Buck O'Neil during a baseball game

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil (November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006) was an American first baseman and manager in Negro league baseball, most notably in the Negro American League with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball, and also worked as a scout. In his later years he became a popular and renowned speaker and interview subject, helping to renew widespread interest in the Negro leagues, and played a major role in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Image File history File links Buck_O'Neil. ... Image File history File links Buck_O'Neil. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The position of the first baseman First base redirects here. ... In baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager (or more formally, the field manager); this individual controls matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. ... Bud Fowler, the first professional black baseball player with one of his teams, Western of Keokuk, Iowa The Negro Leagues were American professional baseball leagues comprising predominantly African-American teams. ... The Negro American League was one of the several Negro Leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. ... The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseballs Negro Leagues. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... In the baseball game, the coach is a member of the team at bat stationed near first or third base to signal and direct the runners and batters. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Professional sports scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scouts organization. ... The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ...

Playing career

Born in rural Carrabelle, Florida, O'Neil was initially denied the opportunity to attend high school due to racial segregation; at the time, Florida had only four high schools specifically for African Americans. However, after working a summer in a celery field with his father, O'Neil left home to live with relatives and attend Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, where he completed high school and two years of college courses. He left Florida in 1934 for several years of semi-professional "barnstorming" experiences (playing interracial exhibition games)^[1], where one of his teammates was the legendary Satchel Paige. The effort paid off, and in 1937, O'Neil signed with the Memphis Red Sox for their first year of play in the newly-formed Negro American League. His contract was sold to the Monarchs the following year. Carrabelle is a city located in Franklin County, Florida. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Motto: Where Florida Begins Location in the state of Florida Coordinates: Country United States State Florida County Duval Mayor John Peyton (R) Area    - City 2,264. ... Leroy Robert Satchel Paige (July 7, 1906(?) – June 8, 1982) was an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball who is considered to be among the greatest pitchers of all time. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1937 throughout the world. ... The Memphis Red Sox were a professional Negro League baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee from the 1920s until the end of segregated baseball. ...

O'Neil had a career batting average of .288, including four .300-plus seasons at the plate. In 1946 the first baseman led the league in hitting with a .353 average and followed that in 1947 with a career-best .358 mark. He also posted averages of .345 in 1940 and .330 in 1949. He played in four East-West All-Star games and two Negro League World Series. Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1946 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1947 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1949 throughout the world. ... Negro League Baseball All-Star Games were the brainchild of Gus Greenlee, owner of the Pittsburgh Crawfords. ... The Negro League World Series is a baseball tournament that took place at various times from the 1920s to the 1940s, matching the champions of various Negro Leagues. ...

A World War II tour in the U.S. Navy from 1943–1945 briefly interrupted his playing career. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom France Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Charles de Gaulle Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian... USN redirects here. ...

In 1948, one year after Jackie Robinson broke the major leagues' color line, O'Neil took over as player/manager of the Monarchs and guided them to two league titles in 1953 and 1955. The following are the baseball events of the year 1948 throughout the world. ... Jack Roosevelt Jackie Robinson (January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972) became the first African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947. ... The baseball color line was the policy, unwritten for nearly its entire duration, which excluded African American baseball players from organized baseball in the United States before 1946. ... The following are the events of the year 1953 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The following are the events of the year 1955 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ...

Off the field

O'Neil left the Monarchs following the 1955 season, and in 1956 became a scout for the Chicago Cubs. He was named the first black coach in the major leagues by the Cubs in 1962 and is credited for signing Hall of Fame player Lou Brock to his first contract. O'Neil is sometimes incorrectly credited with also having signed Hall of Famer Ernie Banks to his first contract; Banks was originally scouted and signed to the Monarchs by Cool Papa Bell, then manager of the Monarchs' barnstorming B team in 1949. Banks played for the Monarchs briefly in 1950 and again in 1953 when O'Neil was his manager, and was signed to play for the Cubs more than two years before O'Neil was hired as a scout. September 30 Chicago White Sox pitcher Jim Derrington becomes the youngest pitcher in modern history to start a game. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... The following are the events of the year 1962 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... Louis Clark Lou Brock (born June 18, 1939, El Dorado, Arkansas) is an American former player in Major League Baseball. ... Ernest Ernie Banks (born January 31, 1931) is an American former Major League baseball player who played from 1953 to 1971. ... James Thomas Cool Papa Bell (May 17, 1903 - March 7, 1991) was one of the biggest stars in Negro League baseball, and is considered by many baseball observers to have been the fastest man ever to play the game. ...

