Major League Baseball Ball Lee on Wednesday sought to correct a long-running misstep by recognizing the Negro Leagues as a major league and calculating the stats and records of thousands of black players as part of the game’s or historical history.
Tesley, 93, who played for the New York Cubans in 1948, said by phone from his home in Detroit, “My daughter and my sons heard this and they were all excited and they came to talk about the good news and have fun.”
“It’s early Christmas and it will make the new year very happy, especially since my wife passed away in January. I’ll just think of all the players … it’s a wonderful thing.”
The MLB’s announcement comes during the centenary celebrations of the founding of the Negro Leagues, which featured stars such as Josh Gibson – and Leroy “Sashel” Page, considered one of the best hitters in the history of the game, who created the pitching legend. His big league debut in 1948 at the age of 42.
Tesli noted that official recognition has only confirmed that Negro League players have known each other for a long time.
“I started practicing with some former Negro League players when I was 12 and I used to hear stories about the greats – Josh Gibson, Sacheel Page and Buck Leonard,” he said. “And I felt back then that they were just as good as the main liguers.”
US Historical Recognition coincides with the Cleveland Baseball Club’s decision this week to remove “Indian” from its name, as US corporate corporate brands review the use of their racist caricatures and stereotypical names.
MLB Commissioner Robert D. “The baseball we all love has known for a very long time that Negro Liga has had many of the best players, innovations and victories in our game against a background of injustice,” Manfred Jr. said in a statement.
“We are now grateful to the Negro League players for counting where they belong: as the main liguers in the official historical record.”
The MLB said it was “improving long-term oversight of the sport’s history” by enhancing the status of the Negro leagues – which included seven leagues between 1920 and 1948 and about 3,400 players.
The collapse of the Negro Leagues began in 1947 when Jagri Robinson became the first MLB black player with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In 1969, the Special Committee on Baseball Records did not include the Negro League among the six “major leagues” known since 1876.
The MLB said the MLB was of the opinion that the committee’s consideration of the 1969 Negro Legis was clearly a mistake that demands today’s position.
“The alleged shortcomings in the formation and scheduling of the Negro Leagues stem from MLB’s exclusionary methods, and denying them a Major League designation is a double penalty, such as the introduction of Hall Fame candidates before the induction of the Sachel Piege in 1971,” said John Major League Baseball. Stated in the statement.
“It is a great pleasure to give the Negro League MLB status a century after its inception.”
A review of the old record has begun
The MLB said it has begun reviewing key figures “to determine the full scope” of positional interventions on statistics and records, along with the Ilias Sports Bureau. “The Bureau is the official statistician of the Major League Baseball.
“The MLB and Elias will work with historians and other experts in the field to evaluate the relevant issues and reach a conclusion once the process is complete,” the statement said.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Mississauga City, Missouri, said the belief “serves as a valid historical belief for those who were excluded from the Major League and have the foresight and courage to create their own league that helped change the game.” .And our country. “
This acknowledgment is a compliment to the courageous owners and players who helped create this extraordinary adventure and display a welcome spotlight on the tremendous talent that calls Negro Leagues home.
The museum, on Twitter, called the MLB’s move “extraordinarily important” but added that Negro League players “never looked to Major League Baseball for recognition.”
The seven leagues given the status of major leagues are the Negro National League (I) (1920–1931); Eastern Color League (1923–1928); The American Negro League (1929); East-West League (1932); Negro Southern League (1932); Negro National League (II) (1933–1948); And the Negro American League (1937–1948).
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