I Found Someone to Play With: Biography: Larry LeGrande, The Last Member of the Satchel Paige All-Stars

Larry was an outfield star in our country’s historical American Negro League. He later befriended and barnstormed with one of Major League Baseball’s most legendary greats, Satchel Paige. Larry was a consistent .300-plus hitter with the ability to hit the ball to all fields, homerun power, impeccable speed, and a rocket arm that earned the selection of two East-West All-Star games in 1958 and 1959.

He played for the Memphis Red Sox (1957), Detroit Stars (Detroit Clowns) (1958), Kansas City Monarchs/NY Yankees Minor League/St. Petersburg Saints (1959) and went on to play with the Satchel Paige All-Stars (1960-1964).

Larry said, “I found someone to play with!” and it was his friend Satch!

Larry LeGrande is an unsung hero from our historical American Negro Baseball Leagues who has a story to tell about being a Negro baseball player in America’s terrifying era of human conflict and Negro oppression; he had the spirit and perseverance to overcome immense cultural, personal, political and professional challenges.

“Many people claimed they knew my father, but Larry was the only one who really knew him.”

-Linda Paige, Satchel Paige’s Daughter

“This narrative is a treasure of inside and little-known facts about the Negro Leagues, blacks struggling to make it in America’s game, and the dogged persistence of one dedicated and talented ballplayer-person who tried to rise above.”

-Stan Charnofsky, Form St. Petersburg Saints’ Coach and Manager

“When I was a wee lad, cousin Larry would tell me stories of his baseball journey. You’ll enjoy those stories without him punctuating those anecdotes emphatically; bruising your arms and chest with his strong hands.”

-Billy Sample, Texas Rangers (1978-1984), New York Yankees (1985), and Atlanta Braves (1986)

© 2019 Dorrance Publishing Company (E-bog): 9781480986466

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E-bog: 1. marts 2019