MLB Adds Negro Leagues Stats to Official Record Books
The Facts
Major League Baseball (MLB) on Wednesday announced it has incorporated Negro Leagues statistics into the official MLB record books — adding more than 2.3K players to its official database and naming new all-time leaders in various statistical categories.
This comes four years after MLB elevated the Negro Leagues to "Major League" status and recognized the statistics and records of a total of 3.4K Black players who played in the segregated leagues between 1920 and 1948. As part of the research and documentation process, the 2.3K players are those who have had their records vetted and integrated into MLB statistics so far.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is a long-overdue correction of historical neglect. For decades, players who faced racism and inequities were deprived of the recognition they deserved and fans were limited in what they could learn about these players. This is a major part of celebrating the Negro Leagues and honoring the men who defined baseball of the era.
Narrative B
MLB has gone too far in trying to celebrate the Negro Leagues' players' accomplishments. While modern politics push for overcorrections to past injustices, it's important to remember that we cannot rewrite history. Negro Leagues records should receive more recognition than they have in the past, but they shouldn't supplant official MLB records because each era and league has a specific historical context.