Major League Baseball’s record books are about to drastically change.
Negro League statistics are going to become an official part of MLB’s historical records on Wednesday, three years after it announced it would elevate the erstwhile leagues to major league status, USA Today first reported Tuesday.
The addition of the 2,300 players who played in seven different leagues from 1920-48 into MLB’s database and record books means that Hall of Fame catcher Josh Gibson will become MLB’s single-season record holder in a number of different categories.
Gibson will surpass Ty Cobb for the all-time career leader in batting average (.372) and move ahead of Babe Ruth for slugging percentage (.718) and OPS (1.177).
The legendary catcher will hold single-season records in batting average (.466), slugging percentage (.974) and OPS (1.474), the latter of which places him ahead of Barry Bonds’ 2004 season (1.421 OPS).
Gibson played his entire 14-year career in the Negro Leagues.
“We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues,” Commissioner Rob Manfred told Yahoo Sports in a statement. “This initiative is focused on ensuring that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the Negro Leagues possible. Their 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 1947 Dodger debut.”
Gibson’s family said the change goes beyond just the icon’s impact.
“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],” Sean Gibson, Gibson’s great-grandson, told USA Today.
MLB’s official historian John Thorn first told USA Today in February that the league anticipated it would be able to “share with fans a solid representation of an integrated MLB database in 2024.”
Thorn has been the chair of baseball’s Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee, which has been made up of baseball historians, Negro League experts, former players, researchers and journalists, according to Yahoo Sports.
Sean Gibson is among the 15 members of the committee.
The committee had been piling through data, box scores, stats and other information from Seamheads, RetroSheet and the Elias Sports Bureau.
MLB will pay tribute to the Negro Leagues on June 20, with the Giants and Cardinals playing a game regular season game at Rickwood Field — the home to Birmingham Black Barons — in Alabama.
With the imminent change to the record books coming, Sean Gibson said he hopes to see the Baseball Writers Association of America rename the MVP award in honor of his great-grandfather.
The award had previously been named after former MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, but in 2020, his name was removed due to discomfort from past MVP winners over Landis’ history with integration in baseball.
Baseball was not integrated until after Landis had passed away.
“How ironic would it be for Josh Gibson to replace the man who denied more than 2,300 men the opportunity to play baseball in the major leagues,’’ Sean Gibson told USA Today. “I’m hoping with these stats that we can change it to the Josh Gibson MVP award.
“These stats make a great case for it to be named in his honor.’’
