Smith: Satchel Paige

Earlier this month, a friend forwarded an internet recap of the day the Atlanta Braves signed Satchel Paige to a contract that enabled him to receive a Major League pension.

At the time, Paige needed 158 days to qualify for his pension. He contacted 29 Major League teams, but nobody responded because he was 62 years old.

Paige was something of a remarkable anomaly when he helped the Cleveland Indian…