The Negro League players now topping MLB records
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Negro League legend Josh Gibson is now the all-time Major League batting champion and pitcher Satchel Paige is third all-time for a single season ERA after MLB added Negro League statistics to its historical record on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The move to finally incorporate stats from Negro League players — barred from MLB during segregation — means greats like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb no longer hold some top spots, revamped records show.
The big picture: Once overlooked Negro League stars now populate top-ten lists, and more records may change as MLB analyses other numbers from seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948.
Catch up quick: MLB announced the change this week following years of debate and recommendations from the independent Negro League Statistical Review Committee.
- The murder of George Floyd in 2020 forced a national racial awakening. MLB responded by elevating the Negro Leagues to "major" status, meaning their statistics and records joined Major League history but didn't overtake MLB records at the time.
By the numbers: Gibson, who had a .372 lifetime batting average in the official stats, is now the all-time Major League batting champion. He displaces Cobb, who batted .367 from 1905-28, MLB said.
- Gibson (1.177) also replaces Ruth (1.164) as the all-time leader in OPS — on-base percentage plus slugging percentage. The Negro League legend also dethrones Ruth on slugging percentage, according to MLB.
- On single-season batting record, Gibson, again, is the new king after the MLB included his .466 batting average in 1943.
- He took the top spot from Hugh Duffy's .440 in 1894. Duffy fell to number three as little-known Negro League hitter Charlie Smith is in the number two position with his .451 average in 1929.
Stunning stat: While Gibson and Cobb are now 1-2 in career batting average, Negro Leagues players now make up half of the top 10 in that category.
- Oscar Charleston (third, .363), Jud Wilson (fifth, .350), Turkey Stearnes (sixth, .348) and Buck Leonard (eighth, .345) now stand alongside Rogers Hornsby, Tris Speaker and Ted Williams.
- Four Negro League hitters also jump into the top ten in single-season batting average: Charleston's .434 and Charlie Blackwell's .432 in 1921, Charleston's .427 in 1925 and Mule Suttles' .425 in 1926.
What we're watching: "We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
- "Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in American history and the path that led to Jackie Robinson's 1947 Dodger debut."
Background: The Negro Leagues were made up of around 2,300 supremely talented Black and Latino players who were barred from the segregated American and National Leagues.
- Players such as Gibson, Paige, and centerfielder Cool Papa Bell are said to have been better than most Hall of Famers.
- Not only did Negro League players have to face fierce competition on the field, but refusal of hotel, dining and restroom services because of racial segregation. They also experienced death threats.
Zoom out: The Negro Leagues combined to produce 35 National Baseball Hall of Famers.
Zoom in: Among the most talented players in the Negro Leagues were Afro-Latino players like Cristóbal Torriente and José Méndez.
- Cuban-born Torriente won a league batting title in 1920 with a .411 average while playing for the Chicago American Giants. The centerfielder once outhomered Ruth in a nine-game exhibition series.
What we're watching: MLB said its researchers estimate that the 1920-1948 Negro Leagues records are about 75% complete, meaning more records may be shattered.
Further reading: Major League Baseball to add Negro Leagues stats to official records
