Statistics from Negro Leagues to be integrated into MLB record books

In a milestone decision decades in the making, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will incorporate the statistics of Negro Leagues that operated in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s into its record books.  

"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," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement provided to the Associated Press. 

Black players were barred from MLB until Jackie Robinson broke the league's color barrier in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. That breakthrough ultimately led to the Negro Leagues ending play in 1960.