On May 28th, 2024, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the inclusion of roughly 75% of collected stats from the 1920-1948 Negro Leagues. With these new stats, new leaders have emerged in some statistical categories in baseball history. One name in particular, catcher Josh Gibson, has become the topic of many conversations. He is now the leader in stats like batting average, slugging percentage (SLG), on-base plus slugging (OPS), and more.
So, what were the Negro Leagues? Why are they shaking up the record books so much? Who is this new greatest baseball player of all time you haven’t heard of before? Let’s check them out together.
The History of the Negro Leagues
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, African Americans created their own major baseball leagues due to segregation in the MLB. There had been leagues for African Americans to participate in, dating back to the 1860s. However, it wasn’t until 1920 that the first official league was established.
It is unknown how the competition would have compared against each other. The common belief is that the level of play was equal to that of the major leagues at the time.
Photo Cred: MLB.com
One of the biggest differences between the two leagues is in the number of games and the impact this has on player stats. Seasons in the Negro Leagues typically lasted an average of 60-80 games. MLB was able to use the metric used to calculate stats based on plate appearances to calculate statistics for a full 162-game season. This was the same metric used for the shortened 2020 season, which was only 60 games long.
High Time to Integrate the Stats
“The condensed 60-game season for the 2020 calendar year for the National League and American League prompted us to think that maybe the shortened Negro League seasons could come under the MLB umbrella, after all,” said MLB’s official historian John Thorn.
This results in highly inflated estimates in career “counting” stats, such as hits, home runs, and RBIs, as well as high “rate” statistics like average, on-base percentage, and earned run average.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred explained to The Associated Press, “It’s a show of respect for great players who performed in the Negro Leagues due to circumstances beyond their control and once those circumstances changed demonstrated that they were truly major leaguers. Maybe the single biggest factor was the success of players who played in the Negro Leagues and then came to the big leagues.”
Who is Josh Gibson?
Born in Georgia in 1911, Gibson started out as an amateur baseball third baseman at age 16. He began his semi-professional baseball career in 1928 for the Pittsburgh Crawfords. His first foray into professional Negro League baseball was with the Memphis Red Sox in 1930. After playing one game with them, he joined the Homestead Grays, where he stayed for two seasons (1930-31). Gibson also represented the Crawfords for five years (1932-36) when they made the jump to pro status. From 1930-32, he was playing in the Black Baseball league (BLK) rather than the Negro National League (NNL).
Photo Cred: Britannica
In his first full season in 1933, Gibson was a 21-year-old playing catcher. He quickly became a household name in the Negro National League II (NN2). By the season’s end, he led the league in nine statistical categories. This includes hits (94), home runs (18), and on-base percentage (.442). He earned a spot in the East-West All-Star game at the end of the year. A rare feat for a rookie, this marked just the beginning of Gibson’s illustrious career.
He followed this rookie year with three consecutive All-Star seasons from 1934 to 1936. During this period, he achieved back-to-back Triple Crowns in 1936 and 1937. In 1936, he led the league with a .389 average, 18 homers, and 66 RBIs. The following year, he boasted a .417 avg, 20 HRs, and 73 RBIs. By age 25, Gibson had topped the league in runs thrice, home runs and RBIs five times each, batting average twice, and slugging five times! Additionally, he led in OPS/OPS+ and most total bases four times within that span.
Becoming the GOAT
Gibson played another nine seasons for the Grays before his final game in 1946 at age 34. During those final seasons, he established himself as arguably the greatest baseball player in history. With the exception of 1940, he led the league in at least three categories every season! In 1943, Gibson had the single greatest offensive season in pro baseball history. Boasting a .466 average, he led the NN2 in an astounding 11 batting categories!
Photo Cred: MPR News
By the end of his career, Gibson was a 12-time All-Star with a .373 career batting average, three batting titles, and two Negro World Series championships. When his numbers were added to the record books, they completely reshaped everything.
Taking Over and Reaching New Heights
Gibson now claims the top spot in the MLB record books with new marks of .373* batting average, .718 SLG, and 1.176 OPS. He surpassed Ty Cobb’s .366 average, Babe Ruth’s .690 SLG, and Ruth’s 1.164 OPS. Additionally, his .466 batting average in 1943 is recognized by MLB.com as the single-season record^. Gibson eclipsed Hugh Duffy’s previous record of .440, set in 1894.
