Flagstaff Films recently released a rare video of Satchel Paige warming up in the infield during the 1953 All-Star Game. During this clip, Paige made two throws by the flick of his wrist, opening a brief window into his hallmark control and flair for the dramatic.
Earl Hunsinger was Paige's teammate with the Miami Marlins in 1956 and 1957. He explained how Paige would routinely make no-look throws during infield practice as his way of staying loose.
"A lot of times he'd show up early at the ballpark during batting practice," Hunsinger said via telephone in 2009 from his Alabama home. "He'd go out and take ground balls and he was a pretty good infielder. He used to take balls and throw to first without looking. That was his way of getting in shape."
During the course of a six-month season, players are apt fool around with trick plays to break the monotony of pre-game practice, but rarely would one dare to improvise during a Major League game. Ol' Satch however, marched to a different drummer as his St. Louis Browns teammate Jim Dyck noted.
"We brought Satch in relief to pitch to one hitter, like with the bases loaded with two outs, and we had to get the hitter out or they were either going to tie or win the game." Dyck told Gene Fehler in "When Baseball Was Still King."
"The guy hit a one-hopper right back to Satch. He fielded the ball, and he never even glanced towards first. He threw it under his left arm and he threw a perfect strike to the first baseman."
Paige, ever the showman, added to the drama by walking off the field as his throw was en route to first base. While his antics certainly captured the crowd's attention, he also grabbed that of his manager Rogers Hornsby. The curmudgeonly Hall of Famer immediately let Satchel know he wasn't happy.
"When he threw the ball, he turned and started walking to the dugout, never looked to see where it went, and of course he threw it right, a perfect throw, without looking," Dyck recalled. "I followed him from third base into the dugout. Hornsby was on the top step and he said, 'That just cost you five hundred dollars. You ever do that again and I'll see that you never play for me again.'"
Most players would have exchanged heated words with their manager over such a significant fine; however, Paige defied convention. Without breaking stride, he continued down his path and let out one of his signature lines.
"Satch never even slowed down," Dyck said. "He just walked on by, and I walked up the runway behind him, and I could hear Satch saying, 'That crazy old man, what'd he think, they's going to move first base? It's been there ever since I've played.'"
Seeing Satchel makes for a better day. 1953 AS game, Crosley Field, pre-game. Not sure why he's at 1st base, but that's Satchel. (from the Flagstaff Films baseball home movie archive) pic.twitter.com/i1703eB2c1— Flagstaff Films (@Flagstafffilms) October 30, 2018
Earl Hunsinger was Paige's teammate with the Miami Marlins in 1956 and 1957. He explained how Paige would routinely make no-look throws during infield practice as his way of staying loose.
"A lot of times he'd show up early at the ballpark during batting practice," Hunsinger said via telephone in 2009 from his Alabama home. "He'd go out and take ground balls and he was a pretty good infielder. He used to take balls and throw to first without looking. That was his way of getting in shape."
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| Satchel Paige / Topps |
During the course of a six-month season, players are apt fool around with trick plays to break the monotony of pre-game practice, but rarely would one dare to improvise during a Major League game. Ol' Satch however, marched to a different drummer as his St. Louis Browns teammate Jim Dyck noted.
"We brought Satch in relief to pitch to one hitter, like with the bases loaded with two outs, and we had to get the hitter out or they were either going to tie or win the game." Dyck told Gene Fehler in "When Baseball Was Still King."
"The guy hit a one-hopper right back to Satch. He fielded the ball, and he never even glanced towards first. He threw it under his left arm and he threw a perfect strike to the first baseman."
Paige, ever the showman, added to the drama by walking off the field as his throw was en route to first base. While his antics certainly captured the crowd's attention, he also grabbed that of his manager Rogers Hornsby. The curmudgeonly Hall of Famer immediately let Satchel know he wasn't happy.
"When he threw the ball, he turned and started walking to the dugout, never looked to see where it went, and of course he threw it right, a perfect throw, without looking," Dyck recalled. "I followed him from third base into the dugout. Hornsby was on the top step and he said, 'That just cost you five hundred dollars. You ever do that again and I'll see that you never play for me again.'"
Most players would have exchanged heated words with their manager over such a significant fine; however, Paige defied convention. Without breaking stride, he continued down his path and let out one of his signature lines.
"Satch never even slowed down," Dyck said. "He just walked on by, and I walked up the runway behind him, and I could hear Satch saying, 'That crazy old man, what'd he think, they's going to move first base? It's been there ever since I've played.'"