[Spritze]

Originally Posted by joefromchicago

Well, there may be enough data, but there probably isn't enough accurate data. The record-keeping was sloppy and inconsistent. Which is why one needs multiple sources Leagues often folded in mid-season, and teams often failed to finish out their seasons. And then there's the question of whether to include statistics from non-league games. No For instance, it is said that Josh Gibson hit 55 home runs in 1933. He may very well have done that, but he didn't do it in the Negro National League, which had an official season that only ran about 60 or 70 games. So that leaves the question of whether Gibson should be judged solely on his performance in league games (which probably accounted for less than half of the games that he played that year) or whether all his games should count.

Since every source has (very or slightly) different stats one must assume they are all true. If so, combined, they usually cover the gamut of a players record. Removes the guesswork.