McFarland The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues: Historians Reappraise Black Baseball

Review "[a] valuable perspective on a neglected epoch of baseball history...highly recommended"--Choice"Essential...recommended"--Midwest Book Review"How good were the Negro Leagues? Conventional thinking has dictated that, while stars from the Negro Leagues (Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and many others) were every bit the equal of, if not superior to, Major League standouts, the overall quality of Negro Leagues play was inferior to that of the majors. This collection of essays by baseball historians, many affiliated with the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR), tells a different story.... the authors have assembled all the available data and reassessed it in a wealth of revealing ways, including a comparison of all games played between 1920 and 1948 between Negro League teams and major leaguers...Peterson dives much deeper into the stats in his contribution, 'The Case for the Negro Leagues, ' which analyzes available pitching and hitting records to show that in every area the Negro Leagues either outperform or are equal to Major League numbers...an important contribution to baseball history"--Booklist Product Description How good was Negro League Baseball (1920–1948)? Some experts maintain that the quality of play was equal to that of the American and National Leagues. Some believe the Negro Leagues should be part of Major League Baseball’s official record and that more NL players should be in the Hall of Fame. Skeptics contend that while many players could be rated highly, NL organizations were minor league at best.Drawing on the most comprehensive data available, including stats from more than 2000 interracial games, this study finds that black baseball was very good indeed. Negro leaguers beat the big leaguers more than half the time in head-to-head contests, demonstrated stronger metrics within their own leagues and excelled when finally allowed into the majors. The author documents the often duplicitous manner in which MLB has dealt with the legacy of the Negro Leagues. A detailed history of early pro black ball is included, along with the stories of several legendary players and teams. About the Author Visual artist and teacher Todd Peterson lives in Kansas City, Missouri. His work has been published in Baseball Research Journal and Black Ball.