Negro League legend finally getting his due as MLB merges stats
from Adam Gretz, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Major League Baseball’s all-time records are going to undergo some significant changes on Wednesday, with longtime Negro League legend Josh Gibson taking over the top spot in several significant offensive categories.
According to a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale on Tuesday, the Negro League statistics are going to officially be incorporated into Major League Baseball’s historical records on Wednesday. It was four years ago that Major League Baseball officially elevated the Negro Leagues statistics to “major league status,” and now that they are being incorporated into MLB’s records, it is going to change a lot of all-time marks.
The shift is also going to finally enter Gibson into the discussion for baseball’s all-time greatest player.
When the statistics get incorporated, Gibson will become baseball’s all-time leader in career batting average (.372, moving ahead of Ty Cobb), slugging percentage (.718, passing Babe Ruth) and OPS (1.177, also passing Ruth).
Along with the all-time records, Gibson will also own the single-season records in each of those categories.
Prior to 1947, Major League Baseball was segregated. Then Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Negro Leagues existed between 1920 and 1948 and were generally believed to be on par with the American and National Leagues in terms of talent.
Incorporating the statistics is not only big news for players like Gibson, it will also add to the resumes of MLB players that got their start in the Negro Leagues before being allowed into the American and National Leagues.
Willie Mays will now have 3,293 career hits while Robinson will have 49 hits added to his career total. Minnie Minoso will also have 150 hits added to his career total and push him over the 2,000-hit mark for his career.
This is a huge moment for baseball as it not only changes the all-time standards that greatness is measured by, but it finally gives the Negro League players the credit and respect they have long deserved.eg