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From the Minot Daily News, May 11,1950
"When the Minot Mallards
launch their semi-pro baseball season here May 27, LeRoy
"Satchel" Paige will be wearing the livery of the
Magic City team.
The fabulous fireballer has been
contracted to pitch parts of three of the Mallards' first five
games, Roy Reimer, president, announced today.
Carman's Cardinals are scheduled
here Saturday night, May 27, and on Sunday afternoon, the 28th.
A non-league offering against the
Moorhead, Minn. Red Sox will be played the night of May
29. Brandon comes here for afternoon and evening encouters
on Memorial day.
Paige's contract reached Minot
late Wednesday.
Services of three other colored
players, for season duty, were also secured yesterday by the
Mallards. They are pitchers Lester "Big Spoon"
Witherspoon, a righthander from Deland, Fla., and Jimmy
Peet, a southpaw from Portsmouth, Va., and infielder Leonard
Williams of Lakeland, Fla.
The trio is furnished thru Syd
Pollock of the Indianapolis Clowns, who supplies colored
players to Brandon.
Back on the barnstorming trail he
left to sign with the Cleveland Indians of the American league
in July, 1948, Paige returns to a state where he made semi-pro
history in 1935.
Playing for Neil Churchill's
Bismarck team in 1935, the fireballing Negro righthander won 34
games, lost 2 and tied 2. He triumphed four times in
starting roles and served as a reliefer in a fifth game as
Bismarck captured the first national semi-pro tourney at
Wichita, Kan.
His season setbacks were by
one-run margins -- 2-1 by Jamestown and 4-3 by Devils Lake --
and the ties were 0-0 affairs.
Paige's record of 60 strikeouts
in the national tourney still stands.
He has also had several good
seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American
league."
Satchel Paige made quite an impression in his
first start in the Mandak League pitching three shutout innings and
fanning seven batters. He allowed just one hit.
(Winnipeg Free Press, May 31, 1950)
1950 program from the Northern
Senior league. This appears to have been the forerunner to
the Manitoba - Saskatchewan loop. Five Manitoba teams --
Gilbert Plains, Grandview, Dauphin, Neepawa and Roblin. (Program
courtesy Lorna Wilson)
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