Buck O'Neil talks about Satchel Paige facing Josh Gibson and Babe Ruth

In 2006, I was fortunate enough to interview Buck O'Neil at Shea Stadium. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs and was a longtime ambassador for the Negro Leagues and baseball. On Dec. 5, 2021 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here he tells two stories about Satchel Paige, once when he pitched against Josh Gibson and another when he pitched against Babe Ruth. O'Neil was a two-time All-Star first baseman in the Negro Leagues and the first Black coach in the National or American leagues. He coached for the Chicago Cubs and was instrumental in signing Ernie Banks.

[@branthandford2212]

Could never get tired hearing this man tell these stories

[@jeffthebracketman]

I had the ultimate pleasure of meeting Buck O'Neil at Cooperstown one year... What a Gentleman and nice man he was... one of my cherished memories!

[@robertmarggraf1708]

I really envy you.

[@TheBatugan77]

Buck's autobiography, 'I Was Right On Time' is a fantastic read. I wish I could have met him.

[@YogGroove]

Buck O'Neil is a National Treasure. So good to hear these stories.

[@chuckberger3196]

I remember seeing Satchel Paige pitch in 1946 as an eight year old.Of course I only knew about him from what my father told me.As I recall the game was at Dexter Park in Jamaica, Queens. The semi pro team, BUSHWICKS played their home games there. I remember Satchel struck out a number of batters and was the winning pitcher. He pitched a complete game. I think he was about 40 years old.

[@themiddleagedgamer3503]

I could listen to this man talk baseball all day.

[@Native5]

Satchel was the best to ever do it. It's a damn shame they don't talk about him today. Mobile, Alabama

[@user-ff7wb4fm9k]

Some of us do...Chattanooga TN...

[@rlkinnard]

You are wrong; they still do; Leroy Satchel Paige and Walter Johnson, the big train, the two greatest pitchers from the old days.

[@biketech60]

Buck O'Neil's contribution made Ken Burns' documentary " Baseball " worth watching . Doris Kearns Goodwin's remembrance of baseball and her father also humanized the series .

[@ssviking81]

I love Buck's reaction to the Babe Ruth question..."You didn't have to groove Babe Ruth no pitch...He could hit"

[@oskartgrouch8757]

Thank God this great man remained healthy as he aged. A national treasure.

[@gregbattles4742]

DA SOUL OF THE GAME..I WASN'T BORN THEN BUT I HEARD MANY STORIES..BUT AT LEAST I SAW BANKS AARON JACKSON PARKER AND SOME MAYS

[@VivaLasVegasX]

Thats awesome

[@p.a.paolino9505]

I heard at one time the Pittsburgh Pirates really wanted to Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. I believe it was sometime in the 1940's.

[@georgegisoldi3305]

Besides Satchel Paige and Rube Foster l never heard about any other black (Negro) pitchers . Babe could also Pitch !! And was Hall of fame pitcher too , As far as Gibson goes , who did he hit his HR ‘s off of ? I hear about the same Negro League Players all the time . What about the other guys ? Didn’t they deserve to be considered for MLB , we had Monte Irvin in NYC ( #20 Giants ) , he was a solid ball player for us .

[@flame-sky7148]

Then look up Smokey Joe Williams, Bullet Rogan and John Donaldson. Also Martin Dihigo was an Afro-Cuban who pitched and hit like Ohtani. They are in the hall of fame.

[@tommyfu9271]

@@flame-sky7148 doubly duty radcliff pitched and caught. sometimes he did both in a doubleheader.

[@flame-sky7148]

@@tommyfu9271 that’s right, I heard about him years ago.

[@TheBatugan77]

​@@tommyfu9271 And he lived past 100!

[@TheBatugan77]

Buck Leonard? Oscar Charleston? Pop Lloyd? John Beckwith? Mule Suttles?

[@infoguy1978]

they didn't start timing pitches until the 1970's

[@roncaruso931]

Buck O'Neal, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Ruth, all legends. They and their kind are the real deal. Not like the steroid hulking gorillas we have today and since Barroid Bonds.

[@tyranhepburn600]

So satch just struck out and walked every hitter huh?

[@leeshackelford7517]

Don't be silly. He won many games, got many batters out...but yeah, he gave up hits and lost games, too. It's the game

[@homerun8032]

Grandpa's tells.

[@stingerz122]

Hmm... sounds like a lot of foobar added to this 😂

[@eddierivera1860]

Satch and ruth never faced each other!

[@allenwood3805]

Cheated out of Hall of Fame

[@tommclain8893]

Love to hear him tell stories, his book one of my all time favorites. A legendary man of the game. R.I.P. Buck

[@StoryGordon]

The Negro League players played in an unfortunate situation, but they drew the fans. We lived about 100 miles away from KC and I got to see both the Blues, the Yankees farm club, and the Monarchs in the early fifties. Two excellent teams.

[@TheBatugan77]

If you visit Kauffman Stadium in KC, there is a red seat behind home plate, surrounded by 40000 blue seats. That's Buck's seat.

[@davidross8233]

Buck was one of the greatest retired players in sports history. I could sit around and listen to him talk for days.

[@needsaride15126]

Wonderful storytelling.

[@stevewallace1117]

Mygrandad pitched against Satchel Paige... Said they enjoyed playing against each other.

[@epm5433]

Great, great, interview! Priceless memories from the legends who were there! Way to go, Bobby!

