Quote:
Originally Posted by Snapolit1
If anyone wants to understand the Negro Leagues better, particular the issue of how the Negro Leagues compared to the Major Leagues, I'd commend this short book to you. A series of SABR essays. I'll say the belated recognition of the Negro Leagues it's hardly about political correctness.
https://www.amazon.com/Negro-Leagues...s%2C77&sr=8-10 |
Steve,
They authorized SEVEN different Negro Leagues that existed between 1920-48 as now supposedly being on par with the major leagues we know. This also added approximately 3,400 black players to the list of what are now considered as major league ballplayers. Now according to Baseball Almanac, as of February 3, 2022 there have been exactly 19,969 recognized major league ballplayers since 1876, when the National League was recognized. And in quickly looking at their list, it appears Baseball Almanac does not yet include any of the Negro League players who did not eventually make it into the majors as we know them today. And according to Wikipedia (and yes I know this is not infallible info, but is the best I could find), there were 45 black players listed as having played in the Negro Leagues in 1948 (the last year supposedly through through which Negro League stats are now considered major league stats) or earlier, that also ended up in the majors. I mention this so these players don't get double counted, but that is likely a moot point as I couldn't find a more exact figure than the approximate 3,400 number for how many Negro League players were added to the major league stat rolls. So lets say the number of black players added to the major league stats strictly from Negro League careers is 3,355 (3,400 - 45) then. And currently the US population is approximately 14% black, which is probably about the highest it has ever been, so a good percentage to use for my purposes.
So here's my point. In the 145 year history of MLB there have only been 19,969 recognized major league players, while in the 28 year history of the Negro Leagues we are now saying there were 3,355 recently added major league caliber players. Yet blacks, at most, only account for about 14% of our overall population. Do you see the potential statistical anomaly here? How can so many black ballplayers all be so good as to merit major league level ability when they represent such a small portion of the overall population? I am not saying there weren't great black ballplayers that deserved to be in the majors, just not that many. The result of which would be that the overall player talent on Negro League teams was maybe a lot less than many would fantasize and have you believe. And if that is the case, the better black players got to pad their stats by playing against much less overall talented players, which isn't really a true and fair comparison then to stats put up by mainstream MLB players.
Why not include PCL stats as major league level stats as well then? Or explain why after baseball's integration the Negro Leagues became true minor league teams to the major leagues. People often disparage old white ballplayers and their stats as overstated because they didn't play against the great black players of their time. But that argument goes both ways, and I can see looking at overall numbers and percentages that it actually may be the black ballplayers who got the even bigger statistical boosts by not having to play against whites. But isn't it funny how you never seem to hear anyone tout that thinking?
So tell me again how adding all those Negro League stats as full-blown major league stats isn't possibly an attempt to appease others and remain in the overall good graces of as much of the public as possible by doing the politically correct thing. The timing alone of adding all these Negro League stats, in lieu of all the things going on in our society today, make the true intentions behind their inclusion suspect.