Editing Satchel Paige (section)

==Pitching style==
The spectacle of watching Paige pitch was made all the more entertaining by the expansive pitching repertoire he developed over the years. In his early years, Paige was known as a pure fastball pitcher. He experimented with releasing pitches from a variety of arm angles in that time, something he would build upon later as he added more pitches to the mix.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tye|first=Larry|title=Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend|publisher=Random House|year=2009|pages=41}}</ref> In 1933, while he was playing integrated baseball in [[Bismarck, North Dakota]], ''[[The Bismarck Tribune]]'' reported that Paige used "a tricky delayed delivery with great effectiveness," something that would later become known as Paige's famous "hesitation pitch".<ref>''Bismarck Tribune'', August 15, 1933</ref>
<blockquote>The idea came to me in a game, when the guy at bat was all tighted up waiting for my fast ball. I knew he'd swing as soon as I just barely moved. So when I stretched, I paused just a little longer with my arms above my head. Then I threw my left foot forward but I didn't come around with my arm right away. I put that foot of mine down, stopping for a second, before the ball left my hand. When my foot hit the ground that boy started swinging, so by the time I came around with the whip he was way off stride and couldn't get anywhere near the ball. I had me a strikeout.</blockquote>
In 1934, before a barnstorming match-up, [[Dizzy Dean]] was heard on the radio saying that "Satchel Paige has no clue how to throw a curve." In actuality, Paige had been practicing and perfecting his curveball in secret for many years. When Dean came up to bat, Satchel Paige struck him out with nothing but curveballs—officially adding the pitch to his repertoire. Paige could throw a variety of curveballs at different speeds and arm angles.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tye|first=Larry|title=Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend|publisher=Random House|year=2009|pages=93}}</ref>

In late 1939, after Paige had recovered from the severe arm injury that jeopardized his career, he re-designed his pitching repertoire to take better care of his arm. He still had an exceptional fastball but he did away with his fast curve, deciding to only throw slow curves from that point forward. He learned to throw a knuckleball from [[Cool Papa Bell]], a pitch which he reportedly perfected in regards to its movement, but could not always fully control. He also added a "slow sinker" and used his hesitation pitch more frequently. Along with these additions to his repertoire, Paige made greater use of his sidearm and submarine releases, which both made him a more deceptive pitcher and lessened the strain on his pitching arm.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tye|first=Larry|title=Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend|publisher=Random House|year=2009|pages=146–149}}</ref>
As Paige got older, he had to rely more and more on his offspeed pitches. By the time he finally got to play in the major leagues, he threw a seemingly endless variety of pitches, all of which moved. He was especially known for his tailing fastball, slow curve, hesitation pitch, a fantastic change-up, and a highly effective [[eephus pitch]]. He had unique trick pitches with unique names. Besides calling his fast ball "Long Tom," he possessed trick pitches with names such as the "Whipsy-Dipsy-Do," the "Midnight Creeper," and "the Wobbly Ball."<ref>{{cite web |title="Whipsy-Dipsy-Do" Ball {{!}} A Game Divided {{!}} Who's Playing {{!}} Explore {{!}} Baseball Americana {{!}} Exhibitions at the Library of Congress {{!}} Library of Congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/baseball-americana/about-this-exhibition/whos-playing/a-game-divided/whipsy-dipsy-do-ball/#:~:text=Satchel%20Paige%20was%20no%20ordinary,ball%20and%20a%20bat%20dodger. |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA |access-date=29 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=10 Things You May Not Know About Satchel Paige |url=https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-satchel-paige |website=HISTORY |access-date=29 May 2024 |language=en |date=31 May 2023}}</ref>  He reportedly could deceive batters by throwing fastballs with a curveball wrist action, and vice versa.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Boswell|first=Thomas|date=1982|title=Satchel Paige: 'Best I Ever Saw' – Veeck|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1982/06/09/satchel-paige-best-i-ever-saw-veeck/9defc334-99b6-4e66-af7f-4d214c1066e9/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Tye|first=Larry|title=Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend|publisher=Random House|year=2009|pages=222–230}}</ref> Pitching this way allowed Paige to be a highly effective pitcher, even into his fifties.