[@fuddrucker74]

My all time favorite baseball story teller

[@ryancrawford8042]

As a very very white male, I was always intrigued by Negro League baseball. Such great stories. They definitely played with more flair and personality. Watching some pitcher windups and leg kicks are almost mesmorizing. The athleticism, coordination, and rhythm required to do all of that and throw strikes consistently is very impressive to me. I wish we could see more of that in the modern game. Dontrelle Willis and Chapman had/have a little of that style. I alwayd enjoyed watching them throw.

[@jordankannianen1302]

When you see the hypothetical "if you could meet anyone in history...", Buck O'Neil is on my list.

[@steplumpkin5432]

PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@dstarkspp]

Hell yes 👏

[@acousticshadow4032]

Sure wish I'd gotten the chance to meet Buck before he passed ~ but will definitely catch up with him in the Cornfield. 🌽⚾

[@jerryw4471]

I watched Satchel Paige pitch for the Saint Louis Browns back in the days. That was the times when many great player existed.

[@cnyweathertainment5075]

For my money, post career, Buck and Ted Williams were the greatest ambassadors for the game itself. Best storytellers.😊 And Ps: neither one gave a sh@t about race. They loved people, and they loved baseball. Period.

[@charliebecknell9830]

Great story. Great story teller.

[@joebadgley3630]

How does he know the speed of those pitches!! Impossible, he is telling legend stories not factual

[@nohbuddy1]

He wasn't throwing 90 or 100 but it's a fun story

[@TheBatugan77]

I still have my Buck O'Neil tee shirt, #22, from the NLBM gift shop. KC Monarch hat too!'

[@pianoblack5885]

Just like Samuel in Django...he was quick to tell a story about Babe getting the best of Satchel. There were also accounts when Satchel struck out Babe..why not refer to those as well...smh....

[@TheBatugan77]

SHOVE it with your fkn agenda bullshit.

[@davidpadilla9468]

Babe batted 454 against the best black pitchers including paign

[@pianoblack5885]

@@davidpadilla9468 Source????? Obviously, you pulled this out of your 🤬 Your group barred players of color for a reason 🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫

[@pianoblack5885]

@@davidpadilla9468 Josh Gibson batter .850 vs white pitchers.. I don't have a source... I just made it up...

[@TheBatugan77]

Because hitters whiff all the time. How many homer off of Satchel?

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

A treasure. Merci beaucoup.

[@perfumegoose]

If all humans derive a common interest, then humans survive ,no they don't have a common interest, I heard that the Babe said how stupid the humans were, but the Babe and SP did hook up

[@user-ff7wb4fm9k]

I could listen to Mr. O'Neil talk baseball all day and into the night!

[@minnesotafats8140]

Babe Ruth was so good it’s scary….

[@NYYscorpio]

Babe Ruth was a unicorn. I hate how people minimize his abilities because he played in a league of diluted talent or he wouldnt be as good in todays game. Hearing this story tells me Ruth could seriously hit anyone and anything. Paige was a premier arm, whom, if radar guns were present, probably threw triple digits for the time.

[@dGuthrie1-hc2rx]

He was ok

[@TheBatugan77]

​@@NYYscorpio Satch also had pinpoint control.

[@10Falcon14]

Great stories

[@davidpadilla9468]

That is a great story true stories

[@kenkaplan3654]

The Ruth story is impossible and made up. O'Neil did not begin professional play until 1937. Ruth's last year was 1935. Paige said in his book he never pitched to Ruth. The Gibson story is doubtful also although they probably did face one another.

[@TheBatugan77]

Ruth faced Paige. More than once. And since none of those appearances 'counted' in any official way, you don't know jackshit about O'Neil's participation. So SHOVE it.

[@davidpadilla9468]

There is quote from paign that he did pitch to ruth.

[@kenkaplan3654]

@@davidpadilla9468 Where? We have a Negro league box score that Paige struck out Gibson. "Satchel Paige stated in the book, Pitchin' Man by Hal Lebovitz-**as well as numerous articles**, that one of his greatest disappointments was, "I never pitched to Babe Ruth." The Babe Ruth All-Stars did play exhibition games against Negro leaguers but Paige and Ruth never faced off against each other.

[@loydkline]

I got sachet paige book; babe Ruth all stars in a played a game against negro league all stars & sachet paige; the pitcher:::babe Ruth was the manager & didn:t play

[@kenkaplan3654]

@@loydkline Yes Paige lamented he never faced Ruth.

[@allenwood3805]

This man was THERE, why would anyone say he's lying about something??

[@earthtruthhunters1642]

It's clear that Satchel tossed Ruth a pumpkin...

[@TheBatugan77]

Keep telling yourself that, Nancy.

[@TheBatugan77]

SHOVE a pumpkin.

[@earthtruthhunters1642]

@@TheBatugan77 Being as I spoke the truth I obviously have nothing to remember...

[@kerouac906]

Naw, if he wanted the ball back to be signed by Ruth he was admitting that there was a better hitter alive than he was a pitcher.

[@loydkline]

Babe Ruth & Jimmy foxx; lou gehrig would've hit ( smash satchel paige best fastball had they play in Belle isle baseball field into detroit riverwithth.fishes 🐟 ;Roger rajah Hornsby Charlie gehringer: Harry Heilman at belle isle baseball ⚾️ field would've smash satchel paige best fastball into detroit river with the fishes 🐟; babe Ruth; lou gehrig: Jimmy Foxx would've smash satchel paige best fastball out of yanlee stadium or wridley field iout of stadium into street