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sports Thursday 17 december 2020

MLB reclassifies Negro Leagues as major league

NEW YORK (AP) — Willie season mark ever, edging
Mays will add some hits to Hugh Duffy's .440 from 1894.
his record, Monte Irvin's big Gibson's line came in fewer
league batting average than 80 games, however,
should climb over .300 and far short of the modern
Satchel Paige may add standard of 162.
nearly 150 victories to his to- "We couldn't be more
tal. Josh Gibson, the great- thrilled by this recognition
est of all Negro League of the significance of the
sluggers, might just wind Negro Leagues in Major
up with a major league League Baseball history,"
record, too. The statistics said Edward Schauder, le-
and records of greats like gal representative for Gib-
Gibson, Paige and roughly son's estate and co-found-
3,400 other players are set er of the Negro Leagues
to join Major League Base- Players Association. "Josh
ball's books after MLB an- Gibson was a legend who
nounced Wednesday it would have certainly been
is reclassifying the Negro a top player in the major
Leagues as a major league. leagues if he had been al-
MLB said Wednesday it lowed to play."
was "correcting a longtime MLB said it considered in-
oversight in the game's his- put from the National Base-
tory" by elevating the Negro ball Hall of Fame and Mu-
Leagues on the centennial seum, the Negro League
of its founding. The Negro Researchers and Authors
Leagues consisted of seven In this Aug. 2, 1942, file photo, Kansas City Monarchs pitcher Leroy Satchel Paige warms up at New Group and studies by other
leagues, and MLB will in- York's Yankee Stadium before a Negro League game between the Monarchs and the New York baseball authors and re-
clude records from those Cuban Stars. Associated Press searchers.
circuits between 1920-48. "The perceived deficiencies
The Negro Leagues began an error that demands For instance, Mays could least 146 to his total. of the Negro Leagues' struc-
to dissolve one year after today's designation," the be credited with 17 hits While some have estimated ture and scheduling were
Jackie Robinson became league said in a statement. from his 1948 season with Gibson slugged over 800 born of MLB's exclusionary
MLB's first Black player with The league will work with the Alabama Black Bar- homers during 16 Negro practices, and denying
the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Elias Sports Bureau to ons. Irvin, a teammate of League seasons, it's unlikely them major league status
1947. Those leagues were review Negro Leagues Mays' with the New York Gi- that enough records ex- has been a double penal-
excluded in 1969 when statistics and records and ants, could see his career ist for him to officially pass ty, much like that exacted
the Special Committee on figure out how to incorpo- average climb from .293 Barry Bonds for the career of Hall of Fame candidates
Baseball Records identified rate them into MLB's histo- to .304 if numbers listed at record at 762. prior to Satchel Paige's in-
six official "major leagues" ry. There was no standard Baseball-Reference from Depending on what Elias duction in 1971," baseball
dating to 1876. method of record keep- his nine Negro League sea- and MLB rule, though, Gib- historian John Thorn said.
"It is MLB's view that the ing for the Negro Leagues, sons are accurate. son could wind up with "Granting MLB status to the
Committee's 1969 omission but there are enough box And Paige, who currently another notable record. Negro Leagues a century
of the Negro Leagues from scores to stich together is credited with 28 major His .441 batting average after their founding is pro-
consideration was clearly some of its statistical past. league wins, should add at in 1943 would be the best foundly gratifying."q

48-year-old Manny Ramirez is back in baseball Down Under

SYDNEY (AP) — Manny to play and bought in in games.
Ramirez — yes, that Man- every way. He’s going Ramirez has been joined in
ny Ramirez — is back in to hit some long balls this Sydney by New York Yan-
baseball Down Under. season.” Ramirez, who kees hitting coach Rachel
The now 48-year-old for- was the World Series MVP Balkovec on an off-season
mer Boston Red Sox leg- when the Red Sox broke assignment. Balkovec is
end and 12-time Major their 86-year title drought the first woman to perform
League Baseball all-star in 2004, has played in the that role in the MLB.
is scheduled to begin the American minor leagues, Injuries hit Sydney hard at
season on Thursday for the as well as in China and Ja- the end of last season as
Sydney Blue Sox in the Aus- pan, since his MLB career they missed the playoffs,
tralian Baseball League. ended. winning just five of their last
Sydney manager Shane In 2009, Ramirez was sus- 22 games.
Barclay said the two- pended for 50 games for “The culture that has been
time World Series winner’s Major League Baseball all-star Manny Ramirez poses for a violating baseball’s drug created this year is five
preparation for the season photograph overlooking Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. policy. In 2011, Ramirez steps up (on last season),”
Associated Press
— his team opens the sea- was informed by MLB of Barclay said. “It doesn’t
son against the defend- Manny show but it’s been watching him swing a bat, another violation of its win you an ABL trophy but
ing champion Melbourne a pleasure,” Barclay said you’re going ‘there’s no drug policy and a 100- it gives us the foundation
Aces — could not be fault- Wednesday. “The buy-in way this guy is 48’. game suspension but he we need to be knocking
ed. from him (Ramirez) has “He’s an incredible ath- later appealed and the on the door most years.
“We knew there’d be a been magnificent and just lete. He’s legit and here ban was reduced to 50 We’re a new club.”q