MLB will officially incorporate Negro League statistics into historical records... recognizing Josh Gibson as one of baseball's greatest ever players
- There's no bigger benefactor from this decision than the great Josh Gibson
- Gibson now leads the major leagues in six batting statistical categories
- READ MORE: New Jackie Robinson statue for Wichita park is almost finished
Major League Baseball has officially decided to incorporate Negro League statistics into their own historical records after elevating the segregated league to 'major league' status over three years ago.
This move will combine the statistics of all former Negro League players into MLB's own books.
In the process, it will turn one of the Negro League's best into one baseball's best as Josh Gibson will now hold multiple records in hitting categories.
Gibson played catcher in the Negro Leagues from 1930-1940, then again from 1942-1946. With this inclusion, Gibson can now be unilaterally recognized as one of the greatest catchers and greatest players to ever play the game, according to an independent committee review.
Thanks to this move, Gibson is now officially MLB's all-time leader in single-season and career batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).
Major League Baseball will now incorporate Negro League statistics into their official records
This now means that Josh Gibson will be recognized as one of MLB's greatest ever players
Gibson now takes over those statistics from players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Barry Bonds.
'When you hear Josh Gibson's name now, it's not just that he was the greatest player in the Negro Leagues,' Sean Gibson, Gibson's great grandson, told USA TODAY Sports, 'but one of the greatest of all time. These aren't just Negro League stats. They're major-league baseball stats.
'This means so much for not only the Josh Gibson family, but representing the 2,300 men in the Negro Leagues who didn't get the opportunity to play [in the Major Leagues].'
MLB didn't integrate until 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier - just a few months after Gibson died at age 35 due to a stroke.
Now, statistics from the Negro Leagues between 1920 and 1948 will be incorporated into Major League Baseball's official statistics.
A statue of Josh Gibson standing outside of Nationals Park in Washington, DC
Among Gibson's new records include the following:
- Single-season batting average: .446 in 1943 season (passing Hugh Duffy's .440 in 1894)
- Single-season slugging percentage: .974 in 1937 (passing Barry Bonds' .863 in 2001)
- Single-season OPS: 1.474 in 1937 (passing Barry Bonds 1.421 in 2004)
- Career batting average: .372 (passing Ty Cobb's .366)
- Career slugging percentage: .718 (passing Babe Ruth's .690)
- Career OPS: 1.177 (passing Babe Ruth's 1.164)
These integrated statistics will now enhance the statistics of a number of ballplayers who played in the Negro Leagues like Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and Satchel Paige among others.
