Josh Gibson?

Question

the MLB is a bunch of racists. Josh Gibson has over 800 homeruns and they dont count them??????? i know he played in the ***** Leaugues but they played good teams which were in the MLB. Josh Gibson is the overall homerun leader and he should be credited for that.

Answer 1

barry will be the first to tell you that when he breaks aaron's record he still won't catch up to josh. he's said that over many times.
people called josh the babe ruth of the ***** leagues, i call babe ruth the josh gibson of the major leagues.

Answer 2

Josh Gibson deserves his place in baseball history, and in the Hall of Fame. But I will not go along with the 800-homerun bit. And this is the reason: Every time players get together and reminisce the tales and events become bigger and wilder.
Satchel Paige said he won 2000 games and pitched 200 no-hitters. Well, maybe he did. But the calibre of players he pitched all those no-hitters against couldn't have been very good.
I remember a story they tell about Cool Papa Bell. He was so fast that he could turn the light-switch off by the door and hop in bed before the light went out.
Ask any old-time *****-leaguer and they will tell you the same thing.
Give Josh Gibson his due... as we give Sadahara Ho his 868 homers his due. But all three played different games under different situations.

Answer 3

Gibson has a plaque in the Hall; he's been accorded the game's HIGHEST individual honor. Specifically what more credit is he due?

Realize that many games played by ***** League teams were exhibitions against semi-pro or amateur teams, and not league-sanctioned competitions. Gibson could hit and slug, yes, but he was often up against competition he could utterly clobber. Imagine Ted Williams teeing off against the Boston University non-varsity freshmen of the day.

In sanctioned, championship competition, Gibson had closer to 200 homers. The official seasons were rather short, around 70 games.

Not that his legend is wrong, but it draws upon a wide selection of playing conditions and no doubt has benefited from some embellishments along the way.

In contrast, Oh's career records are well-documented, as is the history of Major League Baseball and the predecessor leagues to which it lays claim, as the research continues. That didn't happen for the ***** Leagues, or at least has not yet been researched and published. (The Hall and MLB sponsored some very detailed research prior to the 2006 Special Election. Stats are available for the players who were considered on that one-time ballot. If full ***** League stats were compiled as part of that work, that data has not yet been released.)

It's a shame, maybe even a crime, that Gibson and his contemporaries were not able to play alongside Ruth and such. However, it was what it was. The value of history lies in appreciating it and learning from it, not ranting how it sucks and trying to rewrite it. That never benefits anyone (not anyone who deserves it anyway); taking lessons forward, does.

Answer 4

Don't really think that th ***** Leagues kept very good stats and thus the lack of verification.....in actuality the Chinese player Sadauru Oh in the Japanese leagues actually hit 868 homeruns and holds the professional baseball record.....but just to put a stamp on how great Babe Ruth was....remember that he was mainly a pitcher for several years before going to the outfield full time.....Hank Aaron has almost 4000 more bats than Ruth.....at about 1 every 11 times at bat.....Ruth would have finished with over 1100.....think of that 4000 more turns at bat!!!........even any supposed records of 800 by Gibson or records by Oh and Aaron....do not compare to Ruth's production!!

Answer 5

***** League teams played a lot of good teams (and, sometimes, barnstorming major league players), true, but they also played a lot of mediocre teams. Not even the most die-hard fans would argue that more than a couple ***** League teams at any time were the equal of any major league teams. Even if one assumes that they were, most of the games played by ***** teams were not against fellows League teams. Combine that with the shoddy record-keeping in the various ***** Leagues, and it's impossible to know exactly how many home runs Gibson actually hit, let alone how many of those were against teams or pitchers of Major League caliber.

Answer 6

i hate to rain on everyone parade but does anyone know that Josh Gibson passed away at the age of 35 ?? and that he only played 18 years in the ***** Leagues, granted he was the best catcher the ***** leagues had ever seen and it was well documented that he mashed some Home Runs in his day. Josh was even selected to the Hall of Fame in 1972.
But, to hit 800 Home Runs in 18 years he would have to average 45 Home Runs a year,
Josh died (Stroke) in January 1947 in Pittsburgh PA and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery just outside of Pittsburgh.

Answer 7

I take nothing away from what Josh Gibson has done in his career. But in my own readings I have found many historians are unable to accurately account for all of his homeruns. The problem is that there are many different box score accounts from the games in which he played. I take nothing away from him but if you have and reasonable doubt you cant make him the all time leader.

Answer 8

Well as far as the MLB, a black man owneth, a black man taketh away! So that's the justice in my opinion. Babe Ruth's record is long gone.

As far as Gibson is concerned it's a shame and just shows how ignorance and stupidity ruled during his lifetime. But MLB is right because he did not play in their league. Therefore they can't be counted no matter how unjust it may seem.

Answer 9

i agree he needs some credit some how some way becuase he was a legit barry bonds (aka no steroids).. He murdered the ball and should be recognized as one of the best home run hitters ever becuase it was almost harder in the ***** leauge with the pitchers that would spit on the ball, buggers and all kind of stuff (not being racist but its historic).. he went against satchel paige i mean come on it doesnt get much harder then tht

Answer 10

MLB didnt own the ***** leauge

Answer 11

should be but he isnt. In simpler times (aka before jackass bud) ***** leagues were never endorsed by MLB and thus nothing really counted. MLB conisder the ***** league bush league baseball. and the only games they did play was barnstorming.