Skip to main content

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

In this episode, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum . . .


Baseball fans, Major League Spring Training started on March 17, 2022. (My Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox) Opening day is less than one month away. My question to you is this, "Have you made plans which ballparks to visit this year?"

How about the American League Central, Kansas City Royals? Casual fans may not realize this, but baseball in Kansas City has a grand tradition. Just ask Johnny.

At 18th and Vine, history comes alive at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. A few years ago, while in Kansas City, I met Johnny. A dapper museum docent, seated in the lobby, sporting a fedora, wearing a fine vest, a large turquoise ring on his right hand, and high gloss polished shoes, Johnny took the time that day to share the following tale he heard baseball legend Buck O'Neil spin many times.

"It was the grand opening celebration of the museum, 1990. My hero, Buck O'Neil, had invited the stars of black baseball, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Barry Bonds, to name a few," said Johnny as we chatted that Saturday morning. "They all came except for one, who declined.

Despite his absence, it was a memorable day! John Jordan (Buck) O'Neil, Hall-of-Fame (2022) player-manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, was the first black coach in major league baseball, Chicago Cubs Scout, and ambassador! "He used to sit in these very seats and share memories with fans.". . .

Imagine this; purchase your ten-dollar ticket, then transport yourself into a world gone by. Enter the museum through an ole' fashion ballpark wooden turnstile and glance to your left through the backstop to see the Negro leagues' most famous position players frozen in time on the "Field of Legends" practicing their craft. You've arrived at the ballpark for the first pitch. It's a warm summer day. Satchel Page of the Kansas City Monarchs is on the mound. It will be a no-hitter. Scouting the field is a life-size bronze of Buck O'Neil in the pose made famous in the Ken Burns documentary Baseball.

Here you will see the stars of Negro League baseball from the 1920s through the 1950s. Many names come to mind; Andrew "Rube" Foster, Leroy "Satchel" Paige, Josh Gibson, James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell, Walter "Buck" Leonard, Henry "Hank" Aaron, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and many more.

"Buck loved to tell the story that during the grand opening, Willie Mays was so moved by the moment he went back to San Francisco and insisted to his Godson (Barry Bonds) – "You get your ass to Kansas City and pay some respect to the players who paved the way for you to play Major League ball.

"Then one day, about a year later, a big limo pulled up out front with his entourage. You know it was Barry Bonds. He struts into the place all high and mighty, but after spending a few hours, he left with a tear-stained face humbled by the experience."

Yes, they were all-stars.

So, this year plan a trip to Kansas City, catch a game at Kauffman Stadium, then take a ride to 18th and Vine; you, too, will be moved by the experience.

You just might get the chance to chat with Johnny. Oh - while you're there, stroll across the lobby to hear the vintage sounds in the Jazz Museum; that's another story.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening; see you in the next episode.

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . .   This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholÄ“ , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

A Heart Full of Thanks

Oh, the thanks I could think, and the thanks I could say! For the wonderful people who brightened my day. The first one is Lori, my wife, sweet and true, Who knows just the thing and knows just what to do. She whipped up a feast with a smile and a sigh, With corn on the cob and a steak cooked “On the Fly!” My neighbor, Steve, with a mischievous gleam, Said, “No fence work today! No work, it would seem! You’ll paint with some water, some colors so bright, And sign your new painting with all of your might!" I laughed and I said, “But I don’t know that skill! I’ll slap on some paint and see what sticks still!” Then there’s my friends on the Facebook machine, The best group of readers that ever was seen! They read all my blogs and they hear my podcasts, They send all their cheer that's built to last! And Billy and Linda. A Snoopy card in the mail. A wonderful surprise that was sure to prevail! From very good friends, a delightful new tale ! But the thanks didn't stop, no, not...

The Summer Surprise

In this special episode, The Summer Surprise . . .   Well, howdy there! It's me, Huck Finn, and lemme tell ya, somethin' special happened just the other day. We called it "The Summer Surprise.” Phew-wee! That ol' post box, it coughed up somethin' good! Wasn't no bills, nor them pesky ads, and thankfully, no regular ol' rocks neither. Nope, this here was a letter, folded up neat as a pin, looked a bit like one o' them school lockers, just sittin' there waitin' to be opened. It was from young Sierra, a mighty fine friend, and she'd gone and made some pure, honest-to-goodness artwork with her own two hands. My fingers they was all thumbs, just itching to see what kind of wild wonder she'd whipped up this time. I unfolded that paper, careful-like, you know, and bless my bare feet, there it was! A picture of a whole gymnasium and a mini-soccer field, all done up in colors that just popped. She'd used crayons and pencils, and you could tel...

A Pirate's Ponderings

In this episode, A Pirate's Ponderings: Turning 69 with a Classic . . . When was the last time you were so compelled by a quest that you had your bags packed and your boots on before the first rooster crowed? For me, this summer has been exactly that, a journey where the world outside faded away and the one inside my head roared to life. I felt like that young cabin boy in training, with the vast ocean of a great story stretching out before me. My hand was on the wheel, navigating every swell, riding the waves, and eager to see what lay just beyond the horizon. This wasn't a journey across lands, but a flight of imagination that has been an exciting ride. My adventure took off on the deck of the Hispaniola as I became lost on Treasure Island . My imagination soared, and I could almost taste the salt spray and feel the ship's timbers groan as we sailed toward our destiny. Below deck, in the narrow, shadowy depths, I could smell the hearty meals Long John Silver and Jim Haw...