Philadelphia Negro League players finally land on MLB records
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Ernest "Jud" Wilson is one of the best to play the game. Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Major League Baseball's record books have been rewritten to recognize the accomplishments of Negro League players.
Why it matters: Negro League players were barred from MLB during segregation but called the greatest of all time by those who saw them.
- Their records had been kept separate from the MLB and mostly ignored for over half a century.
The big picture: Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, MLB elevated the Negro Leagues to "major" status, meaning their statistics and record joined Major League history but didn't overtake MLB records — until now.
- The inclusion of seven professional Negro Leagues operating between 1920 and 1948 comes as replica jerseys and caps from the era have become popular with a new generation of fans.
By the numbers: Ernest "Jud" Wilson, who played on the Negro Leagues' Philadelphia Stars in the 1930s, now ranks fifth all-time in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage.
- Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson became MLB's single-season record holder in batting average (.466 in 1943), slugging percentage (.974 in 1937) and OPS (1.474 in 1937).
Zoom out: The Negro Leagues produced 35 Hall of Famers, per MLB.com.
Background: The Negro Leagues were made up of Black and Latino players barred from the segregated American and National Leagues.
- Players such as Gibson, pitcher Satchel Paige, centerfielder Cool Papa Bell and slugger Cristóbal Torriente are said to have been better than most MLB Hall of Famers in their positions.
- In 1969, an all-white, all-male body known as the Special Baseball Records Committee met to discuss which leagues should earn major league status.
- They decided on four fledgling leagues (in addition to the AL and NL). The Negro Leagues' candidacy wasn't discussed.
Zoom in: The Philadelphia Stars formed in 1933 as an independent squad and joined the Negro National League the next year, per the Phillies' website.
- The Stars played in three separate ballparks within Philly until the team disbanded in 1952.
Go deeper: Major League Baseball to add Negro Leagues stats to official records