Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and NegroLeaguesHistory unveiled the officially licensed, limited-edition Satchel Paige Talking Baseball Bobblehead Series. In addition, the Main and Mill Brewing Company and NegroLeaguesHistory unveiled the Negro Leagues Celebration Beer Collection that includes Satchel Paige. The preliminary release is in a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans in addition to kegs. Every 4-pack accommodates 4 cans with completely different labels of Satchel Paige based mostly on paintings by renowned artist, Graig Kreindler.
The collectible beer cans feature Paige in the uniforms of the 1928 Birmingham Black Barons, the 1931 Cleveland Cubs, the 1937 Dragones de Ciudad Trujillo (Dominican Republic), and the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs. The beer style is an American Style Pilsner typical of the era from 1920 – 1940 when the Negro Leagues were at its peak.
The beer is available at Main & Mill Brewing Company located at 240 E Main St, Festus, MO 63028, through their Missouri distributor, Craft Republic. Main & Mill’s beer can be found around Missouri in grocery stores, craft beer stores, bars, and liquor stores. Tavour, an on-line distributor of fine craft beers will distribute the Negro Leagues Celebration Series in the states of CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, ID, IA, IL, IN, KS, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, WA, WI, and VA. The Tavour app can be downloaded from the Apple’s App Store or Google Play.
The Satchel Paige Talking Baseball Bobbleheads will be on display for the first time at an event being held at Oak & Steel which is located at 120 West 17th Street in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday May 15, 2022, at 3pm. In addition, Main and Mill Brewing Company will be introducing the Negro Leagues Celebration Series beer featuring Satchel Paige at the event. Oak and Steel will be donating 100% of the profits from the sale of the Negro Leagues Celebration Beer served in cans on the 15th to the NLBM along with 10% of profits from all other sales that day. There will also be a Satchel Paige Trivia Contest with prizes during the event.
The series of 11 talking bobblehead feature the Mobile, Alabama, native and Kansas City Monarchs legend who is considered the most famous player in the history of the Negro Leagues. The bobbleheads were produced in conjunction with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. The Paige bobbleheads, which all contain a historic audio clip are: Tip Your Cap, Hall of Fame 1942 in Jersey, Hall of Fame 1971 in Suit, 1940 Packard, Field of Legends, High Leg Kick, The Wind Up, Kissing the Baseball, In the Dugout, Relaxing in a Rocking Chair, and Signing Autographs.
The bobbleheads are available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The first nine bobbleheads in the series just arrived while the Kissing the Baseball and Signing Autographs Bobbleheads are shipping to customers in late May. Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 1,971 to commemorate the year of Paige’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The bobbleheads range in price from $40 to $55 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order, and a set of 11 is also available for $425.
A description of each bobblehead is below:
- Tip Your Cap – Standing on a baseball cap base bearing his name, Paige is wearing a 1936 Kansas City Monarchs road uniform and tipping his cap with his left hand while holding his glove in his right hand. In the audio clip, Paige talks about his start in baseball.
- Hall Of Fame 1942 – Standing on a replica of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, on a base bearing his name, Paige is wearing a 1942 Kansas City Monarchs home uniform and holding his Hall of Fame plaque. The backing of the bobblehead also features a replica of his Hall of Fame plaque. The audio clip includes an excerpt of his Hall of Fame speech.
- Hall Of Fame 1971 – Standing on a replica of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, on a base bearing his name, Paige is wearing his induction attire while holding his Hall of Fame plaque. The backing of the bobblehead also features a replica of his Hall of Fame plaque. The audio clip includes a second excerpt of his Hall of Fame speech.
- 1940 Packard – Sitting on the front bumper of a blue 1940 Packard with his name on the driver’s side door, the dapper Paige bobblehead is wearing a suit and fedora while holding a harmonica. Paige was pictured in a similar pose in the June 2, 1941, issue of Life Magazine. In the audio clip, Paige talks about his rise in baseball from the Negro Southern League to the American League.
- Field of Legends – Standing on a baseball-shaped base bearing his name, the Paige bobblehead, wearing a 1942 alternate Kansas City Monarchs No. 25 uniform, is a replica of the Field of Legends bronze statue found at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. In the audio clip, Cool Papa Bell talks about Paige’s tryout with the Cleveland Indians.
- High Leg Kick – Ready to unleash a pitch on a baseball-shaped base bearing his name, the Paige bobblehead is wearing a 1943 Kansas City Monarchs home uniform with red trim. The uniform has Monarchs across the chest and No. 25 on the back. In the audio clip, Paige talks about traveling with Bismarck to the Wichita National Baseball Conference in 1935.
- The Wind Up – Standing on a baseball-shaped base bearing his name, the Paige bobblehead is wearing a 1945 Kansas City Monarchs home uniform and going into a pitching motion. The uniform has KC across the chest with No. 18 on the upper left leg and on the back. In the audio clip, Paige talks about how he enjoyed traveling.
- Kissing the Baseball – Standing on a baseball-shaped base bearing a replica of his autograph, the Paige bobblehead is kissing a baseball while wearing a white 1945 Kansas City Monarchs road uniform with Monarchs in gold across the chest and number 7 on the back. Paige, always ready to help the press, would often pose kissing the ball of the sport that made him famous. He is also wearing a blue cap with KC in gold. In the audio clip, Paige talks about how mastering control of his pitches led to success.
