Theodore
Roosevelt “Ted” Page was a graceful left handed hitting outfielder that played fifteen
years (1923 – 1937) in Negro League baseball.
Born according to most accounts on April 22, 1903 in Glasgow, Kentucky,
Page however lived the early part of his life in Youngstown, Ohio where became
a high school baseball and football star athlete. He used the football mentality he developed
on the baseball field. A consistent .300
hitter, Page was a tough aggressive player whose speed on the base paths drove opponents
crazy. Nicknamed “Terrible Ted”, he was not afraid to fight opponents;
or teammates when he felt it necessary.
Page
played with what is considered two of the best teams in Negro League baseball
history. In 1931, he played with the
Homestead Grays, a team that included Hall of Famers “Smokey” Joe Williams,
Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, and Jud Wilson.
The next year, Pittsburgh Crawfords’ owner Gus Greenlee added
Charleston, Johnson, Wilson, and Page to his team which already had Hall of
Famers Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
In
1984, Page was beaten to death in his Pittsburgh home with a baseball bat.
When Page played for the Pittsburgh
Crawfords (1932 – 1934), what job did he perform for team owner Gus Greenlee
during the winter months?
