The abiding belief is that Major League Baseball ended its policy of segregation when Jackie Robinson made his debut on April 15, 1947.
42, as Robinson did during his Hall of Fame career, but Jackie’s debut did not strike down segregation within the game.
In the same week that it will celebrate the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth, MLB officially incorporated all verified Negro Leagues statistics.
“It means that people are taking notice of what this history really means, and it’s a long-overdue recognition.
Barry Bonds’ .863 slugging percentage in 2001, previously the single-season record, surpassing Babe Ruth’s .847 in 1920, slides to fifth place.
Bonds’ 182 career adjusted OPS+ of 182, previously good for third place on the all-time list, drops to fourth.
The number of American-born Black players in MLB peaked in 1981, at 18.7 percent, roughly five per team, but has since been in decline.
As for Black faces on the field, in the dugouts and in front offices, there continue to be layers to scrape off.