[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 120, 109th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

120 STAT. 3746
 
LEROY ``SATCHEL'' PAIGE, POSTHUMOUS PRESIDENTIAL  NOTE: Dec. 6,
2006 -  [S.Con.Res.91]  MEDAL OF FREEDOM AWARD--SUPPORT

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 numer- ous
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--

[[Page 3747]]
120 STAT. 3747

(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.

Agreed to December 6, 2006.