Which Negro league pitcher later debuted in Major League Baseball at age 42, symbolizing talent limited by segregation?

• A. Satchel Paige
• B. Josh Gibson
• C. Buck O'Neil
• D. Cool Papa Bell

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing a player who bridged the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball at a late age, illustrating how segregation delayed opportunities for exceptional talent. Satchel Paige, famed as one of the greatest pitchers in the Negro leagues, joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at age 42. That MLB debut at a veteran age symbolized the breaking of the color barrier and demonstrated that Black players possessed equal or even superior skill, despite years kept out by segregation. Paige’s success in the majors helped open doors for many who followed and highlighted the talent that had been confined to the Negro leagues for too long. The other figures were renowned in the Negro leagues for roles other than a late MLB pitching debut, so Paige stands out as the one whose big-league entry at 42 most clearly embodies the shift against segregation.