Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3777

 120 STAT. 3746

CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—DEC. 6, 2006

LEROY ‘‘SATCHEL’’ PAIGE, POSTHUMOUS PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM AWARD— SUPPORT

Dec. 6, 2006 [S. Con. Res. 91]

Whereas Satchel Paige, who was born on July 7, 1906, in Mobile, Alabama, lived a life that was marked by his outstanding contributions to the game of baseball; Whereas Satchel Paige was a dominating pitcher whose baseball career spanned several decades, from 1927 to 1965; Whereas Satchel Paige played in the Negro Leagues and became famous for his unusual pitching style and his ability to strike out almost any player he faced; Whereas Satchel Paige pitched 62 consecutive scoreless innings in 1933; Whereas due to the practice of segregation in baseball, Satchel Paige was prohibited for many years from playing baseball at the major league level; Whereas Satchel Paige played for many Negro League teams, including— (1) the Chattanooga Black Lookouts; (2) the Birmingham Black Barons; (3) the Nashville Elite Giants; (4) the Mobile Tigers; (5) the Pittsburgh Crawfords; and (6) the Kansas City Monarchs; Whereas while pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs, Satchel Paige won 4 consecutive league pennants from 1939 to 1942, and later won a 5th pennant in 1946 with that team; Whereas after the desegregation of baseball, Satchel Paige signed a contract to pitch for the Cleveland Indians at age 42, and soon thereafter became the oldest rookie ever to play baseball at the major league level; Whereas the extraordinary pitching of Satchel Paige helped the Cleveland Indians complete a championship season in 1948, as the team won the American League Championship and the World Series; Whereas Satchel Paige threw an estimated 300 career shutouts; Whereas in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame; Whereas the legendary pitching of Satchel Paige earned him numerous awards and accolades, including— (1) a nomination to the All Century Team by Major League Baseball as 1 of the greatest players of the 20th century; and (2) a selection to the 50 Legends of Baseball by the Postal Service; Whereas despite years of discrimination that limited the play of Satchel Paige to the Negro Leagues, his prowess on the pitching mound earned him the respect and admiration of fans and players throughout the world of baseball; Whereas Satchel Paige passed away on June 8, 1982; and Whereas the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, was established in 1945 to recognize citizens of the United States who have made exceptional contributions to—

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