MLB Negro Leagues stats integration impacts Barry Bonds’ records – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

It’s a monumental week in baseball history, as statistics from the Negro Leagues will officially become part of Major League Baseball’s all-time record on Wednesday.

The incorporation, first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, comes 3 1/2 years after MLB initially announced it would elevate the Negro Leagues to major league status and allow baseball’s full story to be told American through numbers without leaving anyone behind.

Former Giants slugger Barry Bonds, however, would no longer hold a few records following the integration of the Negro Leagues, including his single-season slugging percentage (.863) in 2001 and his record single-season OPS (1.421). in 2004 – both of which are now owned by Hall of Fame catcher Josh Gibson.

Gibson spent his entire career in the Negro Leagues from 1930, 1933-40 and 1942-46, and would now become the MLB single-season record holder for batting average (.466 in 1943), slugging percentage (.974 in 1937) and in OPS. (1,474 in 1937) after the integration of statistics. He also becomes the MLB career leader in all three categories.

“When you hear the name Josh Gibson now, it’s not just that 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 stats. These are major league baseball stats.

“It means a lot not only to the Josh Gibson family, but also to the representation of 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 affected by the flood of statistics. Willie Mays will get a boost from his 1948 season in the Negro Leagues with the Birmingham Black Barons, and now has 3,293 career hits, up from 3,283. Mays could see even more hits added to his total once his statistics from the Negro Leagues of 1949 and 1950 will be 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 everyone who made the Negro Leagues possible. Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to a broader knowledge of 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 will officially be included when fans talk about the greatest athletes to ever play the game. And Bonds certainly remains in that category, despite his change in the rankings of all time.

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