Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the news that MLB is belatedly designating the 1920-1948 Negro Leagues as major leagues (with a word from 1948 Negro Leaguer Ron Teasley), touching on the various reactions to MLB’s announcement, the positives and negatives of MLB’s approach to this process, the upcoming, complex integration of Negro Leagues stats with other major league stats, how the new classification could affect perceptions of the Negro Leagues and Negro Leaguers, and more. Then they banter about reports of a possible delayed start to the 2021 season and a deluge of Scott Boras analogies and jokes before wrapping up with a few final thoughts on the Negro Leagues news and a reflection on how their understanding of MLB’s role in the larger baseball landscape has evolved in 2020.

Audio intro: The Beach Boys, “It’s About Time“
Audio outro: The Lemonheads, “It’s About Time“