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Baseball Legend Satchel Paige’s Review of Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle
One of the former biggest stars in sports had some interesting thoughts about his most famous contemporaries
Few figures, if any, in baseball history saw more than pitcher Satchel Paige. In an extraordinary career that stretched for decades, he wowed crowds and dominated teams in a display that has never been seen since. The Hall-of-Famer can aptly be described as a legend, and his opinion on anything or anyone related to baseball should be considered carefully. After his playing days ended, he spoke about fellowCooperstown royalty, outfielders Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle, and gave his opinion of them as players.
Paige’s Negro League exploits were expansive and practically unbelievable. He pitched in literally thousands of games, mixing league games with numerous barnstorming appearances. Stats are incomplete, but he long had a reputation for his simultaneously powerful and crafty pitching ability.
Unfortunately, segregation kept him out of Major League Baseball until 1948 when he was already 41 and had a quarter century of extreme wear on his arm. However, he still appeared in parts of six seasons, going 28–31 with a 3.29 ERA. His final appearance came in 1965 with the Kansas City Athletics when he was…
