T-Bones Raising Money For Negro Leagues Museum
How many of you have never heard of Buck O'Neil? Well, you should have.
John Jordan O'Neil played his entire career in the Negro Leagues. His teams included the Miami Giants, Shreveport Acme Giants, Memphis Red Sox, and Kansas City Monarchs, winning batting titles, and helping his teams win league championships and Black World Series titles.
Never played in the majors. But he was hired as a scout for the Cubs in 1956. He became a coach ... the first Black coach in the majors ... in 1962. And served as a coach and scout through the 1980s.
Earlier this year, a special committee of Major League Baseball decided that Buck O'Neil didn't warrant inclusion into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown.
Later in the year, in July, O'Neil took his last at-bat in a professional game.
No, really.
You may have read about it. That 94-year year old player that batted in the Northern League all-star game? That was Buck O'Neil.
The point to all this?
The Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League are raising money for the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center. It's to be next to the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City. It's the Paseo YMCA. That place is registered as a National Historic Landmark. You see, it's the official birthplace of the Negro Leagues.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the Northern League's Official Charity. And the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center is the Kansas City club's pet project.
Lot's of people are saying that O'Neil belongs in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.
Whether or not he makes it in, if the center in his name helps the youth of today, it's a worthwhile project.
John Jordan O'Neil played his entire career in the Negro Leagues. His teams included the Miami Giants, Shreveport Acme Giants, Memphis Red Sox, and Kansas City Monarchs, winning batting titles, and helping his teams win league championships and Black World Series titles.
Never played in the majors. But he was hired as a scout for the Cubs in 1956. He became a coach ... the first Black coach in the majors ... in 1962. And served as a coach and scout through the 1980s.
Earlier this year, a special committee of Major League Baseball decided that Buck O'Neil didn't warrant inclusion into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown.
Later in the year, in July, O'Neil took his last at-bat in a professional game.
No, really.
You may have read about it. That 94-year year old player that batted in the Northern League all-star game? That was Buck O'Neil.
The point to all this?
The Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League are raising money for the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center. It's to be next to the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City. It's the Paseo YMCA. That place is registered as a National Historic Landmark. You see, it's the official birthplace of the Negro Leagues.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the Northern League's Official Charity. And the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center is the Kansas City club's pet project.
Lot's of people are saying that O'Neil belongs in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.
Whether or not he makes it in, if the center in his name helps the youth of today, it's a worthwhile project.
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