Leroy “Satchel” Paige
Dreaming Away in the Astrodome Prior to It’s Opening in 1965
February 7, 1965 (Photo located by Darrell Pittman; Date Authenticated by Mike Acosta, Astros.)
We finally found a printed form – or, at least, most of it – of the truth about Satchel Paige’s visit to the Astrodome. It happened prior to the official opening of “The Eighth Wonder of the World”, but, judging from old Satchel’s published comments, the new domed stadium quickly won him over in wonder to the attractive idea of pitching inside the awesome facility. How much of that appearance was due to his recruitment by some Astros publicist – or Judge Hofheinz, himself – and how much of it generated from Paige’s never-failing knack for finding and stealing a few rays of limelight is the principal fact that goes unstated. Our Pecan Park Eagle guess is that it was the formidable force of both needs, coming together on the eve of the most exciting stadium opening since the early days of the Coliseum in Rome, that arranged for this meeting between human and human-made forms of awesome originality.
“There’s no place to pitch like the Astrodome Stadium. … Man, that place is something else!”
~ Satchel Paige, 1965 (Photo located by Darrell Pittman.)
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Frank A. Godsoe Column, Amarillo Daily News , April 8, 1965
Dots on the Dome … Leroy “Satchel” Paige, who didn’t dream up the Astrodome Stadium which opens in Houston this weekend and didn’t promote it wishes someone had 30 years sooner. … Satch estimates that it would have added 10 years to his career. … Paige recently put on a Houston uniform and explored the premises of the super baseball barn.
“I’ve pitched baseball in all kinds of weather,” he said. … “Up in Canada where the wind is strong and cold enough to freeze a fast ball on its way to the plate … I’ve pitched in the tropics where the air’s kind of thick and heavy and there ain’t much breeze to worry about.
“I also pitched in high up places, such as Mexico City and Denver, where the ball’s supposed to carry better because the air’s so light. … I’ve pitched in more places than any other man, living or dead. … I also can throw any pitch you can name, and that’s not bragging because baseball’s my business. … I never had no job.
“But there’s no place to pitch like the Astrodome Stadium in Houston. … Man, that place is something else!”
~ Frank A. Godsoe Column, Amarillo Daily News, Thursday, April 8, 1965, Page 21.
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Addendum: Clarification and Authentication of the Paige Appearance (Same Day as Publication)
Regarding the Satchel Paige Appearance in the Astrodome on February 7, 1965:
“This was right before the press preview with Anita Bryant. Paige was in town for something else and the team asked him to come in, do some publicity and give his opinion of the Astrodome. I have this date as 2/7/65.”
Mike Acosta
The Pecan Park Eagle 
April 22, 2015 at 5:14 am |
“How old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you was?” -Satchel Paige
August 19, 2022 at 10:46 pm |
I thought I had sent the Satchel Paige photos to Bill McCurdy, but I’m probably misremembering.