Satchel Paige

Another Negro League great, Satchel Paige is thought of to be one of the greatest pitchers of all time and is my personal favorite but was still not allowed to play in the Major Leagues because of the color of his skin.

He was so good that the owner of the Yankees would set up exhibition games against his Negro League team during the off season and it would not be uncommon for him to strike out double digit amounts of the Bronx Bombers in a single start during the days of Murderer's Row which featured hall of famers like Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, and Yogi Berra.

There is even a rumor that on one start a member of the Yankees began to heckle him from the dugout doubting his pitching abilities so as a response Paige called time out and told every member of the defense other than the catcher to go back to the dugout. He then proceeded to strike out the next three batters in order so as to prove a point that he didn't even need the help of his defense because of the caliber of his pitching. 

Josh Gibson

Between becoming a black professional athlete at the age of 18 and dying at the age of 35, Josh Gibson became known as the black Babe Ruth and had a reputation for being one of the most electrifying hitters of his time compared to both black AND white athletes. Something uncommon for that time.

Whether it be because of his large, burly frame that closely resembled the Great Bambino's or because of his tape measure homeruns lots of baseball enthusiasts thought that he would be the first to play professionally against white men.