In 2024, Major League Baseball (MLB) included statistics from seven recognized Negro Leagues (1920–1948) into its historical record, adding over 2,300 players to their official records.
In a free online presentation on Thursday, February 26, Larry Lester and John Thorn – who were deeply involved in the process – will discuss how those baseball stats were collected and how it was decided which would be official, and why.
As a result of the additions, several major records shifted: Josh Gibson (.372) surpassed Ty Cobb (.367) as the all-time career batting average leader. Gibson’s 1943 season (.466) also replaced Hugh Duffy’s 1894 mark (.440) as the highest single-season average.
Numerous legendary Black American players, including Satchel Paige, Oscar Charleston, and Buck Leonard, are now officially recognized alongside American and National League players.
Larry Lester is an author, historian, and curator. He is a co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.
John Thorn has been the Official Historian of Major League Baseball for fifteen years. His has written many baseball books over the past five decades. He chaired the Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee.
This event is presented by the New York State Library.
You can register for this program here.
Read more about the history of Negro Leagues baseball in New York State.
Photo: Harry Buckner of the 1913 Mohawk Giants (courtesy Schenectady County Historical Society).
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