REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR THE NEGRO LEAGUES –AND ALL OF US

For those of you who don’t know what the Negro Leagues are, or, rather, were, they were the Leagues in which African-Americans played up until 1947 (when Branch Rickey tapped Jackie Robinson to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers) because they weren’t allowed to play in the Major Leagues. The Negro League teams were wonderful teams with amazing players, but they were always considered second-best–and none of their records or statistics were official. But now those teams will be formally admitted to the Major Leagues and their 3400 players considered to be Major League players.

Many of them–Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, Satchel Page–were already in the Major Leagues and Satchel, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, and thirty others–are already in the Hall of Fame, so why does this matter?

Well, for one thing, it will stop people saying “Who did they ever beat?” and considering them second-rate players. The answer to “Who did they ever beat?” of course, is that they beat pretty much anybody they ever played, and that included white Major League teams in endless exhibition games.

The players on those teams admitted it. Peewee Reese proclaimed to anybody who would listen that Satchel Paige was the best pitcher he’d ever batted against, Johnny Mize said, “The greatest player I ever saw was a black man. His name is Martin Dihigo,” and white players lobbied for baseball to be integrated long before the owners relented. They knew talent when they saw it.

But too often their opinions were dismissed as just that, opinions, and since there were no official stats or records for the Negro Leagues, people could go on claiming that they were second-best.

No longer. The decision “recognizes the gentlemen who played in the Negro Leagues as equals.”

I’m not sure about that. Many of them, like Cool Papa Bell, Buck O’Neil (who it was my privilege to meet), Oscar Chesterton, Judy Johnson, and the ones I named above, were probably better than their counterparts. And they were playing a grueling season against immense odds and terrible racism.

The players’ records and statistics will also be made official–Major League Baseball is working on it as we speak–and rumors are flying that Josh Gibson may soon hold the record for most hits in a single season. Even if that doesn’t happen, he’ll add lots of hits, Satchel Paige will add 150 wins to his record, and Willie Mays will add hits to his already dazzling record. And all of it will be part of the permanent record.

Everyone who knows me knows my hero is Leroy “Satchel” Paige, who was an amazing pitcher but didn’t get his chance in the Majors until he was nearly at the end of his career when the Majors were finally integrated. Nevertheless, when he finally got to play for the Cleveland Indians, he was named Rookie of the Year and took the team all the way to the World Series. Just think what he could have done if he could have been in the Majors all along. And if he hadn’t had to contend with vicious racism every single day of his career, though he did that with grace and aplomb. And humor.

My favorite Satchel Paige story is the one where he was playing an exhibition game against a white team and some Southern white jerk shouted, “I ain’t playing against no filthy, ignorant, n****r,” and showered abuse on Satchel. Satchel took it all with a grin, but when the player came up to bat, he called the entire team in from the outfield (like a pitcher does when he thinks the batter’s going to bunt) and then motioned them to sit down on the ground. Then he struck the sonuvabitch out. (Sorry for my language, but it’s the only word that applies.)

I love Satchel, and this decision by Major League Baseball made me happy for him and for all the other African-American players of the Negro Leagues. In their decision, Major League Baseball said, “This decision shines a light on the immense talent that called the Negro Leagues home.”

Indeed.

Some people are already complaining that it’s too little, too late,

and that justice delayed is justice denied, which are both true. But it’s still very good news.