The
story that indicates how Ross Davis, born July 28, 1918 in Greenville,
Mississippi, picked up the nickname “Satchel” is a testament to his pitching
ability.
By
the time he became a teenager; Davis had moved to St. Louis and gained
notoriety as a pitcher in the city’s African American semi-professional
leagues. He was tall and lean (6’2”, 165
pounds), but had a blazing fastball and sharp breaking curve. The story goes that one day “Satchel” Paige himself
saw how hard the talented teenager threw the baseball and loudly began
referring to young hurler as “my son”. The nickname, "Satchel", stuck with Davis his entire short Negro League career.
In
1940 while with the Baltimore Elite Giants and only 22 years old, Ross
“Satchel” Davis no-hit the Newark Eagles. Pitching for the Cleveland
Buckeyes in 1943, he defeated “Satchel” Paige in a head to head matchup.
Davis
was drafted into military after the 1943 season and
contacted a serious case of hepatitis during World War II. He was advised to not play baseball again
because of the lingering effects of his illness.
But
Davis returned to the pitching mound after the war. First, he pitched in the short lived Untied
States League and then in 1947 helped the Cleveland Buckeyes win the Negro
American League (NAL) pennant. He
retired after the season at only 29 years old due to the on-going battle with
his illness.
Ross
“Satchel” Davis died January 1, 2013 in Houston, Texas.
Who was Davis' 18 year old battery mate for that 1940 no-hit pitching gem?
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