[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 91 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.Con.Res.91
Agreed to December 6, 2006
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and six
Concurrent Resolution
Whereas Satchel Paige, who was born on July 7, 1906, in Mobile,
Alabama, lived a life that was marked by his outstanding
contributions to the game of baseball;
Whereas Satchel Paige was a dominating pitcher whose baseball career
spanned several decades, from 1927 to 1965;
Whereas Satchel Paige played in the Negro Leagues and became famous for
his unusual pitching style and his ability to strike out almost any
player he faced;
Whereas Satchel Paige pitched 62 consecutive scoreless innings in 1933;
Whereas due to the practice of segregation in baseball, Satchel Paige
was prohibited for many years from playing baseball at the major
league level;
Whereas Satchel Paige played for many Negro League teams, including--
(1) the Chattanooga Black Lookouts;
(2) the Birmingham Black Barons;
(3) the Nashville Elite Giants;
(4) the Mobile Tigers;
(5) the Pittsburgh Crawfords; and
(6) the Kansas City Monarchs;
Whereas while pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs, Satchel Paige won
4 consecutive league pennants from 1939 to 1942, and later won a 5th
pennant in 1946 with that team;
Whereas after the desegregation of baseball, Satchel Paige signed a
contract to pitch for the Cleveland Indians at age 42, and soon
thereafter became the oldest rookie ever to play baseball at the
major league level;
Whereas the extraordinary pitching of Satchel Paige helped the
Cleveland Indians complete a championship season in 1948, as the team
won the American League Championship and the World Series;
Whereas Satchel Paige threw an estimated 300 career shutouts;
Whereas in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player to
be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame;
Whereas the legendary pitching of Satchel Paige earned him numerous
awards and accolades, including--
(1) a nomination to the All Century Team by Major League
Baseball as 1 of the greatest players of the 20th century; and
(2) a selection to the 50 Legends of Baseball by the Postal
Service;
Whereas despite years of discrimination that limited the play of
Satchel Paige to the Negro Leagues, his prowess on the pitching mound
earned him the respect and admiration of fans and players throughout
the world of baseball;
Whereas Satchel Paige passed away on June 8, 1982; and
Whereas the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor
in the United States, was established in 1945 to recognize citizens
of the United States who have made exceptional contributions to--
(1) the security or national interests of the United States;
(2) world peace;
(3) the culture of the United States or the world; or
(4) the citizens of the United States or the world: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that the President should award the
Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Leroy ``Satchel'' Paige
in honor of his distinguished baseball career and the contributions
that he has made to the improvement of the society of the United States
and the world.
Attest:
Secretary of the Senate.
Attest:
Clerk of the House of Representatives.