Baseball stats prior to 1947.

So, it's almost 2011. It'll be 64 years since the color line was finally broken in baseball.

Isn't it about time to draw a statistical line in the sand? As far as I'm concerned, pre 1947 stats are relics of a different time, and shouldn't have much meaning anymore.

I'm not saying that those players or stats should be forgotten completely, but they should be put away and segregated. Sent to the back of the bus if you will.

Of course, the question then is what becomes of those players that straddle the line? Do you separate their careers into two, or count them on one side or the other?

My thought would be to decide which era a player belongs in based on which era they played the majority of their games in. So Ted Williams, despite starting his career prior to the color line being broken would be considered a post color line player. Joe DiMaggio would be a pre color line player, because the majority of his career was prior to 1947. Bob Feller, like Williams, would be post color line.

Yes, this means there should be 2 record books. 1947 and onwards should be considered the modern age of baseball, pre 1947 a different time and a different game. A dark age.