Black Baseball History

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Kansas City, Missouri

The definitive institution preserving the history of Black professional baseball. Founded in 1990, it houses artifacts, photographs, and interactive exhibits documenting the Negro Leagues from their founding through modern recognition.

National Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, New York

Home to the permanent Negro Leagues exhibit and the induction plaques of dozens of Black baseball pioneers. The Hall has increasingly centered Negro Leagues history through dedicated galleries and special elections.

SABR Negro Leagues Committee

Nationwide Research Network

The Society for American Baseball Research's dedicated committee for Negro Leagues scholarship. Produces biographical research, statistical databases, and academic publications that form the backbone of modern Negro Leagues historiography.

Seamheads Negro Leagues Database

Digital Archive

The most comprehensive statistical database of Negro Leagues box scores, player records, and team histories. An extraordinary volunteer-driven effort that has reconstructed game-by-game records from newspaper archives.

Center for Negro League Baseball Research

Research Foundation

Dedicated to original research, oral history collection, and educational outreach. Publishes scholarly work and supports researchers uncovering the untold stories of Black baseball across every era.

Josh Gibson Foundation

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Named for 'the Black Babe Ruth,' the foundation preserves Josh Gibson's legacy while supporting youth baseball, education, and the ongoing effort to recognize Negro Leagues greatness in its proper historical context.

MLB Officially Integrates Negro Leagues Statistics into Official Record

Major League Baseball has officially incorporated the statistics of over 2,300 Negro Leagues players into its historical record books. This landmark decision recognizes seven Negro Leagues from 1920-1948 as Major Leagues, finally providing official status to these players.

Josh Gibson Becomes MLB's All-Time Career Batting Average Leader

Following the integration of Negro Leagues data, legendary catcher Josh Gibson has officially surpassed Ty Cobb as the all-time MLB leader in career batting average with a .372 mark. This update also saw Gibson overtake Babe Ruth in career slugging percentage, marking a historic shift in baseball's record books.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Hails Statistical Integration as Watershed Moment

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, praised the inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics as a long-overdue correction to baseball history. He emphasized that this move is a vital step in honoring the legacy of Black baseball stars who were previously excluded from the official record.

Baseball-Reference Expands Coverage of Negro Leagues History

Baseball-Reference has significantly updated its platform to treat Negro Leagues as major leagues, commissioning articles from historians and family members to provide context beyond the numbers. The project aims to honor the legacy of Black baseball players by presenting their careers as equals to those in the American and National Leagues.

Reflecting on the Reckoning of Baseball's Segregated Past

The recent inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics in MLB records has sparked a broader conversation about the sport's segregated history. Historians note that this change represents a significant shift in how the game's evolution is understood, moving away from decades of exclusion in mainstream sporting records.