Boys' Life, February 1st, 2000
The American League's first black pitcher threw a fastball that hummed like a bee. LEROY "Satchel" Paige was one of the top pitchers in baseball history. Still, he did not make the big leagues until he was 42 years old. An unwritten rule kept black players out of the major leagues until 1947. They played on all-black teams and had their own leagues. When he finally broke into the big leagues, Paige was the first African-American pitcher in the American League. He also was the oldest rookie ever. Guaranteed to Succeed Paige was a rookie in the big leagues, but he knew baseball. Satchel sta...
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