The ageless one

Satchel Paige, now pitching for the Browns, becomes the oldest pitcher to post a shutout in major league history 71 years ago tonight when he goes 12 innings to beat the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in St. Louis.

Before a crowd of 6,162 at Sportsman’s Park, the 46-year-old Paige scatters seven hits and strikes out nine while walking only two.

The shutout comes 25 years after Paige records his first career shutout in 1927 for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League.

The Tigers’ starting pitcher against Paige and the Browns 71 years ago tonight is Virgil Trucks, who is in the midst of the strangest of all seasons for Detroit in 1952 as he wins only five of 24 decisions but with two of those victories coming on no-hitters.

Trucks is one of only three pitchers with two no-hitters in the same season, following Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer in 1939 and the Yankees’ Allie Reynolds in 1951.

As for Paige, he goes on to lead the American League in 1952 with 35 games finished before finishing another 34 games in 1953, his age 47 season.

He then takes a 12-year break from pitching in the majors before returning in 1965 to make one final start for the Kansas City Athletics.

Even then, at 59 years old, Paige is phenomenal, allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings in a start against the Boston Red Sox.