ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Major League Baseball’s history prior to integration is skewed, deserving of an asterisk as much as the steroid and deadball eras. Some of the greatest ballplayers who ever lived either never reached the majors, such Negro League star catcher Josh Gibson, or arrived well into the twilight of their career, like pitcher Satchel Paige, who debuted at age 41.
Fans didn’t know what they were missing before Jackie Robinson broke the color line. He was followed by a bevy of stars who flourished as African-Americans comprised nearly 19 percent of major leaguers by the early 1980s.