Quote:
Originally Posted by rico43
FYI, a longstanding query of mine was answered, so I'd thought I'd share. I found in a 2010 opinion piece in the AJC, that when Satchel Paige was "activated" by the Braves in 1968 to qualify for his pension, he was awarded No. 65 by owner Bill Bartholomay. No roster I've ever seen for the Braves includes Paige. He did pitch, in an exhibition gakelllllllllll
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It wasn't at all uncommon, in those days, for teams to carry an old timer, here and there, so they could qualify for their major league pension. They didn't have to be activated as players--activating in any team capacity was sufficient. For example, that's the only reason Sibi Sisti was hanging around the Pilots late in 1969. It was strictly about qualifying for the pension. Sisti coached even less than Satchel pitched.
Officially, Satch was signed in August 1968 as a "trainer" (though they referred to him at the signing, as a "pitcher/coach/trainer"). The number "65" given him was an allusion to the retirement age. For the most part, he was a good will ambassador, talking to fans and signing autographs. And he was a calming presence when MLK was killed.
But Satch, even at 62,
wanted to pitch. The team wouldn't allow it. Satch's eyesight was disappearing by the day and they were afraid he wouldn't see a line drive comebacker. Nonetheless, Satch pitched an exhibition game at the end of September. He got six outs on 12 pitches, retiring Hank Aaron along the way.
The time for qualifying for a pension was shortened that off-season so Satch had qualified before the '69 season began. Nonetheless, he stayed with the club through the year and pitched in more exhibition games. Pitching for Atlanta against Richmond (their AAA franchise), Paige got the victory on April 3. The next day, he pitched another inning in relief. On June 5, he pitched again in a Braves v. Richmond contest that ended 8-7 in favor of the varsity. It was the first time in any of the exhibitions Satchel was charged with a run, but he also notched two strikeouts in his one inning of work.