Baseball Negro Leagues

[Salty]

MLB has decided to consider the old Negro baseball league to be Major Leagues -
and that all those records will be consolidated into current record book.

Good decision - or not a good decision?

MLB rights a wrong: The Negro Leagues are finally recognized as 'major league'

 

[JonC]

Irrelevant decision.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

About time.

 

[Salty]

First, how many of the Black leagues were considered as "Major League"
How many teams were in those leagues.

Back in the 50's the (White) American and National league had 8 teams each. (population in 1955 = 150 million)
MLB currently has 30 baseball teams and the USA has 300 million residents,
So the point is how many of the players would actually have been at major league standards. Some, of course! but not all.

Bottom line - sounds like PC

 

[JonC]

I think that it is good that the league is recognized as MLB. I'm just not sure what it means that the records will be consolidated.

I wouldn't say it is PC, although that may be the driving factor. I just do not see how such a change is a benefit. It is recognizing leagues (and their histories) that many of us have appreciated for decades.

What makes it PC is that it is not relevant to correcting anything. We seem to have the idea that we can change names, consolidate records, and somehow rectify sins of the past.

I always considered the separation of the Negro Leagues to be a monument to past injustices - not that they should have existed but that they did exist and should never exist again with any people in our nation.

 

[Salty]

But will every player, team, league be considered as Major League quality?

Why not make the AAA leagues (International League and Pacific Coast League, and the dispanded Americian Association) to have their records consolidated as MLB? Think about it - virtually every player in MLB did play in one of those three leagues

 

[John of Japan]

What about the Japan leagues? They have produced some awesome MLB players (Nomo, Ichiro, Matsui, Uehara, etc.), and others who would have been MLB stars (Oh Sadaharu, Shigeo Nagashima, etc.). Believer it or not, one of Japan's most winning pitchers was Victor Starfin from Russia!

 

[Salty]

What about the Japan leagues? They have produced some awesome MLB players (Nomo, Ichiro, Matsui, Uehara, etc.), and others who would have been MLB stars (Oh Sadaharu, Shigeo Nagashima, etc.). Believer it or not, one of Japan's most winning pitchers was Victor Starfin from Russia!

Interesting point!!! Especially when the final series of games is called "World Series"

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Interesting point!!! Especially when the final series of games is called "World Series"

It was named after the old and now-defunct New York World newspaper.

 

[Salty]

It was named after the old and now-defunct New York World newspaper.

According to Wiki - that account is in question:
World Series? Wait a Minute...

 

[JonC]

But will every player, team, league be considered as Major League quality?

Why not make the AAA leagues (International League and Pacific Coast League, and the dispanded Americian Association) to have their records consolidated as MLB? Think about it - virtually every player in MLB did play in one of those three leagues

That is where it gets complicated. But to be fair, we can't really compare MLB players today with past MLB players (if for nothing else but changes in the game).

 

[JonC]

What about the Japan leagues? They have produced some awesome MLB players (Nomo, Ichiro, Matsui, Uehara, etc.), and others who would have been MLB stars (Oh Sadaharu, Shigeo Nagashima, etc.). Believer it or not, one of Japan's most winning pitchers was Victor Starfin from Russia!

I caught some of their games when we were not playing.

 

[John of Japan]

I caught some of their games when we were not playing.

We've been to several of their stadiums. The Yokohama Baystars have a dingy, old stadium, but the Tokyo Giants (the Yankees of Japan) have an awesome stadium in Tokyo.

However, to be fair, their outfields are generally shorter than in the MLB. So Oh Sadayaru, though having the most home runs in professional baseball history, should have an asterisk by his name.

 

[canadyjd]

It would be interesting to see how it actually effects the records. The Negro League Museum is in KC, MO. There are great stories about this league.

peace to you

 

[Yeshua1]

First, how many of the Black leagues were considered as "Major League"
How many teams were in those leagues.

Back in the 50's the (White) American and National league had 8 teams each. (population in 1955 = 150 million)
MLB currently has 30 baseball teams and the USA has 300 million residents,
So the point is how many of the players would actually have been at major league standards. Some, of course! but not all.

Bottom line - sounds like PC

Guess this means MLB got "woke up"

 

[Yeshua1]

MLB has decided to consider the old Negro baseball league to be Major Leagues -
and that all those records will be consolidated into current record book.

Good decision - or not a good decision?

MLB rights a wrong: The Negro Leagues are finally recognized as 'major league'

So Josh Gibson now home run leader, as thought claimed he had smacked over 800?

 

[Yeshua1]

We've been to several of their stadiums. The Yokohama Baystars have a dingy, old stadium, but the Tokyo Giants (the Yankees of Japan) have an awesome stadium in Tokyo.

However, to be fair, their outfields are generally shorter than in the MLB. So Oh Sadayaru, though having the most home runs in professional baseball history, should have an asterisk by his name.

The pitchers were not nearly as good though as ones bonds and aaron faced!

 

[Yeshua1]

It would be interesting to see how it actually effects the records. The Negro League Museum is in KC, MO. There are great stories about this league.

peace to you

I always thought the WW II era records should be marked, as many players decided to join army, such as ted Williams!

 

[Yeshua1]

It would be interesting to see how it actually effects the records. The Negro League Museum is in KC, MO. There are great stories about this league.

peace to you

Would like to see the stats broken down in MLB to before jackie and after!

 

[Reformed1689]

Guess this means MLB got "woke up"

No, even without BLM this is long overdue. It has long been noted that the Negro Leagues produced the same, if not better, caliber of baseball than the white major leagues of the day.