Negro Leagues Baseball Museum sign in Kansas City. The Museum is excited about Negro League stats being part of the Major League Baseball records as announced Wed Dec 16, 2020 by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

A decision that should have been made many years ago, but obviously is a welcomed decision by Major League Baseball. When The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame was founded in San Francisco in 1998 the museum instantly classified the Negro Leagues as a Mayor League.

Black players born in Latin America or in the United States played in leagues in the Caribbean. Central and South America for decades, it was not considered an “accomplishment” because the abnormal thing to do is not to allow a player to play because of his skin color.

The United States was the only place in the world that black players could not play in the Major Leagues. Many players had to play in the Negro Leagues and many had at least the talent (if not more than enough) to be in the Major Leagues.

Now, Major League Baseball officially classifying 1920 to 1948 teams of the Negro League as Mayor League. Major League Baseball basically is making a right from something that was a “wrong” for decades and that is to be commended. Nobody can change history, but in cases like this, it is good to correct it and bring it in-line with current society. “All of us who love baseball have long known that the Negro Leagues produced many of our game’s best players, innovations, and triumphs against a backdrop of injustice,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement provided by the league. “We are now grateful to count the players of the Negro Leagues where they belong: as major leaguers within the official historical record.”

Note: Jackie Robinson played one season in the Negro Leagues before he was brought into the Major Leagues by Brooklyn Dodger’s Branch Rickey. 1947 Kansas City Monarchs he played in 47 games, 163 at bats, .387 average, 14 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Although I do not always agree with Commissioner Manfred in his changes to the game, this is one time I give him the highest praise.

Stay tuned and stay well.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish lead radio play by play announcer for Oakland A’s baseball on 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com