Ruth versus Paige

[Gregory Pratt]

In pitching man, Satchel Paige says he regrets he never pitched to Ruth.
Bill Jenkinson says, if I recall correctly, in his book that Paige did and had someone go get the ball because Ruth hit it so far.

Which is true?

[EdTarbusz]

I wouldn't take Paige's word on this, or on just about anything.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I don't think they faced off many times but in at least one game, Ruth and Page did face off. I do not know how many at bats in that game but there was one eye witness account of one of those at bats. I'm not out to say Ruth could handle Page or the other way around.

But in at least one at bat, this eye witness account, not word for word but what did take place.

One at bat, Babe hit what the witness described as a long home run off of page. The game was held up for some minutes and a young boy was sent out to retrieve the ball. Page asked Babe to sign the ball and then the game continued.

The witness was the great black player Buck O'Neil and this interview was aired on a few specials, most notable ken Burns special "Baseball." I would think this to be a reliable source, not a "hand me down story."

Buck O'Neil a great guy, read anything you can on this guy, he knows the game. A humble forgiving man, holds no grudge against MLB for denying him his chance to play MLB. I'm sure deep down inside hurting but never showed any hard feelings.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

In pitching man, Satchel Paige says he regrets he never pitched to Ruth.
Bill Jenkinson says, if I recall correctly, in his book that Paige did and had someone go get the ball because Ruth hit it so far.

Which is true?

It's possible but not likely that Page could forget ever pitching to Ruth. Wonder what his age was when asked.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Posted by: blackout805

Taken from a Buck O'neil PBS interview:

Q-Is there one moment in all of baseball you wish you could have seen?

"I wish I could have been there when Babe Ruth pointed and hit the ball out of the ballpark in the 1932 World Series. I wish I could have seen that. But I did see something I admired just about as much, with Satchel Paige and Babe Ruth. This was in Chicago, after Ruth came out of the major leagues. He was barnstorming, playing with different teams, and he played us. Satchel was pitching and Ruth was hitting. Satchel threw Ruth the ball and Ruth hit the ball, must have been 500 feet, off of Satchel. Satchel looked at Ruth all the way around the bases and when Ruth got to home plate, you know who shook his hand? Satchel Paige shook Ruth's hand at home plate.
They stopped the game and waited, he and Satchel talking, until the kid went out, got the ball, brought it back and Satchel had Babe Ruth autograph that ball for him. That was some kind of moment."

[Blackout]

yeah i was just about to say that it was a story started by Buck O'neil

could be made up for attention, could be real. who knows.

certainly Ruth played with lots of black players at some point

[Sultan_1895-1948]

yeah i was just about to say that it was a story started by Buck O'neil

could be made up for attention, could be real. who knows.

certainly Ruth played with lots of black players at some point

If there were any agenda regarding a made up story, wouldn't you think Buck would say that Paige struck Ruth out?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

If there were any agenda regarding a made up story, wouldn't you think Buck would say that Paige struck Ruth out?

Is there a date attached to this story?

[Blackout]

late Ruth yankee years i believe

[Me. Paige15]

So... My grandmother and grandfather have both passed. I don't know what made me look up my uncle. But one thing I will tell you guys as being his great great great great great, ok I don't know exactly how many greats, nephew, he did in fact strike out babe Ruth on a private field. Ruth did in fact knock one of his pitches out so far that the kid had hard time finding it. He did in fact give Ruth that famous Paige glare. And he did in fact pay his respect. What I didn't like about this rivalry was that Ruth's people coulndt accept that he had been struck out by a negro so they hid it.... this truth would have made Ruth look bad. So they hid it. .....but not from my family. They were hiding and saw it. I am from mobile Alabama and my name is Samuel Steven Paige iii. And I throw just like him. I wish to play, I'm only 34 ask my high school coach Reggie Miller of Mary g Montgomery high.

[Me. Paige15]

I wouldn't take Paige's word on this, or on just about anything.

Being on the outside looking in.. I wouldn't either. But him and I share the same blood. If you don't speak properly, people won't think you know what you're talking about.i shared his his relaxed syntax, and saw the same ridicule. He was ol school southern. Meaning he didn't have access to good education like the whites did. it wasn't his fault that he didn't know how to speak "properly" just like it wasn't mines. Now that the whites aren't and cannot hold ALL of the knowledge for themselves ... Just trying to clear things up is all.

[Me. Paige15]

If anyone had said that Ruth was struck out by a negro in those days Ruths worth would have taken a big dive. That's why there " is no proof" that he struck him out. That's how racist they were back then.

[Me. Paige15]

You know what , I would like to meet one of Ruth's descendants. One that can hit just like him. lets meet in mobile at Paige's field and repeat history. I can hit like Ruth and pitch like Paige, I float like a butterfly and sting like a hornet. I have that famous Paige arm...

[SHOELESSJOE3]

If anyone had said that Ruth was struck out by a negro in those days Ruths worth would have taken a big dive. That's why there " is no proof" that he struck him out. That's how racist they were back then.

Please can we get off the skin color. I doubt very much that a newspaper would be hesitant to say that Babe was struck out by Paige.
Now you made the statement knowing you have no proof.

Ruth's worth would have taken a dive, because he was struck out by one of the greatest black pitchers...............come on

[SHOELESSJOE3]

For the record this long ago Babe was promoting speaking out, on black players. What they could add to the game.
He was limited to just speaking about it. No way were owners or MLB going to allow black players in the game back then.

Terrible mistake because of skin color took so long, 1947.
The history of the game would have been so enriched with black players in the game in the early years.
babe in praise of black players.JPG