Satchel Paige Enters the Hall of Fame

On February 9, 1971, Satchel Paige became the first player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame primarily on the strength of his career in the Negro Leagues. A special committee had been formed the previous year to consider Negro Leagues players, who had been barred from organized white baseball for most of Paige's playing days.

Paige pitched for more than two decades in the Negro Leagues before Major League Baseball integrated, then joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at an age reported as 42, becoming the oldest rookie in major league history. He continued pitching in the majors into his late forties and made a brief, celebrated appearance for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965 at age 59.

Paige's induction opened the door for other Negro Leagues stars to be recognized by the Hall in the years that followed.