Barnstorming baseball teams were everywhere in the 1940s and were all the rage with thousands of people flocking out to see the offseason games. Despite these being exhibition matches being in small towns, it still attracted stars from both the Majors and Negro Leagues.
In 1947, Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs came to West Haven for an exhibition game against the West Haven Sailors.
The Sailors, owned by Moe Quigley, were one of the best semi-professional teams in New England and known from dominating games against barnstorming teams.
Moe Quigley had opened Exhibition Stadium (later renamed after him) Just a week before Paige and the Monarchs arrived, making it a perfect place for the Monarchs to play his Sailors.
Quigley wanted to give the crowd a show, with that he offered Paige $500 (worth about $6,000 in today’s money) which would be rewarded if he went the full distance and picked up the win.
Paige, who was 41-years-old at the time, accepted the offer.
At the end of three innings, the Monarchs trailed 1-0. Kansas City would tie it in the 6th off of West Haven’s Bob Barthelson. Paige allowed several hits, but was still as sharp as any 41-year-old pitcher could be – notching 8 strikeouts before West Haven’s Red Sheehan won it with an RBI single up the middle in the 9th.