This Week in Baseball History: 2/7 – 2/13
This week in baseball history featured the induction of the first black player into the Hall of Fame and a signing that would change a franchise.
February 9, 1971
On this date, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Although he only played in Major League Baseball for six seasons, Paige cemented his legacy in the years prior to his debut in MLB.
At the age of 20, Satchel Paige began his career in Birmingham, Alabama with the Birmingham Black Barons as part of the Negro National League. In his three seasons with the Black Barons, he pitched his way to a 25-11 record. From 1930 to 1947, Paige would play for nine different teams in three leagues, the Negro National League, the Independent Negro League and the Negro American League.
When Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Paige was spending time with Robinson’s former team, the Kansas City Monarchs. As the major league owners discovered the talent that could be found in the Negro Leagues, Paige was one of the first players to make his big break. In fact, when looking for possible Negro League players, Dodgers GM Branch Rickey considered Satchel Paige, but he decided to sign Jackie Robinson instead. On July 7, 1948, Satchel Paige was signed by the Cleveland Indians, owned by Bill Veeck. Upon his signing, Paige became the oldest player ever to make his debut. He was 41 years old.
Satchel Paige was renowned in the Negro Leagues for his ability to place his fastball exactly where he wanted it. Another Hall of Famer and Negro League alum Cool Papa Bell exclaimed, “He could throw the ball right by your knees all day.” In his 16 seasons with the Negro League, Paige accumulated a record of 100-50 with an unknown ERA. On top of his regular season starts, Paige also threw hundreds of innings a year in various barnstorming trips and independent leagues.
His time in Major League Baseball was spent with three teams, the Cleveland Indians, the St. Louis Browns and the Kansas City Athletics. His first season was a rousing success. In his premiere season, Paige appeared in 21 games and compiled a 6-1 record with an ERA of 2.48 and two shutouts. As he spent more time in the league, it became apparent that his spot was in the bullpen and in 1952, Paige finished 35 games, a league high. After two All-Star seasons, Paige was demoted to a AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics.
Following stints in the Pacific Coast League and the minor league system of the St. Louis Cardinals, Satchel Paige returned to the Major Leagues for a final appearance with the Kansas City Athletics. Paige’s final appearance in uniform came when he was 59 years old. On average, he was 37 years older than his teammates and opponents.
As one of the first black players in Major League Baseball, Satchel Paige left a trail for fellow Negro League superstars to make their way to Major League Baseball and make a legacy of their own.
"“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Satchel Paige"
February 10, 1984
On this date, the New York Mets signed All-Star first baseman Keith Hernandez to a five-year contract. This signing came after months of discussions between Hernandez and the organization. Hernandez was traded to the Mets from the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle of the 1983 season. In his 95 games with the Mets in the 1983 season, Hernandez batted .306 with 37 RBIs. After seeing his success with the team, the Mets were eager to re-sign him.
In his time with the Mets, Keith batted .297 with 468 total RBIs. Success in Queens came quickly for Hernandez. In his first three seasons in Flushing, Hernandez batted .309 with 268 walks. Along with his stupendous numbers at the plate, Hernandez had a fielding percentage of .996 in his first three seasons. In those three seasons, Hernandez made just 17 errors on over 4,000 fielding chances.
In 1986, Keith Hernandez realized he made the right decision by signing with the Mets. That October, the Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox in the World Series for the Mets’ second title in their history. In the Series, Hernandez batted .231 with four RBIs and five walks. In the season following their World Series victory, Hernandez was named the first captain in franchise history.
Keith Hernandez would remain with the team for three more seasons following their World Series victory. In his time with the Mets, Hernandez made his mark in the record books. He ranks second in all-time batting average, ninth in RBIs and owns the title of highest OBP in franchise history at .347.
Following his time with the Mets, Hernandez played one season with the Cleveland Indians and retired promptly after the 1990 season. Hernandez and the Mets had a reunion in 1999 when he signed on as an assistant for the club in Spring Training and broadcasting.
In 2005, he agreed to come on as a full-time broadcaster with the team. Along with Gary Cohen and Ron Darling, Hernandez provides color commentary for Mets fans on their network, SNY. Keith is best known for going on tangents about stories that don’t relate in any way to the game at hand, and shaming or praising players for their “good fundies” or “bad fundies.”
Next: 5 Reasons Cubs Will Break Curse
Recently, the Mets agreed to terms with Keith Hernandez to remain in the booth for seasons to come. This came as a relief to Mets fans everywhere, as the prospect of watching a game on SNY without Keith’s voice was too harsh a reality to comprehend.