As MLB incorporates stats, a look at Houston’s deep ties to Negro League baseball

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The longstanding omission of Negro League statistics in Major League Baseball has been rectified. After an extensive three-year research project, MLB has officially integrated the statistics of over 2,300 Negro League players into its record books. This inclusion elevates Josh Gibson to Major League Baseball’s career leader in batting average with a .372, surpassing Ty Cobb’s .367. Gibson also now holds the top spot in career slugging percentage, moving ahead of Babe Ruth.

Houston has a rich history in Negro League baseball, from the Houston Black Buffaloes to the Houston Eagles, whose jerseys the Astros have proudly worn on multiple occasions. This integration brings a new sense of pride to the communities that supported these teams and celebrated their extraordinary athletes, recognizing the Negro Leagues as equals to the Major Leagues.

In a Zoom interview with , Texas native Dr. Rob Fink, a Negro Leagues scholar with a PhD in history and author of “Playing in Shadows: Texas and the Negro Leagues,” discussed his extensive research on the topic. Fink highlighted that major Negro League teams held spring training in the Houston area, and local players who excelled in exhibition games were often signed by these teams, which produced some of the greatest players in baseball history.

“The Houston Black Buffaloes and other teams were seen as heroes, celebrated for their successes,” Fink told . “Racism and segregation aimed to make certain people seem less than. This acknowledgment shows they were not less than; they were equal or better. It meant so much to the community.”

Fink emphasized that while few Negro League players are still alive today, the official inclusion of their statistics in MLB records is monumental and will remain significant for generations.

“It’s great for the players to receive their due,” Fink said about MLB incorporating Negro League statistics. “Future fans who are unaware of the Negro Leagues’ stories can now learn about these historic achievements. For the families of these players, it’s a major validation of what their ancestors endured.”

The newly incorporated MLB records include stats from seven different Negro Leagues, among them the Negro American League, where the Houston Eagles competed for two years.