Lisa Chanana

"Satchel Paige had heard Dizzy Dean being interviewed on the radio before a barnstorming game, arguing that Satch had no clue how to throw a curve ball. The truth was that Satchel had been quietly perfecting that pitch and others to go along with his trademark fastball. When Ol' Diz Dean came up to bat that afternoon, Satchel yelled: "Hear say you’re goin’ around tellin’ people I ain’t got no curve…... Well, then, you tell me what this is." Satchel threw three curves, with Dizzy swinging at air each time. "How’s that," Satchel screeched. "For a guy who ain’t got a curve ball?” "Satchel" Larry Tye. "A bunch of the fellows get in a barber session the other day and they start to arguefy about the best pitcher they ever seen. Some says Lefty Grove and Lefty Gomez and Walter Johnson and old Pete Alexander and Dazzy Vance. And they mention Lonnie Warneke and Van Mungo and Carl Hubbell, and Johnny Corriden tells us about Matty and he sure must of been great and some of the boys even say old Diz' is the best they ever see. But I see all them fellows, but Matty and Johnson and I know who's the best pitcher I ever see and it's old Satchel Paige, that big, lanky colored boy. Say, Ol' Diz' is pretty fast back in 1933 and 1934, and you know my fastball looks like a change of pace alongside that little pistol bullet Satchel shoots up to the plate. And I really know something about it, because for four, five years, I tour around at the end of the season with All-Star teams and I see plenty of old Satch. He sure is a pistol. It's too bad those colored boys don't play in the big leagues, because they sure got some great players. Anyways, that skinny old Satchel Paige with those long arms is my idea of the pitcher with the greatest stuff I ever did see." Dizzy Dean. "Diz and Satch" "We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball." Art by Kadir Nelson.