Friends Come to Bury Satchel Andpraise
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Friends come to bury Satchel and praise him Old teammates and young players honor Hall of Fame pitcher - "You have to cry Satchel today. dbnt for Church. "It is indelibly etched in the hearts driveway at the Watkins Brothers Memorial-Brus- h He flew higher than most people fly. He took . and minds of his family and millions of Greek Ciiapel as the hearse and funer- a few of us along with him for afew.mo-'ment- s. Americans. al procession made its exit to Forest Hill. He was always between Cloud "There are monuments to this man all "One of Satch's golden rules was, 'Don't Nines." across America. In Omaha it's Bob Gibson. look back . something might be gaining on OTCeS, Buck former Li California it's Reggie Jackson. In New you," said A- - Ray Smith, a longtime friend Negro League teammate York it's George Foster. And in Kansas City and the owner of the Triple-- A Louisville Red-bird- s. ByRickGosselin - tit's (Amos) Otis, (Frank) White and (Vida) "Last Monday afternoon he looked ', Blue, UPIspprtswriter to name a few. Every ballplayer whose back and something-wa- s gaining on him feet have ever touched or will ever touch the God and be took this great legend with - KANSAS CITY, Mo. - They buried the diamond of a major league stadium owes a him." body but not the legend of baseball Hall of debt of gratitude to Satchel Paige." The six pallbearers were family members Fame pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige Satur- Not until he was 42 years of age, one year and immediate friends and the 13 honorary day. ' after Jackie Robinson had broken baseball's ' pallbearers ware former Negro League col- :-- Family, friends and dignitaries from both color barrier, did Paige finally get a chance leagues, including former teammates Slow the baseball and political worlds turned out ;' to pitch in the major, leagues for the Cleve- Robinson, Hilton Smith, Connie Johnson, to pay homage to Paige, who weaved pbilos-.oph- y land Indians. He shut out the Chicago White Jimmy Lefty LaMarque, Allen Bryant, Jesse as eloquently as he weaved his way Sox in his debut and went on to post a 6--1 re- Williams, Doc Horn, Thurman Lacy and through batting orders during his two de- cord and also pitch two-thir- ds of an inning Buck O'Neilof the Kansas City Monarchs. cades as the dominant pitchervin the Negro that year in World Seriescompetition. "Satch is gone but he'll never be forgot- League. Although he finished his big league career ten," said Monte Irvin, a former Negro Paige, 75, suffered a fatal heart attack at with a modest 28-3- 1 record, Paige was elect- League colleague and now an assistant to bis home Tuesday and was buried four days ed to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. But it baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. "Joe 'later on an island in the middle of Forest Hill wasn't until one week ago mat he was finally Louis, Duke Ellington, Jesse Owens, Satchel WITotoptxrto ..Cemetary. honored by his hometown of Kansas City Paige. once you've seen him, you'll never memory man, this Bearing the body of legendary Negro League pitcher . : ."The of this giant, can't when the city dedicated a youth baseball forget him." . Satchel Paige, a hearse .' and will not be locked up in some dark parkin his name. .'.'-- . "He was more than a legend in His own leaves the funeral home after services. The Kansas City Blue Jays, a youth . grave," eulogized the Rev. Emanuel Cleaver. , One of the teams in that youth league, D-M-o. team, - - the time," said Sen. Thomas F. Eagleton; baseball stands as honor guard beside the procession. The Hall of .& the 'St. 'James- Pasco- United Methodist Blue'Jays,'fdrmed an honor guard along the' "He wasalegehdfor alltimes." Fame pitcher died at his home Tuesday. 4 i A r.