On the same Paige

I appreciated Sunday’s book review about Satchel Paige (6/28, A+E, “The great pitchman”). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has a wonderful artwork that is a tribute to Paige called “Mound Magician” by Radcliffe Bailey, a contemporary African-American artist.
 
I urge anyone who comes to see the Shuttlecocks (also featured Sunday, in Kansas City Star Magazine), to wander into the Bloch Building and spend a few minutes with Bailey’s large, diamond-shaped work (next to the horse made of sticks and mud). It is an experience adults, teenagers and children can all enjoy. Besides, it’s free and cool.

 Cynthia Kunz
 Overland Park

Comments

[JoCo]

The memorials to Satch NOW are manifold, some due to the tireless efforts of onetime Monarch teammate, the uninducted Buck O'Neal.

Buck's tireless enthusiasm for baseball in general and the Negro Leagues specifically, is legendary now in KC as well as the U.S. and the world. Though Satch was the FIRST African-American inducted into the HOF in 1971 based on MLB accomplishments in the early '50's, Buck was overlooked after leading a campaign for former Negro League inductions. He died, even before Cooperstown decided to honor him with a statue.

But back to Satchel Paige. He was from Mobile, Alabama, home also of Willie Mays and Willie Wilson. His career and silver-tongue are well documented now, but when he died from emphysema complications in the June heat of 1982, he was living in an unairconditioned house approaching his 76th birthday. Regrettably, he may have fared better if the times were fairer. Who knows?

I got to see Satch in his last pro performance in 1965 for the KC A's. In the summer he turned 59 he took the mound for Charlie Finley's team and, featuring his famous "2-hump blooper pitch", went 3 innings against the Bosox, giving up a lone double to Yaz.

Satch is buried at Forest Hill Cemetary at Gregory/Troost. One Memorial Day, my in-laws were decorating graves there and I turned around to see Satchel's monument on a solo island behind me. I think I looked back maybe because he was gainin' on me!