Satchel Paige's America (Alabama Fire Ant)
In 1970, on a magazine assignment, Fox spent a week with baseball Hall-of-Famer Leroy "Satchel" Paige, who took a shine to the young writer and shared his remarkable life with uncommon frankness. Paige came to the major leagues in 1948 at the age of 42, after many years in the Negro Leagues, where his triumphs attained an almost mythic stature. Fox and Paige wandered through Paige's adopted hometown of Kansas City, from KFC to Midas Muffler to barbecue joints. Paige was uneasy with being recorded and didn't like reporters taking notes, so Fox was left to capture his subject's voice only through memory. What emerges on the page is mesmerizing: a little bit Ali, a little bit hip-hop, a shade of bebop, a pinch of Reverend King, and a half a measure of Richard Pryor. Paige's baseball talent was undeniable, but Fox captures the intelligence and savvy framing the talent. Paige loved life and made the very best of a bad situation with shrewdness, acceptance, and an iron will. A very entertaining book about a unique man.Wes LukowskyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved