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Righting a Wrong


Major League Baseball accepts Negro Leagues as their own

Kevin Oeth, Sports Editor
Posted 12/22/20

Over the years, baseball fans have celebrated what my old friend, attorney John Whiteside, refers to as the “principle of moments.” This involves those moments when all things come …

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Righting a Wrong


Major League Baseball accepts Negro Leagues as their own

Posted

Over the years, baseball fans have celebrated what my old friend, attorney John Whiteside, refers to as the “principle of moments.” This involves those moments when all things come together at a specific time in such a way, one will never forget and their memory or thought process is changed forever. Baseball has many such moments on a smaller scale. Perhaps it’s the Black Sox scandal of 1919 or Ruth’s 60 homers or later his 714th? Maybe Bobby Thompson’s “shot heard ‘round the world?” A black man, Jackie Robinson, broke into the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and changed not only baseball, but America, while Carlton Fisk put his bid in with his shot above the Green Monster in the sixth game of the ’75 world series. Cardinal and Royals fans will debate their moment from the ’85 series forever. 

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball made an announcement that falls under that “principle of moments” heading. The announcement, possibly the biggest made by baseball since Branch Rickey announced the signing of Robinson, has sent tremors throughout baseball. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Major League Baseball is correcting a longtime oversight by officially elevating the Negro Leagues to “Major League” status. “During this year’s centennial celebration of the founding of the Negro Leagues, MLB is proud to highlight the contributions of the pioneers who played in these seven distinct leagues from 1920-1948. With this action, MLB seeks to ensure that future generations will remember the approximately 3,400 players of the Negro Leagues during this time period as Major League-caliber ballplayers,” MLB said in the announcement.

MLB will adopt the records of seven leagues that comprised the Negro Leagues between 1920-1948. Those seven leagues were the Negro National League which operated between 1920-1931, The Eastern Colored League (1923-1928), the American Negro League (1929), the East-West League (1932), the Negro Southern League (1932), the second edition of the Negro National League (1933-1948), and the second edition of the Negro American League (1937-1948).

“All of us who love baseball have long known that the Negro Leagues produced many of our games best players, innovations and triumphs against a backdrop of injustice. We are now grateful to count the players of the Negro Leagues where they belong: as Major Leaguers within the official historical record,” Commissioner Manfred said.

While many would consider Major League Baseball to be an entity comprised only of those teams in the well-known American and National Leagues, that is just not the case. In the winter of 1968-69, the Special Committee on Baseball Records was formed. That commission inexcusably did not take into consideration making the Negro Leagues a part of Major League Baseball, instead, adding the American Association, the Union Association, the Players League and the Federal League to the American and National Leagues. Wednesday’s announcement corrects that error.

The addition of the Negro Leagues changes many things for many players and their families. With approximately 100 players still living that played in the Negro Leagues, many will find themselves moving to the top of the list in some career or season statistics For instance, the founders of the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database, Major League Baseball, and the Elias Sports Bureau will work together  to determine the scope of the changes that will need to be made to the record books. Only records that were accumulated during regular Negro League games, not including those statistics that built up during what are commonly known as “barnstorming” games, will be considered. Still, this could change so many records we consider sacred today. For example, a simple perusal of The Baseball Encyclopedia will tell you Ty Cobb has the highest career batting average at .367 followed by Rogers Hornsby at .358. Looking at the records of Josh Gibson, of the Homestead Grays, shows Gibson to have a career batting average of .361, thus moving Hornsby into third place.

Obviously, Gibson’s is just one of many records that will be changing as approximately 3,400 players will be added to the number of players to have played in the majors, bringing the total number to over 20,000 all-time major leaguers.

Bob Kendrick is the director of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Located in the City’s historic 18th & Vine District, the museum was established in 1990. In 2006, the NLBM was designated by Congress as “America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.” On Friday, Mr. Kendrick spoke to this newspaper about the meaning of MLB’s announcement.

