How do you rate the Negro League greats when discussing the history of baseball?
This is something I've always thought and had discussions about, so I figured I'd bring it over here to Net54. There have been many great black ballplayers, that either never got the chance to play in Major League Baseball due to the color barrier, or by the time they were able to come over, they were well past their primes.
I think it's easier for a player like Satchel Paige to be rated. We saw what he was capable of as a pitcher, even at the end of his career. Paige was dominant, putting together some very impressive seasons especially at the ages of 45 and 46. I would think that had he been able to spend his entire career, playing for a big league team, he would easily rank in the top 3-5 pitchers statistically speaking. So I think we can likely conclude that Paige was one of the greatest pitchers ever.
But then we get the other players who are shrouded in equal parts of mystery, fact and legend. I'm talking about guys like Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Pop Lloyd, Jose Mendez, etc. I can go on. Writer Joe Posnanski attempted to tackle this in his Baseball 100, but I was curious what everyone thought? Thanks.
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01-07-2023, 08:43 AM
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