Yes, Kendall, I agree. Ted Williams was the best white hitter. But his numbers pale in comparison to Josh Gibson's.
Van Lingle, good sir, here are some stats to consider if you ever want to rationalize the batting records before 1948. Since integration, virtually all the great hitters have been black. If you check out those who played from 1948, you will find that the top home run hitters are mostly black (Aaron, Bonds, Mays, Frank Robinson, Stargell, McCovey, Griffy, Sosa are just a few who come to mind. Great, white sluggers are fewer and farther between, Mantle, Schmidt, Mathews, Killebrew are all I can think of off hand).
The top base stealers since 1948 are even more pigmented (Henderson,Wills,Brock, my god, were there any whites at all in their class?) Whites do a little better in batting average but it's tough to ignore Gwynne,Bonds,Mays,Oliva, Oliver and the whole Alou family.
My point is that black players have outperformed whites when they have had the chance to compete. They are, at least, as good as whites and it makes sense to assume that they were as good or better than whites before 1948, too. I maintain that the Hall of Fame should separate the stats from pre-1948 and post-1948. They already do that with pre and post-1900. It is the only way that MLB can honor its past heros and admit its past sins.

                   Mike