[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.