Josh and Satch is about two men who endured many of the same cruel difficulties that were part of being an African-American athlete in the days of racial segregation; they also shared triumphs, with each becoming known in the Negro leagues as the best of his time at his position. Despite their cornmom experiences the two men handled their lives very differently, with one overcoming great adversity to become not only a successful athlete but a folk hero popularly associated with courage and wisdom, while the other died prematurely amid bitterness and sorrow.

Satchel Paige was the older of the two men. By the time Josh Gibson was a rookie, Paige had already established a storied career in the Negro leagues and as a member of barnstorming ball clubs that toured the United States. Paige was a pitcher whose fastball was thrown with frightening...