he had arm trouble and became a coach of a team. Then suddenly his came back and he could pitch again. Even though Paige was such a good pitcher he never made it to the majors until he was in his 50's because he was black and blacks weren't aloud to play at the time. Then he met someone who was with the Cleveland Organization and he then singed with the Indians. He retired at age 64 after he pitched for the A's. Lesa Cline-Ransome tells a great life story about Leroy Paige. This book is a great book for kids who like baseball or just for anyone.
The Ransomes hit a homer with this one.......2000-03-25
We thoroughly enjoyed reading Satchel Paige, and feel it is a terrific book for folks of all ages, not just the younger set. Lesa Cline-Ransome truly captures the time period in describing the hardships the league players had to endure for their love of the game.In addition to being a good biography, as well as a reference book, James Ransome's beautiful illustrations put this work in the category of coffee table book, to be on display for those who visit to peruse. It's a perfect combination: a good read, and compelling illustrations!
Product Description
Though Satchel Paige lived into the early 1980s, much of our information about his life and especially his career is the stuff of anecdote. He is nevertheless a central figure--arguably the central figure--in our reconstructions of Negro Leagues history. This collection of papers from the 9th Annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference focuses on the celebrity of Satchel Paige and the team he is most closely associated with, the Kansas City Monarchs. Accounts of Paige's exploits are scrutinized and the effects of his fame, on both the contemporary perception of black baseball and its depiction in the years since, are discussed.
Book Description
Satchel Paige could throw a baseball like no one else. But when he began his career in the 1920s, even the best African American players were kept out of the major leagues. Paige rose to stardom in the Negro Baseball Leagues--and he waited for his chance to play in the "big show." Finally, at an age when most players retire, Paige proved that staying in the game pays off.
David A. Adler and Terry Widener, the award-winning team behind several acclaimed sports biographies, have created a powerful story about a talented athlete who just wouldn't give up. Satchel Paige is an inspired subject for baseball lovers, readers who are interested in African American history, and anyone who has held on to a dream.
Customer Reviews:
A Story to Inspire the Delinquent Tween or Teenage Boy.......2007-10-17
Absolutely PERFECT book to teach your classroom or your children to dream big and to never let anyone hold you back. In the book Satchel steals something as a young boy and gets sent to boarding school. He talks about how he took the opportunity to get his life together and to never be held back again by the bad behaviors that he learned from his childhood. Many young boys often turn to theft drugs or violence when their parents aren't really there for them, but Satchel is a great example of turning your life around. This book is awe-inspiring to the young boy who might desperately need to change his life around.
Customer Reviews:
On the Library Journal's Best Book List of 2005.......2006-02-12
Lots of writers have praised William Price Fox's work: Walt Kelly (the creator of Pogo), John Updike, P.G. Wodehouse, Pauline Kael, and, yes, even Bruce Springsteen (Springsteen's song, "Darlington County", was based on Fox's book, Dixiana Moon), Richard Yates, Michael Murphy (Golf in the Kingdom), and then some.
And now the Library Journal (the number one publication for Libraries in America) has ranked Satchel Paige's America as one of the top 25 books to read in 2005.
Hopefully more and more people will take notice of his great work once again. For those who have never been introduced to Fox's work, I highly recommend reading his collection of Short Stories: SOUTHERN FRIED. (Shel Silverstein wrote the music for a play based on this work of fiction.)
Myth or Journalism?.......2005-12-05
This rather unflattering portrait of a self-indulgent and motor-mouthed Satchel Paige adds little new to either the Paige legend or the history of the baseball era he represented. It also raises some serious questions about the author's journalistic approach. Why does Paige--so lucid in memory on all other matters--boast of facing Mickey Mantle during the 1948 pennant race (Mantle was a rookie in 1951), clinching the tight pennant race by defeating the Yankees (Cleveland won in a playoff with Boston), or facing manager Casey Stengel that year (when Stengel didn't arrive on the Yankee bench until 1949)? If Paige is simply forgetful or chooses to purposely distort historical facts, was doesn't the author/interviewer point this out in a footnote, or perhaps in his postscript? And how could Paige's several days of detailed and colorful ramblings be here reported in such word-for-word detail and in Paige's supposed own words if the author/interviewer made no tape recordings (something Fox claims in the postscript)? One leaves this book wondering how much in its pages is actually Satchel and how much is a fictional character dreamed up by Bill Fox?
The treatment of this supposed 1970 in-depth interview with Paige is also quite repetitious in spots (much of the Postscript is a reprise of Chapter 1) and thus the treatment seemingly lends itself far more to the original intended magazine piece and not to a full-length book. There is also little here (despite the book's misleading title) that captures the flavor of America during the 1930s and 40s eras in which Paige played.
There are far better portraits available of Satchel Paige, especially those written by Negro leagues historian John Holway.
Satchel Paige's America - Evaluation of Product & Service.......2005-09-02
Theb book was interesting and informative. I enjoyed it very much.
The price was reasonable and the service was timely and satisfactory.
WELL WRITTEN AND ENJOYABLE.......2005-07-18
As already noted, this work is the results of a seven day or so interview of the great Satchel Paige by the author in 1970. It is far more than simply a book of "baseball war stories." The interview clearly illuminates the personality of one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived (beyond a doubt the best pitcher). There was much more here, to this man than just a great arm. The author captures Paige's somewhat erratic personality. The man, Paige, was certainly a character and much more that a simple "jock." On the other hand, reading between the lines, there is a whimsical sadness ever present. As you read, you cannot help but wonder what might have been had the times been different. You get the feeling that Paige knew, ergo, the sadness. Recommend this one for any baseball fan or those simply interested in or countries history, warts and all.
Average customer rating:
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Satchel Paige (Impact Biographies Series)
Kathryn Long Humphrey
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding
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ASIN: 053110513X |
Customer Reviews:
sactchel paige.......2005-02-11
The book Satchel Paige was a really good book.I would like to recamend it to alot of my friends.The reason why i would recamend this book is because it taught me alot about the history of black athletes.Satchel Paige played baseball for 25 years and was the oldest baseball player to play the game.This book taught me about how hard black athletes had it.they had to face racism every day and still managed to be at the top of there game. That is the reason whythis was a great book.
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