Dodgers' Jackie Robinson Gains Higher Profile With MLB Records Change

Major League Baseball made a huge change to its record system with the announcement Wednesday that stats players achieved in the Negro Leagues will now be included in Major League records. The updates take into account what players were known to have accomplished in Negro League games, when they were still banned from playing in the American and National Leagues.

“We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a release. “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 has a significant impact on the official statistics of several former Los Angeles Dodgers, including the late great Jackie Robinson, who famously broke the color barrier in 1947. Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider detailed which Dodger players are affected by the rules change, and how.

For Robinson, the 35 games he played with the Kansas City Monarchs ups his slashline to .313/.410/.477, moving him up to 36th in career on-base percentage. He also hits 200 stolen bases with the stats from the two leagues combined.

Catcher Roy Campanella joined the 250 home-run and the 1,000 RBI clubs with the new updates, as he has 260 home runs and 1,019 RBIs. Jim Gilliam also crossed a new mark with this change, surpassing the 2,000-hit mark thanks to his time with both the Dodgers and the Baltimore Elite Giants.

The combination of these stats helps display what these players did throughout their career as a whole, not just against white players but against the best players in the world who were excluded from joining the Dodgers before Robinson broke the color barrier.