Posted on Apr 1, 2023
Why Satchel Paige might be the most significant figure in Wichita's baseball history
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Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
...""By that point in his life, Paige understood his role as a celebrity," Kentling said. "Part of the deal was he was going to stand for a lot of pictures. He was going to sign autographs. Because he wasn't Satchel Paige, the great right-handed picture anymore. He was Satchel Paige, the celebrity. But he adapted to that very, very well and embraced it.
"I cannot tell you how many kids who had never seen Satchel Paige play wanted his autograph."
Paige died in 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri, where he had spent many years playing with the Monarchs of the Negro League.
Kentling said Paige's contributions to baseball in Wichita transcend any other player.
"It's incalculable what this one man meant to the city of Wichita, " Kentling said. "And when you tie his legacy to Dumont, I would argue that they are the two most influential people in the history of baseball, not just in Wichita, but I would say Kansas.
"And the fact that the universe put them together for one summer, and that here we are 50 years later talking about it, answers your question about the influence that he had."
...""By that point in his life, Paige understood his role as a celebrity," Kentling said. "Part of the deal was he was going to stand for a lot of pictures. He was going to sign autographs. Because he wasn't Satchel Paige, the great right-handed picture anymore. He was Satchel Paige, the celebrity. But he adapted to that very, very well and embraced it.
"I cannot tell you how many kids who had never seen Satchel Paige play wanted his autograph."
Paige died in 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri, where he had spent many years playing with the Monarchs of the Negro League.
Kentling said Paige's contributions to baseball in Wichita transcend any other player.
"It's incalculable what this one man meant to the city of Wichita, " Kentling said. "And when you tie his legacy to Dumont, I would argue that they are the two most influential people in the history of baseball, not just in Wichita, but I would say Kansas.
"And the fact that the universe put them together for one summer, and that here we are 50 years later talking about it, answers your question about the influence that he had."
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