if it were different

  There was an article about Major League baseball incorporating the Negro League stats into their record books. The article says it is an acknowledgement that the Negro league was major league. I can't argue with that, they certainly were major leaguers. The fact that they had a league of their own doesn't diminish their talents. The fact that they were barred from the white guys league also can not be disputed. But we have progressed in that regard and moved on from that time. In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke that color barrier. That was seventy three years ago. And here we are today saying the Negro league players were major league players and will incorporate their stats into the record book with the "white" major leaguers. I say "white" for lack of a better term. 

 Now I don't have a problem with acknowledging that the black players were equally as talented, equally as capable, as any other players of any race. Thing is, they were playing in a separate league. With just a few exceptions those players were never tested against the white players on the baseball field. The same could be said for the white players, they were never tested against the talent of the black players. For that reason I can't see how it is a fair comparison to either one of those leagues. It is a matter of, "what if. " What if Josh Gibson had played against the likes of Babe Ruth? Isn't that what we call "fantasy" sports these days. We compare stats against stats and determine a winner. Doesn't matter if the two people are alive, ever faced each other, or even existed in the same century. It's fantasy. Josh Gibson, by the way, was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, so he was recognized, as were many others like Sachel Paige, who did play in the "white" major league.

 I did leave a comment on that article and, not surprisingly, immediately I was labeled a bigot, racist, and a host of other names for my opinion. No matter that I said unequivocally that the black players were every bit as talented, every bit as capable, and equal in their playing abilities in every way to any other league or players on the face of the earth. But I had dared to say, they played in a different baseball league. I pointed out that did not diminish their accomplishments in any way, just that it was a different league. Still the attack came fast and furious. Had I ever been denied to join or play in a league because of the color of my skin? No, I haven't and no one else has in the last seventy three years. My feeling is that injustice has been righted. You can not change the past because you don't like the past. You can't rewrite the past and have it appear as though that never happened. No one denies that it took place. My opinion is, the whole thing just seems so disingenuous. Major league baseball is saying what? Yes, we acknowledge you guys played in a different league and were very capable players. We agree that you should have been admitted to the major league (white guys clubs) from the very beginning. So, and this is the part that bothers me, we will now insert your records into our records making it look like you actually played with us. There will most likely be an asterisk beside those names but don't pay attention to that. Seems like pandering to me. And furthermore if I were a black player I wouldn't feel like I need my accomplishments recorded in your book! Is your league so much better than mine? I don't think so. That would be my attitude. The Negro league has its' own Hall of Fame and Museum, with its' own records and that is how it should be. I would be as proud to be in that space as I would be to be in any other! Should we now insist that all the white players be incorporated into the Negro League record books? Wouldn't that be fair and equal? In short, to me, Major League baseball is saying our league is the only one that truly matters, we have the very best league and all others are beneath us. And all those Black people supporting that are agreeing. The way I see it in a few years white actors and actresses should start receiving the Black Entertainment Awards as well. Seems fair right? If my acting job is better than yours shouldn't that be recognized? Or are we in a different league? Think about that.

 Look I don't really care what they do as far as the records go. As I said in my eyes all are equally as capable, as talented and as deserving of recognition. All have received that as well. An honor given is only diminished if you allow it to be. To be in the Negro league hall of fame is as prestigious, as impressive, as being in any other hall of fame. That is, unless you assign more value to another. You wish to speak of pride? Is it pride that drives you to insist upon inclusion in a league that you never played in? Pride in a fantasy world? You know you can always say, things would have been different, if they were different. You can't change history.