He now holds the record for the highest single-season slugging percentage. His .974 SLG in 1937 passes Barry Bonds’ .863 SLG from 2001. Gibson also slugged .868 in 1943, pushing Bonds to fifth overall behind Mule Suttles and Charlie Smith as well. Additionally, Gibson’s single-season OPS records of 1.474 (1937) and 1.427 (1943) move Bonds down once more. Bonds previously held the record with a 1.422 season, and now he is third on the list.
A Transcendent Reach Across a Global Scale
While Gibson is best known for his accomplishments in the Negro Leagues, he also had a significant influence on Latin American baseball. He played winter ball in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic for several seasons. In 1940, he opted to play an entire season outside the U.S. due to better financial opportunities.
Photo Cred: YouTube/Negro Leaguers in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was the only country where he had multiple separate stints, with his 1941-42 tenure notably standing out. Playing for the Cangrejeros de Santurce, Gibson’s .480 batting average earned him the batting title that year. Not only was the average remarkable for that season, but .480 is acknowledged as the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League record! He was awarded the top player/MVP trophy for that season. He even served as a player/manager for those Santurce “Crabbers”.
According to one article in a translated web archive, Gibson led the 1939-40 season in Puerto Rico with eight home runs. His career Cuban batting average, HRs, and RBIs are detailed in the article, which was written by Edwin Kako Vazquez. In 1941-42, he is noted as both the home run champion and batting title champion, though his avg is listed as .479 instead. Another article within the archive, authored by David Duran, discusses Gibson’s 1940 season in Mexico from an alleged eyewitness account. The witness noted that Gibson hit a record 33 HRs in 90 games, though Baseball-Reference records show he hit 12 homers in 89 games. However, Gibson did achieve 33 home runs in 94 games in 1941.
Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Cuba
In his 1937 season with the Ciudad de Trujillo Dragones in the Dominican League, Josh Gibson achieved a .453 batting avg for the season. The team later disbanded, and organized baseball was not played in the country for years thereafter. During his time with the Azules de Veracruz in the Mexican League, he tied for second place in HRs hit in 1940. His .467 average won him the batting title. He also led the league in OBP, SLG, and OPS in that season. In 1941, Gibson led the league in HRs, RBIs, SLG, OPS, and total bases. He was the only player with more than 20 homers and 100 RBIs, underscoring his exceptional talent.
He played for two teams in Cuba, Habana (1937-38) and the Leopardos de Santa Clara (1938-39). While details about how he performed relative to others are scarce, his individual and team statistics are noted. Despite Gibson’s .344 average, Habana finished in last place. However, Gibson guided Santa Clara to a title, with a league-leading 11 HRs and 50 RBIs. He was also able to manage a .356 avg and apparently faced a lot of intentional walks because no one wanted to pitch to him.
The Legacy of an All-Time Great
All-time baseball records that stood for nearly a century were shattered in one night. At one point, these records were considered unbreakable and enduring. This only scratches the surface of Gibson’s achievements. Unfortunately, his potential for further greatness was limited by health issues. His decline began in 1943 when he opted to live with recurring headaches due to a brain tumor. Due to this, his mental status was also affected. Gibson passed away in 1947 at the age of 35 in Pittsburgh, succumbing to a stroke. One can only speculate on what more he could have accomplished.
Photo Cred: Baseball Hall of Fame
Josh Gibson’s Hall of Fame plaque begins with the lines “considered greatest slugger in Negro Baseball history. Power-hitting catcher who hit almost 800 home runs…” While the exact accuracy of these claims may never be fully verified, there is much to be said based on what is known. He played at a time when blacks and whites were segregated on the field. Regardless, his achievements stand as a testament to his legendary status in the game. As such, Major League Baseball has decided to incorporate Negro League statistics, giving Gibson his rightful opportunity to be considered among the greatest of all time in MLB.
Footnotes
*- Listed as .373 on Baseball-Reference. MLB recognizes the number as .372.
^- Baseball-Reference recognizes Tetelo Vargas’ .471 batting average as the single-highest record. MLB needs a minimum of 146 plate appearances to recognize statistical leaders, and Vargas fell short of the mark by 10 PAs.
