Satchel Paige 1939-40 Guayama Team Montage Photo

Auction: June 2005

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June 2005
Baseball Memorabilia

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Satchel Paige 1939-40 Guayama Team Montage Photo

Exceedingly rare (only one known) and important 4 1/2 x 6 1/2" vintage photo of the 1939-40 Criollos de Guayama team of the Puerto Rican Winter League, taken in the 2nd year of the league's existence and capturing 18 faces from a disenfranchised generation of Lationo and black players -- before white players began to play under the palms as well, chiefly to make a few extra bucks. For these men of color, it was always serious business for these guys (well, almost always business, as Satchel Paige could attest, between rounds of cervezas and senoritas). Paige, in fact, was a monster on the mound going 19-3 with a 1.93 ERA in leading Los Criollos to its 2nd straight title -- as well as coming back home with a Puerto Rican woman he called his "wife" (though he already had one of those in Pittsburgh). Paige is the draw of the photo, in full form unfurling a pitch, but some of the others are also important historical figures -- including William Perkins, Paige's personal catcher and a great Negro Leaguer in his own right, and a pair of Puerto Rican baseball HOFers, Perucho "The Bull" Cepeda (whose "Baby Bull" Orlando would become a big league HOFer) and Dominican-born Tetelo Vargas, who also played with the New York Cubans. Photo reads "Team Guayama-Campeon Mundial (World Champions) 1939-40" with most of the players seen in head shots arrayed around the image. Back of the photo is stamped by the collection it was deacquired from. Overall EX and member of the pantheon of Negro League pieces.