Native Roanoker Larry LeGrande tells his story as last member of the Satchel Paige All-Stars
by Shawn Nowlin
Negro Baseball League (NBL) legend Larry LeGrande reached many milestones over the course of his career. For three consecutive years, 1957 to 1959, he had a .300 batting average, led the NBL in outfield assists in 1958 and served as one of the sports greatest ambassadors.
Legrande was honored on a different level Thursday, August 9 at Mountain View Center in Southwest Roanoke as Mayor Sherman Lea officially designated the day “Larry Legrande Day.”
Towards the end of the celebration, Mayor Lea presented the honoree with a proclamation, which read in part, it read: “Larry was mostly a catcher during his career, but sometimes played right field. In 1964 he put down his baseball glove for a job at General Electric (GE) in Salem where he worked for more than 32 years. He often looks back at his days in the Negro League with amazement as baseball took him from “a cow pasture to Yankee Stadium.” One of the more noteworthy honors focuses on LeGrande as the last member of the Satchel Paige All-Stars.
Born on May 25, 1939 in Roanoke County, Larry grew up the youngest of 9 children on a small farm outside Roanoke and attended Carver School in Salem. As a child he often played baseball on the weekends from sun up to sun down.
“I enjoyed other sports, but baseball was the one that I fell in love with as a kid,” LeGrande said. “Some of my most cherished memories as a youth consist of playing baseball in the neighborhood with my friends. Some of my most cherished memories as an adult include of spending time with my wife Mary.”
During the spring of 1957, the Memphis Red Sox and the Birmingham Black Barons played a game in Salem. After the contest, Larry asked a scout if he could try out for the team once he completed high school.
Later that year, Larry joined the Detroit Stars organization, founded by fellow NBL legend Ted Rasberry. He would go on to play catcher for several other organizations – the Memphis Red Sox, Kansas City Monarchs and the Satchel Paige All-Stars. He also played with the New York Yankees minor league system.
“Mr. LeGrande is an inspiring individual who is full of life and humor. His story is worth telling, and he does so with such enthusiasm. His words paint a picture in your mind every time you sit down to discuss what it was like playing in the American Negro League,” said Sharon Hicks who helped organize the community gathering.
“I love history,” said Dr. Marylen Harmon who recently began reading more books about the American Negro League, including LeGrande’s biography, ‘I Found Someone to Play with’ by M.M. Angelo.
Harmon has known LeGrande since they were both students at Salem’s Carver School.
“The term ‘living legend’ gets thrown around too loosely in my opinion,” she added. “Larry is worthy of such a title. He is still the same great guy that he was in school. I’m glad I was present to witness him receive such a well-deserved honor. Larry is an ordinary person who went on to do some extraordinary things.”
