Talking baseball and what it means to have Negro Leagues stats integrated into MLB

Often when a baseball record is set, it occurs during a game with fanfare.

Not this time.

The integration of Negro Leagues statistics into Major League Baseball — which has resulted in new leaders atop several categories — happened decades later and was determined by a committee.

A Negro Leagues slugger, Josh Gibson, has surpassed Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in a couple of batting categories, and some who started their career in the Negro Leagues before moving to MLB — Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and others — had numbers added to their stats.

On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss baseball’s move and its impact. You’ll also hear from Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, who shared his thoughts on the development and answered questions at a news conference.