Former Yankees star Joe Page inducted into Allegheny Valley School District alumni Hall of Fame

Any Springdale athlete wondering if it’s possible to go from a small town known for its mining history to big time professional sports, need look no further than Joe Page’s story for inspiration.

Page, who went from the coal mines of Springdale to being a World Series MVP pitcher for the New York Yankees, was inducted into the Allegheny Valley School District Alumni Hall of Fame Saturday evening. Page, who died of heart failure in 1980 at the age of 62, was one of the 2021 inductees honored at a special ceremony held at Springdale High School.

Page was a student in the Allegheny Valley School District from 1922-1933. He attended Springdale High but never graduated. Page was the oldest of seven children — four boys and three girls — and quit school to work in the mines with his father and help support his family.

Page’s youngest son Jon accepted the Hall of Fame plaque on his father’s behalf.

“I wish he was here. I’m sure he would have been real proud,” said Jon Page. “He would be happy. He always called Springdale his hometown.”

In fact, Page would return to Springdale during the off-season when he was with the Yankees. One year he was so anxious to get home that the night the Yankees won the world championship, Page hopped in his car — following a bit of celebrating — and drove all night from New York City to Springdale.

“The car was running on the front yard and my mother found him asleep inside (the vehicle),” said Judy Hogan Conti, Page’s niece.

Page pitched for the Bronx Bombers from 1944 thru 1950 and considering what the ruggedly built lefthander had to overcome to make it to the majors, he had good reason to celebrate.

In 1936, Page nearly lost a leg in a car accident. He suffered a compound fracture of his left fibula and ended up spending nearly half-a-year in the hospital.

After signing with the Yankees in 1940, he worked his way through the minors and finally earned a call up to the big leagues in 1944. Page’s mother and his oldest sister did not live to see his success. His mom died during the 1943 season and his sister died between the 1943 and 1944 seasons after being hit by a car. In the summer of 1944, Page’s father had a heart attack and died in the hospital.

As he began his career in New York, Page’s family depended on him to send money home. He was beginning to enjoy success pitching mainly out of the bullpen.

In 1947, he racked up a 14-8 record, a 2.48 ERA and 116 strikeouts. And though saves were not an official statistic back then, he had a league leading 17 saves. Page finished fourth in the MVP voting. In that year’s World Series against Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers, Page pitched in four games.

In game seven, he was credited with the series clinching victory and a few months later, Sportfolio magazine named Page its Professional Athlete of the Year for 1947.

“I knew he was a ballplayer when I was young but when I started reading about him I really began to appreciate what he did,” said Jon Page. “He was tough. He was 14-8 as a relief pitcher and had (17) saves. If you’re a relief pitcher now and go 3-1 you get $50 million.”

In the Yankees’ 1949 World Series win, again over the Dodgers, Page received the inaugural Babe Ruth Award as the World Series MVP. However, injuries hampered the rest of his career. He pitched one last season for the Yankees in 1950 and made a comeback with his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954 before retiring from baseball.

However, the Yankee fans never forgot Page and he became a popular figure at Old Timer’s games.

“I went to a couple of Old Timer’s games with him and I got to sit in the dugout,” said Jon Page. “I was only 10, 12 years old and dad always got a good ovation.”

Even after he was done pitching, Joe Page always enjoyed playing catch with his children and nieces and nephews.

“Even though they didn’t really have girls sports when I was young, I was always interested in baseball and loved throwing the ball with him,” said Conti. “He showed me how to throw his favorite pitch, the forkball, where you put your fingers right along the seams. That’s how he used to get hitters out.”

Joe Page never made it Cooperstown but now he’s a Hall of Famer in Springdale.