New York, NY—-Josh Gibson has solidified his place in Major League Baseball history by becoming the all-time leader in career batting average with an impressive .372, surpassing Ty Cobb’s previous record of .367. This momentous occasion comes after a thorough three-year research project that incorporated Negro League’s records for over 2,300 players, revealing the remarkable achievements of Gibson and other legendary athletes.
Gibson’s remarkable .466 batting average for the 1943 Homestead Grays has now become the standard for a single season, eclipsing Charlie “Chino” Smith’s .451 for the 1929 New York Lincoln Giants. These figures have notably surpassed the previous mark of .440 set by Hugh Duffy for the National League’s Boston team back in 1894.
In addition to his batting prowess, Gibson has also emerged as the leader in career slugging percentage (.718) and OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) with an impressive 1.177, surpassing the legendary Babe Ruth’s previous records of .690 and 1.164 respectively. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred highlighted the significance of this achievement, acknowledging the exceptional talent of players who competed in the Negro Leagues and later proved themselves as major leaguers.
The decision to incorporate Negro League’s records into Major League Baseball’s official statistics marks a significant milestone in recognizing the contributions of these athletes. MLB’s official historian, John Thorn, chaired a committee composed of Negro Leagues experts and statisticians, culminating in this overdue correction.
As part of this initiative, an updated version of MLB’s database will soon be made public, coinciding with a tribute game to the Negro Leagues between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on June 20th at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
While this represents a positive step forward, it’s important to address the ongoing lack of representation of Black media publications in professional sports coverage. Despite this milestone, there remains a disparity in access and recognition for Black journalists. Moving forward, it is imperative for every professional entity to ensure equal access and respect for all media outlets, regardless of race or size of the publication.
Every professional entity should actively engage in promoting inclusivity rather than allowing clubs to self-govern themselves.
Today, Major League Baseball has taken a commendable step in acknowledging the legacy of Negro League players, but there is still work to be done to ensure inclusivity and equity across the board.
