Post by stargatebabe on May 29, 2024 17:32:56 GMT -6
Top leaderboard changes as Negro Leagues join Major League record
Major League Baseball’s single-season and career leaderboards now have a fresh look.
The changes occurred Wednesday, when MLB announced that Negro Leagues stats -- specifically from seven different Negro Leagues from 1920-48 -- have officially been added to its historical record. It was an effort both long overdue and many years in the making, coming thanks to the hard work of many dedicated researchers. In 2020, MLB recognized those seven leagues across that 29-year period as Major Leagues, but actually reaching the point where their numbers could be incorporated was a thorny task. That time has now arrived, though, with the assistance of Seamheads, Retrosheet, the Elias Sports Bureau (MLB’s official statistician) and the independent Negro League Statistical Review Committee.
For a full explanation of this process from John Thorn, official MLB historian and chairman of the committee, read here.
This effort is not over. In fact, researchers estimate that the 1920-48 Negro Leagues records are about 75% complete, and further updates could come in the future, if more verifiable information comes to light via box scores. It’s also important to note that there is nothing new about historical records shifting over time. In fact, baseball history has always been a living, breathing thing.
So with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the most significant of those leaderboards, and how they have changed. What do all of these changes have in common? They all are tied to rate stats, as opposed to counting stats. Because Negro Leagues seasons were shorter, players logged many fewer official games than their counterparts in the AL and NL and didn’t have the opportunity to pile up impressive totals in categories such as hits, home runs or strikeouts.
Take the legendary slugger Josh Gibson, whose Hall of Fame plaque mentions a total of “almost 800 home runs.” While it’s possible that total is accurate if one were to count all of Gibson’s games, including exhibitions and other non-league contests, his verifiable total being added to the official record is only 174. Rate stats are another matter, though, and as you will see below, those of many Negro League greats stack up quite favorably.
(You can see all the leaderboards for yourself on MLB’s stats page.)
Read more @ www.mlb.com/news/stats-leaderboard-changes-negro-leagues-mlb
Major League Baseball’s single-season and career leaderboards now have a fresh look.
The changes occurred Wednesday, when MLB announced that Negro Leagues stats -- specifically from seven different Negro Leagues from 1920-48 -- have officially been added to its historical record. It was an effort both long overdue and many years in the making, coming thanks to the hard work of many dedicated researchers. In 2020, MLB recognized those seven leagues across that 29-year period as Major Leagues, but actually reaching the point where their numbers could be incorporated was a thorny task. That time has now arrived, though, with the assistance of Seamheads, Retrosheet, the Elias Sports Bureau (MLB’s official statistician) and the independent Negro League Statistical Review Committee.
For a full explanation of this process from John Thorn, official MLB historian and chairman of the committee, read here.
This effort is not over. In fact, researchers estimate that the 1920-48 Negro Leagues records are about 75% complete, and further updates could come in the future, if more verifiable information comes to light via box scores. It’s also important to note that there is nothing new about historical records shifting over time. In fact, baseball history has always been a living, breathing thing.
So with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the most significant of those leaderboards, and how they have changed. What do all of these changes have in common? They all are tied to rate stats, as opposed to counting stats. Because Negro Leagues seasons were shorter, players logged many fewer official games than their counterparts in the AL and NL and didn’t have the opportunity to pile up impressive totals in categories such as hits, home runs or strikeouts.
Take the legendary slugger Josh Gibson, whose Hall of Fame plaque mentions a total of “almost 800 home runs.” While it’s possible that total is accurate if one were to count all of Gibson’s games, including exhibitions and other non-league contests, his verifiable total being added to the official record is only 174. Rate stats are another matter, though, and as you will see below, those of many Negro League greats stack up quite favorably.
(You can see all the leaderboards for yourself on MLB’s stats page.)
Read more @ www.mlb.com/news/stats-leaderboard-changes-negro-leagues-mlb
