This is a non-fiction book about one of Baseball’s best players. Satchel Paige played during a time of racial segregation in our nation’s favorite pastime. Satchel overcame a difficult childhood to become famous among black fans. Satchel Paige was overlooked by mainstream media and ‘regular’ fans. At one point when Satchel’s Negro League team played a white team, Satchel proved that he was the best by having all the other players sit down and he threw straight strike outs, until the other team apologized for their disbelief and racial remarks.

“You got to understand,” said Connie Johnson, a pitcher in the Negro Leagues and later in the major leagues. “He was like Babe Ruth to us, but he was our Babe Ruth.”

When teams were integrated, in 1947, Satchel was 40 years old and determined to continue playing. Satchel played baseball until retirement at age 59 saying he liked keeping busy and didn’t want to rust. A truly inspiring player, Satchel was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

“Don’t Look back,” he often said. “Something might be gaining on you.”

Our whole family enjoyed the colorful illustrations, and excellent history of Satchel’s amazing career. We are baseball lovers in our home, and as baseball season gets underway, we wanted to pay tribute to this great baseball player who played an integral part in the history of our nation’s top past time. If you have t-ballers or rookies, and even older players, they will enjoy getting a little history lesson disguised as a great story about a great player. I highly recommend this story!