“We’re still kind of getting an idea of how the statistical data will be utilized, but to me, it’s more about this kind of historic reckoning that we believe was long overdue. That to me is where the real cause for celebration comes because the Negro Leagues were as good as any baseball that has ever been played in this country, and for whatever reason, they had not been formally acknowledged. This goes back to the commission that was formed in 1969.

“It was quite evident that this commission blatantly dismissed the Negro Leagues but recognized other leagues that had operated in this country at one point in time,” Kendrick said. “These other leagues really had very little impact on Major League baseball and here this league (the Negro League), that was dismissed, had tremendous impact on major league baseball. And so to essentially right this wrong is what was so important for us to have this historical acknowledgement.”

Baseball has been criticized for taking so long to have its color barrier broken. Its reputation has suffered for turning its back on the Negro leagues for so long. The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the Negro leagues. This makes the announcement a very timely one.

“First and foremost, it was the acknowledgement that was important,” Kendrick said. “It ain’t easy to step up and say ‘I’m sorry, I’m wrong.’ That is not an easy thing to do. We struggle with that in our own relationships. It’s hard to say it even when I know I’m wrong. It’s not an easy thing to do. For baseball, and particularly in this 100th anniversary year of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Negro Leagues, it means even more. To have this take place in a year that has been so tumultuous from the standpoint of a pandemic and social unrest that has occurred in our country this year is very important.

Baseball has always been at the forefront of social change in our country.” said Kendrick. “You know Jackie Robinson breaking down the color barrier, was as significant an occurrence in the civil rights movement as anything. So baseball, while it has been vilified for not allowing blacks to play…when it opened it’s door, our country followed suit.  Baseball’s been at the forefront of change, so for baseball to one: acknowledge it had erred, and two: to have it as part of the 100th anniversary and the timing at the end of what has been such a challenging year for everyone in our

country, it will, hopefully, be the thing that will carry us into 2021 with great excitement. It was the perfect way to cap off the 100th anniversary celebration.”

Glasgow native John Donaldson, due to the timeframe outlined by MLB, may not stand to  see much change in the status of his personal records. But this change could effect him in other ways.

“John Donaldson should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately while his career spills over after 1920, his greatness happened before 1920,” Kendrick said. 

“Buck O’Neil is another fan favorite that should be in the Hall of Fame. Buck was on the list for consideration by the Hall of Fame Golden Era committee this year. Unfortunately, they ended up cancelling the discussion and vote because of the virus. Now it is scheduled to happen in 2021. Buck will be in the discussion and if it happens, he would be inducted in 2022. This announcement also gives us a chance to make Donaldson’s case for the Hall of Fame.”

O’Neil was a longtime first-baseman and manager of the Kansas City Monarchs. Later he scouted for the Chicago Cubs and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball before becoming a scout for the Kansas City Royals. Prior to his death in 2006, O’Neil was widely considered to be one of baseball’s greatest ambassadors, not only for the major leagues of the time, but for the Negro Leagues, as well as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where he served as the Chairman of the Board. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum created the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented to honor those whose character, integrity and dignity, like O’Neil’s, positively enhance baseball’s impact on society. The award was given first to O’Neil in 2008 and named after him. O’Neil still remains an outsider, however when it comes to officially being inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

So many Negro League ballplayers stand to benefit from this merger. The number that will actually see the change, however is dwindling every day. Kendrick estimates there may only be around 20 still living from that 1920-48 time period.

“We’re losing these players at an alarming rate, probably the two most famous still living are Willie Mays and Reverend Bill Greason in Birmingham. They both played for the Birmingham Black Barons and were World War II veterans. It is just a matter of time before they are all going to be gone so everything we can do to create greater interest in them is important and what took place Wednesday is doing just that,” Kendrick said.

“People have been so moved by this announcement and by and large, the majority has been positive. You’re always going to have a few naysayers in the mix, and we understand there are those who will throw stones at Commissioner Manfred but I applaud him for having the conviction to make this decision. Anytime you make a decision that seems to upset the apple cart you’re going to get that but I think that number will be minute. Baseball fans seem to be joyous about this announcement.”

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