Major League Baseball has officially incorporated the stats of former Negro League players into its historical records.
This decision comes three and a half years after MLB recognized Negro Leagues as its equivalent and counted the stats and records of thousands of Black players who played from 1920 to the late 1940s, and it will serve as a major game changer for one of the greatest sluggers in all of history Josh Gibson.
Gibson became Major League Baseball’s career leader with a .372 batting average, surpassing Ty Cobb’s .367, when Negro Leagues records for more than 2,300 players were incorporated Tuesday after a three-year research project.
Gibson’s .466 average for the 1943 Homestead Grays became the season standard, followed by Charlie “Chino” Smith’s .451 for the 1929 New York Lincoln Giants. They overtook the .440 by Hugh Duffy for the National League’s Boston team in 1894.
Gibson also became the career leader in slugging percentage (.718) and OPS (1.177), moving ahead of Babe Ruth (.690 and 1.164).
Gibson’s grandson, Sean Gibson told The Big K Morning Show his family is celebrating the incorporation but also how the decision represents the 2,300 men that played in the Negro Leagues and didn’t get an opportunity to play in the MLB.
“The most important thing I want people to know is that there’s going to be people that are very happy, there’s going to be people very upset, but this statistics committee was done by Major League Baseball,” said Gibson.
Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting released the following statement after the incorporation:
“This is a historical moment for the game of baseball as these great players will forever be recognized within Major League Baseball’s official record books. Congratulations to all these great players, especially Pittsburgh’s own Josh Gibson. The Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays are an important part of the rich history of baseball in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have long celebrated these great teams and players such as Josh Gibson, Ray Brown, Oscar Charleston, Buck Leonard and so many others for their tremendous accomplishments. Whether it is in our Pirates Hall of Fame, the large baseballs on the riverwalk, the Crawfords and Grays Championship banners, the many other displays throughout PNC Park, or the support of educational displays and programs within our community, we are proud to continue to share the stories of these great players for generations to come.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.