Josh Gibson, who spent his entire career playing in the Negro Leagues as a member of both the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays, will join the league's other former players in having their statistics officially incorporated into MLB's record books. The official announcement is scheduled for Wednesday, according to a report from USA Today.
“This is a historical moment for the game of baseball as these great players will forever be recognized within Major League Baseball’s official record books," Bob Nutting said in a statement Wednesday. "Congratulations to all these great players, especially Pittsburgh’s own Josh Gibson. The Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays are an important part of the rich history of baseball in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have long celebrated these great teams and players such as Josh Gibson, Ray Brown, Oscar Charleston, Buck Leonard and so many others for their tremendous accomplishments. Whether it is in our Pirates Hall of Fame, the large baseballs on the riverwalk, the Crawfords and Grays Championship banners, the many other displays throughout PNC Park, or the support of educational displays and programs within our community, we are proud to continue to share the stories of these great players for generations to come.”
In adding Negro League statistics of more than 2,300 players from 1920-48, Gibson will now become Major League Baseball's all-time career leader in batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.718) and OPS (1.177). He'll replace Ty Cobb as the all-time leader in career batting average and moves ahead of Babe Ruth in the other two categories.
Several Major League records are now held by Josh Gibson as he and other Negro Leagues legends officially join the all-time leaderboards.
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2024
The statistics of more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players launch today in a newly integrated https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39 database that presents… pic.twitter.com/UyvCu0pSzi
Gibson, who maintained his .372 average with 166 home runs in over 600 career games, also holds single-season marks in all three of those categories, ones that will hold up as records when stacked up against MLB players. Gibson hit .446 in 1943 and, in 1937, he posted a .974 slugging percentage with a 1.474 OPS.
Considered one of the all-time great catchers -- and now overall players -- in the game, Gibson was the second Negro League player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
