How do you rate the Negro League greats when discussing the history of baseball?

[Seven]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I really enjoyed this short collection of essays. Discussed some of the real difficulties in comparing Negro League players to today. Lots of complicated issues, but clearly there were amazing players who were screwed out an opportunity to play in MLB. The gaping holes in the historical record make this a very difficult question to drill down on.

https://www.amazon.com/Negro-Leagues.../dp/1970159634

Didn't know about this collection, will definitely check it out. Thank you.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by Seven

Didn't know about this collection, will definitely check it out. Thank you.

+1 Agree I will check it out also

[Touch'EmAll]

I don't see how one can argue that the top Negro League players weren't on a par with the best MLB players.

MLB of the late 1940's and early 1950's had an infusion of blacks - Jackie, Paige, Aaron, Mays, Campanella, etc.

The Negro Leagues didn't just produce these top players all of a sudden with no top talent before them.

[Exhibitman]

Thread needs an image or two

[Peter_Spaeth]

The general observation that the best Black players were on the same level as the best White players is fairly easy and obvious. Without good numbers, though, it's a bit harder to make specific rankings and head to head comparisons. I'm not sure we can really say one way or the other, for example, who was the greater HR hitter, Ruth or Gibson. Or who was better, Lloyd or Wagner. Etc.

[JimC]

I tend to agree with Peter about rankings, especially since fans can't even agree on who was better among the guys who played in the same leagues. Ranking Ruth, Cobb, Aaron, Mantle, Musial, Mays and Ted Williams is a never ending debate. Wait, did someone say Clemente?

When you throw Charleston into the mix it just gets more speculative. Still, those early greats all deserve their due and it's cool to see them getting more recognition. I would love to see more research come out from the Cuban leagues about the participation of Negro Leaguers there.

[Jason19th]

It’s important to make a differentiation between quality of the leagues and the quality of the players. I believe that it is just historical malpractice to argue that the leagues were equal. Up until the 1940’s even the best negro league teams only carried 13-15 players at a time , had terribly unstable rosters with players jumping contacts all over the world, had no athletic training, poor transportation and even worse lodging. If you put the 1932 Chicago American giants in the National league and asked them to play 154 games they would have finished in last place 40 games back. The Negro league teams were not built to play the same type of season that the majors played. This is not criticizing the Negro league but merely recognizing the world they lived in the effects of existing in Jim Crow America. I would argue that by trying equalize the leagues we are actually writing out the racist reality that drove the inequality
The players however were often clearly the equal of major leaguers. Taking the same 1932 Chicago American team there were two Hofers Foster and Stearns and a couple of players who would have been perineal all stars at least in Radcliffe and Malarcher. Move any of these players into the National league in 1932 and they are still great