Why is Satchel Paige such a fascinating character?
Satch, like Louis Armstrong and Joe Louis, is one of the black heroes of Jim Crow America. All told, more whites paid to sit in stands to watch Paige’s brilliance than any black artist of the age – probably more than Joe Louis and Louis Armstrong combined. Like the movie character Stepin Fetchit, whom Paige consciously imitated, Satchel turned himself into a caricature – because that’s what white people expected and that’s where the money was. White folks paid to see a shuffling clown. And to a degree that’s what Satch gave them. But he also gave them brilliant pitching. The real Paige, though, was one of the most cerebral and calculating athletes in American history. Satch was a renaissance guy, who could play a variety of musical instruments, dance and sing like a Mills brother, take gorgeous photographs, study birds, fix any car engine – and do riotously funny impressions of people. His imitation of a ranting Huey Long was said to be hilarious. All of which is impressive because Sat
