Joe Biden mentioned legendary baseball pitcher Satchel Paige during his Veterans Day speech on Thursday, November 11th.
So, who was Satchel Paige and what did Biden say about him in his speech?
What did Biden say about Satchel Paige?
Joe Biden addressed the public on Veterans Day (November 11th) at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The US president mentioned legendary pitcher Satchel Paige while wishing Ambassador Donald Blinken a happy birthday.
As reported by fact-checking website Snopes, Biden intended to describe Satchel as “the great pitcher in the Negro Leagues” but the remarks appear to have come out slight different when the US President made a short pause.
Biden said as per the White House transcript: “And I just want to tell you, I know you’re a little younger than I am, but, you know, I’ve adopted the attitude of the great Negro — at the time, pitcher in the Negro Leagues — went on to become a great pitcher in the pros — in the Major League Baseball after Jackie Robinson. His name was Satchel Paige.”
The full transcript from Biden’s speech is available on White House‘s website.
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Who was Satchel Paige?
Satchel Paige was a baseball pitcher who played in the Negro League Baseball and Major League Baseball.
The pitcher, whose name is Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige, enjoyed a 50-year career and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
As per Baseball Hall, Satchel was born on July 7th, 1906 in Mobile, Ala and he began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in the 1926.
He made his American League debut for the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at the age of 42 and became the first African-American pitcher to pitch in the World Series.
From 1951 to 1953, Satchel played for St. Louis Browns, representing the team in the All-Star Game in 1952 and 1953. He retired after his last professional game in 1966.
What were the Negro Leagues?
The leagues mainly comprised of African-American players but also featured Latin Americans to some extent.
As per the league’s website, the professional body was formed by Chicago American Giants manager Andrew “Rube” Foster.
If you want to find more information about the history and background of the leagues, you do that on the organisation’s website.
You can also visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum which is based in Kansas City.
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