How MLB’s inclusion of Negro League stats proves power of DEI

FORMER PIRATES PLAYER KEVIN YOUNG, right, is pictured in a throwback Pittsburgh Crawfords uniform with Sean Gibson, great-grandson of Negro League great Josh Gibson. Sean Gibson is sporting the throwback Homestead Grays jersey. Courier File Photo Negro League stats will now be included in official Major League Baseball stats. In a statement, MLB officials revealed that Negro League stats from 1920-48 will now be apart of MLB’s official record. “We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “This initiative is focused on ensuring that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the Negro Leagues possible. Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in American history and the path that led to Jackie Robinson’s 1947 Dodger debut.” This 1942 photo provided by the Carnegie Museum of Art shows Homestead Grays baseball catcher Josh Gibson crouched on Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. (Charles “Teenie” Harris/Carnegie Museum of Art via AP) The decision will now shake up MLB records as prominent Negro League players such as Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Willie...