- In the Dugout – Standing with his right foot on the top step of the dugout and his right arm resting on his knee, the smiling Paige bobblehead is wearing a 1946 Paige All-Stars uniform worn during his famous barnstorming tour against the Bob Feller All-Stars, the first tour during which teams were transported by airplane. He is also wearing a red cap with KC in white. In the audio clip, Judy Johnson talks about the great pitchers in the Negro Leagues.
- Relaxing in a Rocking Chair – Sitting in a brown wooden rocking chair, the Paige bobblehead is wearing a 1947 Kansas City Monarchs jacket over his uniform. He is also wearing a blue cap with KC in white. Late in his career, Paige would add to his mystic by sitting in a rocking chair between innings in full view of the crowd. In the audio clip, Paige talks about his call up to the Cleveland Indians and batters opting not to bunt against him.
- Signing Autographs – Standing on a base bearing a replica of Paige’s autograph, the Paige bobblehead, wearing a white uniform with Paige All-Stars across the chest in red trim with No. 25 on the back, is signing an autograph for a happy young fan. In the audio clip, Paige talks about how he got his nickname.
The well-traveled Paige was known for his longevity and attracting record crowds whenever he pitched. Larger-than-life thanks to his blistering fastball and legendary showboating, Paige dominated for four decades. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the first electee of the Negro Leagues Committee. In his debut MLB season in 1948 at the age of 42, Paige became the first player who had played in the Negro Leagues to pitch in the World Series as he helped the Cleveland Indians win the title. Paige is still considered to be the oldest rookie in Major League Baseball history.
After first playing for the semi-professional Mobile Tigers, his hometown team, from 1924-26, Paige began his professional career in 1926 with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts in 1926. During his career in the Negro Leagues, Paige played for the Birmingham Black Barons (1927-30), Baltimore Black Sox (1930), Cleveland Cubs (1931), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-34, 1936), Kansas City Monarchs (1935, 1939-47), New York Black Yankees (1941), Memphis Red Sox (1943) and Philadelphia Stars (1946 and 1950). He was a five-time All-Star and appeared in the uniforms of an estimated 100 teams.
After two seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Paige played with the St. Louis Browns for three seasons until age 47 and represented them in the All-Star Game in 1952 and 1953. In 1965 at age 59, Paige was signed by the Kansas City Athletics for one late-season game and limited the Boston Red Sox to one hit in three innings. Along with saying that he “thrilled millions of people and won hundreds of games,” his Hall of Fame plaque states, “His pitching was a legend among major league hitters.” In addition to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Paige was also inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.
Denny Foster, president of Main & Mill Brewing Company said, “We are so excited to get this first series of cans in everyone’s hands. The opportunity to work with Jay Caldwell from NegroLeaguesHistory.com, the Negro League Baseball Museum, the Paige family, and Graig Kreindler has been nothing short of incredible and we truly look forward to continuing this series in the years ahead. We are honored and proud to be a big part in this unique collaboration.”
“We are thrilled to unveil this special Satchel Paige Talking Baseball Bobblehead collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “This first-of-its-kind series of bobbleheads gives fans the opportunity to hear Paige and other Negro Leaguers talk about Paige’s amazing career in their very own collectible bobblehead.”
“Satchel Paige was not only one of the elite pitchers in all of baseball history, his power at the gate owing to his outgoing personality and showmanship are an often-overlooked aspect in integrating baseball in 1947,” said Jay Caldwell, founder of NegroLeaguesHistory.com. “Paige brought together integrated audiences to watch the best baseball players the Negro Leagues had to offer and demonstrated they were the equals of the Major Leagues.”
The Satchel Paige Talking Baseball Bobbleheads will be on display for the first time at an event being held at Oak & Steel Pub on Sunday May 15, 2022, at 3pm. In addition, NegroLeaguesHistory.com will be introducing the Negro Leagues Celebration Series beer featuring Satchel Paige at the event on the 15th. The beer is brewed by Main & Mill Brewery in Festus, MO. The Oak & Steel Pub is located at 120 W 17 St, Kansas City, MO 64108.
About the Negro Leagues:
The first successful Negro League was founded by Rube Foster on February 13, 1920, at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City. Foster believed an organized league structured like major league baseball would lead to eventual integration of the sport and racial reconciliation. Foster did not live to see his dream come true. Others picked up his cause, and in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color line.
About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum:
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its profound impact on the social advancement of America. The NLBM operates one block from the Paseo YMCA where Andrew “Rube” Foster founded the Negro National League in 1920. In 2006, the NLBM was designated as “America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum” by the United States Congress.
About Dreams Fulfilled:
Dreams Fulfilled was organized to promote the Negro National League Centennial in 2020. Its founder, Jay Caldwell, was selected by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) as the primary exhibitor for an art and artifact exhibition at the museum between February 1 and May 31, 2020. That exhibit is being displayed again at the NLBM from May 6 – August 14, 2022. Dreams Fulfilled works with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to create a traveling exhibit featuring nearly 240 portraits of Negro Leagues players painted by Graig Kreindler. Visit us at www.NegroLeaguesHistory.com or www.facebook.com/NegroLeaguesHistory
