[Archive]

Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

As a 10 year old, the 1949 season was real magic for me.
I watched my team, the Yankees, dramatically beat the Red
Sox the last weekend of the season in an exciting game.
My new found hero, Johnny Lindell, hit the game winning HR
to send the Yankees into the World Series against "dem Bums"
from Brooklyn.

But, there was also another hero that us kids loved to
watch in 1949 and he was "Satchell" Paige. When we took
turns pitching (either playing Stick Ball or Base Ball),
we tried to emulate his double loop wind-up.

And, I can tell you it's like it was just yesterday, when
in the Fall of '49 early in the morning standing in line to
go into school. And, we were opening up Red-White-Blue 5 cent
Bowman packs, then a kid yells out "it's Satchell"....I got
a Paige. Then everyone of us surrounded him to see it. It
was the first time that season we were seeing the Hi# Series
cards.