A three-year research project was concluded, with the incorporation of Negro Leagues records for over 2,300 players in Major League Baseball. Josh Gibson became the career leader in batting average with .372, surpassing Ty Cobb. His .466 average in the 1943 season also set the standard. Gibson also took the lead in slugging percentage and OPS, moving ahead of Babe Ruth. This move was seen as a show of respect for the great players who never had the opportunity due to their circumstances.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred highlighted the success of players who transitioned from the Negro Leagues to the major leagues as a key factor in the decision to incorporate these records. A special committee on baseball records made the decision in 1969 to recognize six major leagues, excluding the Negro Leagues. However, in December 2020, MLB announced the addition of the Negro Leagues records following a 17-person committee chaired by official historian John Thorn. An updated version of MLB’s database will be made public before a tribute game to the Negro Leagues on June 20.
While the statistics and records for Negro Leagues players will be included in MLB’s database, the information on Cooperstown plaques at the Baseball Hall of Fame will remain unchanged. The standards for season leaders remain consistent for Negro Leagues and other leagues, with 3.1 plate appearances or one inning for each game played by a player’s team. Players like Willie Mays and Minnie Minoso saw increases in their career hits, while Satchel Paige gained more wins among pitchers.
The committee faced several challenges during the research project, including discrepancies in compiled league statistics, identifying players with similar names, and missing information such as walks. Documenting transactions and ballparks from that era is an ongoing process. Researchers have estimated that 72% of Negro Leagues records from 1920-1948 have been included, with the possibility of future modifications based on additional research. Some game details were obtained from newspapers covering Black communities, and while complete accounts were found for most games in the 1920s, coverage dropped off during the 1930s.
Researchers Kevin Johnson and Gary Ashwill, who had worked on the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database, were involved in the project. However, there are still gaps in the records, and certain games like a four-homer game by Josh Gibson and a home run by Willie Mays could not be included due to lack of complete game accounts. Despite these challenges, the integration of the Negro Leagues records into MLB’s historical data is seen as a significant step in recognizing the contributions of these players who were once excluded from the official record books.
