Satchel Paige : biography
Sources:Van Hyning, pp. 74, 241, 247, 254, 255.
The above venues aggregate a total of 232 victories and 89 losses, for a winning percentage of .723.
Major League Baseball
Minor League Baseball
Notes
Post-playing career
After the 1957 season, Paige went to the Mexican state of Durango to appear in a United Artists movie, The Wonderful Country, starring Robert Mitchum and Julie London. Paige played Sgt. Tobe Sutton, a hard-bitten Union army cavalry sergeant of a segregated black unit. He was paid $10,000 to be in it, and the movie became the pride of his life. Late in 1960, Paige began collaborating with writer David Lipman on his autobiography, which was published by Doubleday in April 1962, and ran to three printings.
In 1968, Paige assumed the position of deputy sheriff in Kansas City, with the understanding that he need not bother to actually come to work in the sheriff’s office. The purpose of the charade was to set up Paige with political credentials. Soon after, he was running for a Missouri state assembly seat with the support of the local Democratic club against incumbent Representative Leon Jordan. Candidate Paige never gave a speech, and was never taken seriously. Jordan defeated Paige by the margin of 1,870 votes to 382 (83%–17%).Missouri State Manual, 1969–1970, p. 1340
In August 1968, the owner of the Atlanta Braves, William Bartholomay, signed Paige to a contract running through the 1969 season as a pitching coach/pitcher, although it was mainly done so that Paige could gain service time to receive a major league pension. Paige did most of his coaching from his living room in Kansas City, but he did pitch in at least one pre-season exhibition game in April 1969, striking out Don Drysdale.
Personal life
On October 26, 1934, Paige married his longtime sweetheart Janet Howard. After a few years they separated and she had him served with divorce papers while he was walking onto the field during a game at Wrigley Field. At his court date, on August 4, 1943, Paige’s divorce was finalized with him paying a one time payment of $1,500 plus $300 for attorney’s fees to Janet.
In 1946 or 1947, Paige married his longtime girlfriend Lahoma Brown.At least three dates are reported for the marriage. Paige’s autobiography says it took place on October 12, 1947, Paige’s gravestone lists March 5, 1946, and Lahoma, in sworn testimony, said that it occurred on October 13, 1947. See Tye 2009, pp. 219–220. Paige and Lahoma had seven children together; Lahoma also had a daughter from an earlier marriage.Tye 2009, pp. 162, 222–223.
