In June 2021, Sports-Reference dramatically expanded its database of statistics related to Negro League Baseball. However, the story of Black baseball goes beyond plate appearances and innings pitched. These Black ballplayers were major league quality but were not treated as such by the American and National Leagues. These African Americans were citizens of the United States, but were not treated as such by the government of their own country.

This is The Negro Leagues are Major Leagues, a podcast from Sports Reference. In the weeks to come, join sports historian Curtis Harris as he interviews a range of historians, researchers, activists, and others about a broad range of topics related to the Black baseball experience.

In Episode Zero, we provide a preview of some of the guests who will be coming in future episodes. Then, Curtis explains a little more about his background and provides an introduction to the major themes of this podcast. Look for Episode #1 on Thursday, and then new episodes every Thursday after that.