Rob Skead

In the winter of 1936, the manager of the New York Yankees wanted to test a 21-year-old prospect named Joe DiMaggio. He couldn’t think of any better way to see how he held up before a top pitcher than to call upon Leroy ‘Satchel’ Paige. Paige was thought to be the greatest pitcher in the world, but he was excluded from major league baseball because of his race. But he wouldn’t turn down the opportunity for a game. On February 7, 1936, the Dick Bartell All-Stars, a white barnstorming team, met the Satchel Paige All-Stars in an exhibition game.

They went ten innings, with the score deadlocked 1-1, with Paige striking out fourteen major leaguers. Then at his fourth at-bat, DiMaggio bounced a hard ball to the pitcher’s mound. Paige knocked the ball toward the second baseman, who seemed to freeze. DiMaggio got to first base and Bartell, who had singled and then stolen two bases, made it home. DiMaggio was ecstatic to get a hit off of Satchel Paige, and the Yankees scout telegrammed the Yankees:

"DIMAGGIO ALL WE HOPED HE’D BE. HIT SATCH ONE FOR FOUR.”

But Paige was the real star of the game. DiMaggio later said Paige was “the best and fastest pitcher I ever faced.” Casey Stengel, a well-known American Major League Baseball outfielder and one-time manager of both the New York Yankees and New York Mets, agreed, noting "He threw as far from the bat and as close to the plate as anyone I ever saw." Nevertheless, no would sign Paige to the major league because he was black. As the author reports, “Phillies manager Connie Mack stated he’d pay one hundred thousand dollars [over $1.7 million in today’s dollars, at a time when the top paid man in baseball - the commissioner - made less than $50,000 a year] to sign Satchel . . . if only he were white.” [The highest paid player on the Yankees in 1936 was Lou Gehrig, who pulled in $23,000 a year. Most players made under $10,000 a year.]

The story concludes by reporting that twelve years later, and one year after Jackie Robinson broke the color line, Satchel was hired by the St. Louis Browns at 42 years old - the oldest rookie ever.

An Author’s Note at the end of the book gives more facts about DiMaggio and Paige and a selected bibliography.

The multiple award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper uses grainy sepia-toned illustrations to lend a historical feel to the story. The soft focus is surprisingly effective for the action sequences as well, such as when Satchel is sliding toward base, or Joe is kicking the dirt on the field.

Evaluation: The author does an excellent job at telling the story as if you were watching the play-by-play on the television, in a way that will keep even reluctant readers turning the pages as they can’t wait to see what happens next. He also manages subtly to convey a lesson about the recent history of racism in America, the unfairness of Jim Crow, and the love of sports in spite of everything. It’s a great story!… (more)

This moving picture book that tells the story of two baseball greats, Joe Dimaggio and Satchel Paige, as they face off against each other. Paige hopes to prove that African Americans can be successful baseball players in the big leagues. Dimaggio hopes to make it into the big leagues by hitting against the greatest pitcher of the time- Satchel. Skead’s vivid descriptions of the game and Cooper’s impressionistic illustrations will surely catch the interest of baseball lovers young and old. However, Skead also pointedly includes information about the integration of Major League baseball- Paige belonged in the Major Leagues because of his skill, and was denied by virtue of his skin color, and everyone knew it. This is discussed in both the story itself and in a short historical afterword. Skead also includes the respect that Skead and Dimaggio held for each other. Overall, a very strong picture book for reading aloud or somewhat older independent readers. Particularly recommended for those looking to build their collection of books that appeal to boys. Highly recommended.… (more)