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Have you ever heard the story of Satchel Paige striking out 17 yo Willie Mays on 3 pitches
Posted on 7/15/25 at 7:21 pm
Posted on 7/15/25 at 7:21 pm
quote:
Willie Mays describing when as a 17-year-old, he faced the 6’ 4”” Satchel Paige for the first time:
“It was 1948. Satchel had a very, very good fastball... but he threw me a little breaking ball, just to see what I could do, and I hit it off the top of the fence. I got a double. When I got to second, Satchel told the third baseman, 'Let me know when that little boy comes back up.' Three innings later, I go to kneel down in the on-deck circle, and I hear the third baseman say, 'There he is.' Satch looked at the third baseman, and then he looked at me.I walk halfway to home plate and he says, 'Little boy.' I say, 'Yes, sir?' because Satch was much older than I am, so I was trying to show respect. He walked halfway to home plate and said, 'Little boy, I'm not going to trick you. I'm going to throw you three fastballs and you're going to go sit down' and I'm saying in my mind, 'I DOOON'T THINK SOOO.' If he threw me three of the same pitch, I'm going to hit it somewhere. He threw me two fastballs and I just swung...I swung right through it.. and the third ball he threw, and I tell people this all the time, he threw the ball and as he let go he said, 'Go sit down.' This is while the ball was in the air. Yes, he struck me out with three pitches. He was just magnificent."

Posted on 7/15/25 at 7:50 pm to L.A.
The Whammer in The Natural is a take on this tale
Posted on 7/15/25 at 7:55 pm to L.A.
Satchel Paige would have been 42 in 1948. He pitched his last game in 1965 at 59. That guy was just built different.
Posted on 7/15/25 at 8:37 pm to terd ferguson
quote:
That guy was just built different.
Cy Young won 511 games.
For reference, Max Scherzer has 217.
ETA: He also lost 315 games.
This post was edited on 7/15/25 at 8:42 pm
Posted on 7/15/25 at 8:41 pm to terd ferguson
quote:
Satchel Paige would have been 42 in 1948. He pitched his last game in 1965 at 59. That guy was just built different.
You can pull a few others in that category.
Nolan Ryan
Cal Ripken Jr
Just beyond natural
Posted on 7/15/25 at 8:48 pm to L.A.
Satch pitched long enough, in enough leagues, to where he probably struck out anyone worth striking out during his time
Posted on 7/16/25 at 7:15 am to terd ferguson
Man did not know he was supposed to retire at 42....much Iess be an all star at 46 in the early 50's
Posted on 7/16/25 at 9:32 am to L.A.
Two Alabama baws.
I remember reading a biography on Satchel in elementary school
I remember reading a biography on Satchel in elementary school
Posted on 7/16/25 at 9:39 am to L.A.
Mobile, AL producing Hank Aaron, Satchel Paige, Willie McCovey, Ozzie Smith, and Billy Williams is still crazy to me.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 9:51 am to _Hurricane_
Mays was playing against semi-pro players when he was 12. He could throw a football 70 yards as a 15-year-old. He was also an outstanding point guard. He is arguably the greatest athlete ever to come out of the state of Alabama.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 11:01 am to West Seattle Dude
Willie's Dad played semi-pro baseball into his 40s
Posted on 7/16/25 at 11:35 am to L.A.
Another cool Paige story that's pretty similar...
In the Negro League world series in 1942 he walked two batters to face Josh Gibson (newly anointed home run leader depending on who you ask) with the bases loaded. Gibson had previously taunted Paige that one day he was going to face Paige with the bases loaded and he was going to crank it over the left field wall. Paige remembered that and said "Hey Josh, here we are, the bases filled." "I remember Satch." After taunting Gibson about where he was going to throw the ball, Paige struck him out... in three pitches. Josh came out to the mound after the strikeout and shook his hand.
In the Negro League world series in 1942 he walked two batters to face Josh Gibson (newly anointed home run leader depending on who you ask) with the bases loaded. Gibson had previously taunted Paige that one day he was going to face Paige with the bases loaded and he was going to crank it over the left field wall. Paige remembered that and said "Hey Josh, here we are, the bases filled." "I remember Satch." After taunting Gibson about where he was going to throw the ball, Paige struck him out... in three pitches. Josh came out to the mound after the strikeout and shook his hand.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 11:41 am to West Seattle Dude
quote:
He is arguably the greatest athlete ever to come out of the state of Alabama.
Which is saying a lot. Bo Jackson, Hank Aaron, Paige, Mays, Jamarcus Russell (not counting pros obvi), Charles Barkley, etc.
Feels silly to have such a short list considering the amount of badasses that have come from Alabama.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 12:54 pm to Honest Tune
quote:
Which is saying a lot. Bo Jackson, Hank Aaron, Paige, Mays, Jamarcus Russell (not counting pros obvi), Charles Barkley, etc.
One of these is not like the other.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 1:26 pm to West Seattle Dude
Mays was a hellacious football player. It’s why he loved contact on the bases. Defensive backs who tried to take him on one-on-one when he got on the corner on a sweep lived to regret it.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 2:14 pm to InkStainedWretch
Mays hit 660 HR at a height of 5-10 and a weight of 175-180, and missed a lot of games due to his military obligation. Check out his large hands. Sonny Liston type hands.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 2:17 pm to West Seattle Dude
Aaron wasn't much bigger, 5'11", 180ish.
Posted on 7/16/25 at 4:41 pm to West Seattle Dude
quote:
Mays hit 660 HR at a height of 5-10 and a weight of 175-180, and missed a lot of games due to his military obligation. Check out his large hands. Sonny Liston type hands.
Mays was absolutely jacked. An impressive physique even by today's standards, but doubly so when you realize he was raised during the depression (and didn't have access to type of pre and post-natal care that people today receive) and probably wouldn't have worked out beyond basic calisthenics and cardio exercises.
Gehrig was another one. In 1936 Gehrig screen-tested for a role as Tarzan. Part of the reason he didn't get it was because they thought his legs were too thick and it'd be distracting to the audience. Impressive stuff considering the time period. Give guys like Mays and Gehrig access to today's nutrition, supplements and training techniques and the sky would be the limit.

Posted on 7/16/25 at 5:10 pm to FightinTigersDammit
Aaron was a strong 5-11, 180-pounder. When he had the infamous midair fight with Rico Carty he threw a punch at Rico that missed but put a ginormous dent in the door to the overhead storage bin. They weren't messing around.
This post was edited on 7/16/25 at 5:11 pm
Posted on 7/16/25 at 5:11 pm to IggyReilly
Damn, Mays had a set of shoulders ...
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