Major League Baseball is officially recognizing the legacy of the Negro Leagues.

Addressing what MLB described as a 'long overdue recognition," Rob Manfred bestowed Major League status upon seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948. The decision means that the approximately 3,400 players of the Negro Leagues during this time period are officially considered Major Leaguers, with their stats and records becoming a part of Major League history.

"All of us who love baseball have long known that the Negro Leagues produced many of our game’s best players, innovations and triumphs against a backdrop of injustice," Manfred said. "We are now grateful to count the players of the Negro Leagues where they belong: as Major Leaguers within the official historical record."