Dizzy Dean on Satchel Paige

“A bunch of the fellows get in a barber session the other day and they start to arguefy about the best pitcher they ever seen. Some says Lefty Grove and Lefty Gomez and Walter Johnson and old Pete Alexander and Dazzy Vance. And they mention Lonnie Warneke and Van Mungoand Carl Hubbell and Johnny Corriden tells us about Matty and he sure must of been great and some of the boys even say old Diz is the best they ever see. But I see all them fellows but Matty and Johnson and I know who's the best pitcher I ever see and it's old Satchel Paige, that big, lanky colored boy. Say, old Diz is pretty fast back in 1933 and 1934, and you know my fastball looks like a change of pace alongside that little pistol bullet Satchel shoots up to the plate. And I really know something about it, because for four, five years, I tour around at the end of the season with All-Star teams and I see plenty of old Satch. He sure is a pistol. It's too bad those colored boys don't play in the big leagues, because they sure got some great players. [...] Anyways, that skinny old Satchel Paige with those long arms is my idea of the pitcher with the greatest stuff I ever did see.”

“I have pitched 31 games against that Satchel Paige and that guy really has something. If he pitches in the majors, he'd be worth $1 million. He's still a great pitcher, but was he some boy a few years ago. Wowee!”