MLB to add Negro League stats to official record
Yahoo Sports national MLB insider Russell Dorsey has the latest on the move by MLB to add all Negro League statistics to the official record and what new records will be posted.
Video Transcript
What's going on guys, Russ Dorsey National, MLB Insider for Yahoo Sports here with you on a huge day in the history of baseball.
As of today, all Negro League statistics will now be officially entered into the major league historical record.
Now, what this means is that over 2300 players who played in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1948 will now have their statistics counted as official.
And it also means that there will be new changes on MLB leader boards.
Negro League legend Josh Gibson is now the single season record holder in batting average slugging percentage and ops.
He's also the career all time leader in batting average slugging percentage.
And OPS MLB historian John Thorne told Yahoo Sports this week, I believe that the past is a living breathing thing that informs every present moment.
No sport is more tuned to its history and its heroes of old than baseball.
And now we have a chance to tell the story of the game and the nation inclusively.
Now, as more information, statistics and data is uncovered, the Negro League Statistical review committee will continue to make changes and adjustments where needed.
But most importantly, the story of baseball can't be told about the Negro Leagues and with Negro League statistics now added to the major league historical record.
Major league baseball's history can be told in a broader, more complete picture.