Major League Baseball announced it will recognize the Negro Leagues as “Major League” status going forward. The decision comes after holding discussions with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and various baseball authors and researchers.
With this action, the approximately 3,400 players of the Negro Leagues from 1920-48 will be acknowledged in MLB’s record books. The league will work closely with Elias Sports Bureau to “determine the full scope of this designation’s ramifications on statistics and records.”
Among the most notable players that had stints in the Negro Leagues include Willie Mays, Satchel Paige and Monte Irvin.