Major league players praise the inclusion of Negro league statistics in major league records

CHICAGO (AP) — Buck Leonard. Charlie “Chino” Smith. Türkiye Stearnes.

Baseball players and fans alike are learning more about the Negro Leagues after statistics on greater than 2,300 players – historical figures resembling Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige and Mule Suttles – were included in the major league record book following a three-year study design.

“You’re going to learn about a lot of names and a lot of people that we may not have heard of,” Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen said Wednesday. “Now that Josh Gibson is at the top of the OPS and batting average rankings and several other categories, that’s great news. But it’s more than just that and numbers. It’s great that you can now learn more about players from the Negro Leagues. …I will be able to dig deeper into some of the names I may not have heard of.”

The 17-member commission, chaired by John Thorn, the official historian of Major League Baseball, met six times as part of a meticulous process of examining the statistics of the seven Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1948. According to MLB, nearly 75% of available records were included, and extra research may lead to more changes to the major league rankings.

“It’s really exciting,” Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene said. “I’m going to have to do a little more research and understand some of the history to kind of rewire my brain on some of the best players.”

Gibson became the majors’ profession leader with a .372 batting average, surpassing Ty Cobb’s .367 batting average. Gibson’s .466 average for the 1943 Homestead Grays became the season record, followed by Smith’s .451 average for the 1929 New York Lincoln Giants.

The powerful Gibson also became the profession leader in slugging percentage (.718) and OPS (1.177), passing Babe Ruth (.690 and 1.164).

“Baseball history is part of the history of the United States, and I believe that the major leagues’ recognition and inclusion of the Negro Leagues is a huge step toward bringing all the pieces of baseball history together,” said Tyrus Cobb, Ty Cobb’s great-grandson. “And I think it’s really exciting that there’s a new statistical leader in batting average.”

After hearing the news, Tyrus Cobb, 32, of San Jose, California, said he took a better take a look at Gibson’s profession.

“I made sure to look up him, Oscar Charleston and a few of the other guys who were at the top of the list,” said Cobb, who works in industrial real estate. “So I think it’s a really exciting thing for baseball history.”

The inclusion of Negro League statistics also modified the numbers of a handful of players higher known for his or her major league careers.

Willie Mays added 10 hits with the 1948 Birmingham Black Barons, bringing his total to three,293. Minnie Minoso was credited with 150 hits for the New York Cubans from 1946 to 1948, bringing his total to 2,113. Jackie Robinson, who on the 1947 Dodgers, he broke the majors’ color barrier by having 49 hits on the 1945 Kansas City Monarchs, bringing his total to 1,567.

“It’s good news for the game,” Washington Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray said. “For Negro League players of the past who were exceptional at what they did, it’s good to be brought into the highlight. It’s really cool to see Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and so many other names that baseball fans can study and see that there was greater than just major league baseball back then.

The change comes amid a decline in the number of black players at mainstream firms. A study conducted by the Central Florida Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports found Black or African American players made up 6.2% of players on Opening Day rosters in 2023, down from 7.2% in 2022. Both numbers were the lowest since the study began in 1991, when 18% of MLB players were biracial black.

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On June 20 at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants will play a Negro Leagues tribute game.

“I think it’s pretty cool that you’re showing appreciation,” Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks said. “They were two different leagues, but at the end of the day, it was still baseball, and at any time when they got together, you can see that the guys who had excelled in the Negro Leagues were actually performing in the MLB. So I feel it’s fair that in the event that they were still the same guy in the Negro Leagues as they were in MLB, those stats should match, especially if it was in the same era.

Brett Tinker, 56, of Nyack, New York, heard stories about the Negro Leagues from his grandfather, Harold “Hooks” Tinker, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, who played for the Pittsburgh Crawfords. Harold Tinker shared his love of sports. He told his grandson how often that they had to remain on the team bus because they couldn’t get into the hotel, and he showed off his collection of memorabilia.

When Brett Tinker heard about the inclusion of Negro League statistics, he was moved to tears.

“It’s an honor. It’s too late, not only for my grandfather, but for many players who never had a chance to receive this recognition,” he said.