8/24/2009:
In 1939, the people of North Dakota prepared to celebrate the state's Golden Jubilee, remembering North Dakota's 50 years of statehood from 1889 to 1939. During this four day celebration, North Dakotans commemorated a long history of pioneers with such displays as the "Wagons West" show, which told the story of the daring pioneers who settled the Dakota Territory.
At the Bismarck ball park people gathered to witness the return of North Dakota's legendary sports figure, Leroy "Satchel" Paige. On this date in 1939, Paige and the Bismarck All-Star baseball team played their second exhibition game against the House of David team as part of the Jubilee celebration. That day, the All-Star team lost 6-2, but the score didn't matter. The people of Bismarck were happy to see their hero play once more.
Paige is remembered in Bismarck as the greatest pitcher to ever grace the baseball diamonds of North Dakota. As one of a handful of black players on the Bismarck Churchills, Paige helped usher the team into a new era as one of the first integrated semi-professional teams. Long before Jackie Robinson's historic integration of major-league baseball, the owner of Bismarck's team, Neil Churchill, realized that if he wanted to build the finest team in North Dakota, he would need to recruit the best baseball players, both black and white. Paige was definitely one of the best.
In fact, he was so good that the great Joe DiMaggio declared him "the best and fastest pitcher I ever faced." Paige's talent shone during his time with the Churchills, and he helped bring the team to victory. In the summer of 1935, Bismarck's baseball team had its best season, winning 104 of the 105 games they played, eventually going on to win the National Semi-Professional tournament. "Nobody could touch us," said Paige. "And boy did them Bismarck people like us. Those farmers that were our fans came to town with hats full of money to bet on us."
Paige went on to play baseball in the major leagues with teams like the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns. But when asked what would be his choice all-star team, it was not any of these big name teams he remembered. "[I've] seen ‘em all, batted and pitched against all of ‘em," said Paige. "Want a all-star team?...Bismarck was the finest team I ever played with."
Dakota Datebook written by Carol Wilson
Sources
Kyle McNarny. Black Baseball: A History of African-Americans and the National Game. Sterling Publishing, 2006.
Emmons County Record, June 20, 1940.
Thomas P. Newgard, William C. Sherman, and John Guerrero. African Americans in North Dakota. Bismarck: University of Mary Press, 1995.
The Bismarck Capital, June 18, 1945.
The Bismarck Tribune, August 25, 1939.
The Bismarck Tribune, August, 24, 1939.