[CFrance]

Originally Posted by blueash

And completely unlike the APGA where there are no color barriers against non whites competing in the PGA, the Negro leagues existed for one reason only. Systemic racism. America refused to allow Black athletes to play in MLB. So don't tell me Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth got their records because of a meritocracy. They got them in part because it was a white man's league.

I don't know how well the Negro league players would have competed. I don't know if Ruth would have hit fewer home runs against teams with Black pitchers. But I do know that a team of white players only would fail in MLB now. It's possible Ruth couldn't hit a major league pitcher now much less Satchel Paige.

It amazes me that anyone would use a claim of unfairness in this situation. Moving down a slot on the all time slugging percentage is far less a crime against honoring baseball greatness than was the white bigotry and prejudice that made the Negro league ever exist. That was unfair. That was, to use your word, deplorable.

Do you have a problem with records from American League teams being counted against records of National League teams? They didn't play each other then except a few world series games which don't count in the record books. Are you sure that the leagues had equal talent thus Ruth's homers would have been the same if he played in the National league. I think you are comfortable mixing those separate league records together as all time baseball records.

All this does is accept a third major league into the record books. And you'd be hard pressed to claim that the standard of play in the Negro League was lower than in the American or National League.

Very well said.