GREENSBORO, N.C. -- When you play baseball, it's a dream come true to be elected into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame and Ken Free was one of those inductees.

• Ken Free inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame
• Began playing semi-professional baseball at age 15
• Played in the Negro Leagues with the Raleigh Tigers

At the age of 15, the Greensboro native played semi-professional baseball, later joined the Army and then played professionally in the Negro Leagues with the Raleigh Tigers in 1959. He got his time to shine playing in the All-Star game at the famous Comiskey Park in Chicago.

"We were out drawing some of the major league places," he said. "Comiskey Park drew 60,000 people."

The following year he played with Hall of Famer Satchel Paige. The next season, Free would play for Hickory in the Western Carolina league where he took lessons from Paige.

"I learned how to be patient, wait until your time [and] to hustle at all times. I learned how to make sure you didn't get upset with the abuse," he said. "Satchel would teach us that type of stuff."

After his playing career, the North Carolina A&T grad was named the first full-time commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1978. Free helped expand the MEAC to 12 teams and lead them into Division I.

"It was a miracle because they said we belonged in Division II," Free said.

Free had his name inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame, but he will forever be known as a Hall of Famer in everything he was a part of.