How MLB-Negro Leagues Stats Integration Affects Various Bond Records originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
It’s a monumental week in baseball history, as Negro League statistics will officially become part of Major League Baseball’s all-time record on Wednesday.
The incorporation, first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengalecomes 3 and a half years later MLB initially announced it would be elevating the Negro Leagues to major league status and would allow the entire baseball story of America to be told through numbers, leaving no one out.
Former giants slugger Barry Bondshowever, it will no longer hold a few records after the integration of the Negro Leagues, including its single-season slugging percentage mark (.863) in 2001 and its single-season OPS record (1.421) in 2004 – both of which are now owned by the Hall of Fame catcher Josh Gibson.
Gibson spent his entire career in the Negro Leagues from 1930, 1933-40 and 1942-46, and will now become the MLB single-season record holder in batting average (.466 in 1943), slugging percentage (.974 in 1937) and OPS (1,474 in 1937) after statistical integration. He also becomes the MLB career leader in all three categories.
“When you hear Josh Gibson’s name now, it’s not just because he was the greatest player in the Negro Leagues,” Sean Gibson, Gibson’s great-grandson, told Nightengale, “but one of the greatest of all time. These aren’t just Negro League statistics. These are major league baseball statistics.
“This means a lot not only to Josh Gibson’s family, but also to represent the 2,300 men in the Negro Leagues who did not have the opportunity to play [in the Major Leagues].”
Bonds isn’t the only Giants legend to be impacted by the flood of statistics. Willie Mays will receive a boost from his 1948 Negro League season as Black Barons of Birmingham, and now has 3,293 career hits – up from 3,283. Mays could see even more hits added to his total once his 1949 and 1950 Negro League statistics are verified.
“We are proud that the official historical record now includes players from the Negro Leagues,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement (h/t Yahoo Sports). “This initiative aims to ensure that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the Negro Leagues possible. His 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 Dodger debut in 1947.”
It’s certainly good news that all of baseball’s rich history is officially included when fans talk about the greatest athletes to ever play the sport. And Bonds certainly remains in that category despite his change in all-time rankings.
