June 21st, 1966: Satchel Paige throws last professional pitch in Greensboro
Thursday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, played at the historic Rickwood Field was always about honoring the lives and stories of those who played in the Negro Leagues. With the passing of Willie Mays earlier in the week, someone who played at Rickwood, the game became even more significant.
Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama is in many ways much like World War Memorial Stadium here in Greensboro. Both were built at a time when baseball was still segregated, both were early adopters of lights to accommodate night games, and both played home to some of the finest baseball players to ever play the game. From Babe Ruth to Derick Jeter, War Memorial saw more legends round the bases than you can imagine.
One legend who played at both Birmingham and Greensboro is the great Satchel Paige. Satchel, who played at Rickwood Field for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1927, pitched in his final professional game, June 21st, 1966, at War Memorial Stadium. Paige was 60 years old. Pitching for the Peninsula Grays of the Carolina League, Paige started the game and lasted two innings, allowing two runs on five hits, before giving way to scheduled starter (and future big-leaguer) Steve Mingori.
That night the Greensboro Yankees drew a much larger-than-usual crowd of 3,118 to War Memorial Stadium to see the future Hall of Famer pitch in what would be his final innings of professional baseball. The Grays used back-up catcher Bruce Lowell and not their regular man behind the plate: an 18-year-old kid named Johnny Bench.