July 7, 2005

The first star of the Negro leagues to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Leroy "Satchel" Paige, was born on this date in 1906. When he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948, at the age of 42, Paige was the first African-American pitcher in the American League. A year earlier, Jackie Robinson had joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier in baseball's major leagues. In his 2,500 games, Paige pitched more than 50 no-hitters. He pitched in the major leagues for six seasons.