After many years with the Cubs, O'Neil became a Kansas City Royals scout in 1988, and was named "Midwest Scout of the Year" in 1998. Major league affiliations American League (1969–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5,10,20 Name Kansas City Royals (1969–present) Ballpark Kauffman Stadium (1973–present) a. ...

O'Neil gained national prominence with his compelling narration of the Negro Leagues as part of Ken Burns' 1994 PBS documentary on baseball. Afterwards, he became the subject of countless national interviews, including appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late, Late Show with Tom Snyder. Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29 [1] [2], 1953) is an American documentary filmmaker. ... Baseball was an Emmy Award-winning 1994 documentary series by Ken Burns about the game of baseball. ... Late Night with David Letterman was a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. ... The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS. It immediately follows The Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Lettermans Worldwide Pants Incorporated in CBS Television City, next to the studio of the game program The Price Is Right. ...

In 1990, O'Neil led the effort to establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, and served as its honorary board chairman until his death. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ...

A busy final year

On May 13, 2006, he received an honorary doctorate in education from Missouri Western State University where he also gave the commencement speech. May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An Honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum) is a degree awarded to someone by an institution that he or she may have never attended, it may be a bachelors, masters or doctorate degree - however, the latter is most common. ... Missouri Western State University, a public four-year college in St. ...

"If I'm a Hall of Famer for you, that's all right with me."

O'Neil was a member of the 18-member Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee from 1981 to 2000 and played an important role in the induction of eight Negro League players during that time. O'Neil was nominated to a special Hall ballot for Negro League players, managers, and executives in 2006, but failed (by a single vote) to receive the necessary 75% to gain admission; however, 17 other Negro League figures were selected. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... The Veterans Committee, officially the Committee on Baseball Veterans, is a committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame that provides a second chance for Hall of Fame election to players passed over in regular Hall of Fame balloting. ... The 2006 elections to select inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001, augmented by a special election; the result was the largest class of inductees (18) in the Halls history, including the first woman ever elected. ...

After hearing that he had not been elected to the Hall at age 94, O'Neil spoke to about 200 well-wishers who had gathered to celebrate, but instead stood hushed and solemn, telling the crowd:

On July 29, 2006, O'Neil spoke at the induction ceremony for the Negro League players at the Baseball Hall of Fame (MP3 audio: [1]). July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format and algorithm, designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio to most listeners. ...

Still playing after all these years

Just before the Hall of Fame ceremonies, O'Neil signed a contract with the Kansas City T-Bones on July 18 to allow him to play in the Northern League All-Star Game. Before the game, O'Neil was "traded" to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and was listed as the starting shortstop, although after drawing an intentional walk, he was replaced before actually playing in the field. At the end of the inning, another "trade" was announced that brought O'Neil back to the Kansas City team, allowing him to lead off the bottom of the inning as well (drawing another intentional walk). The Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team is based out of Kansas City, Kansas and play in CommunityAmerica Ballpark near the Kansas Speedway. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... This article refers to the modern Northern League. ... The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (or simply the FM RedHawks) is an independant professional baseball team located in the Fargo-Moorhead (made up of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota) metropolitan area. ... The position of the shortstop A shortstop moves to his left, toward the center of the field, to play a ground ball Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. ... In baseball statistics, an intentional base on balls (denoted by IBB), often called an intentional walk, is used in baseball to count the number of times a walk was issued with no intent of ever allowing a hit. ...

The T-Bones originally claimed that O'Neil, at age 94 years, 8 months, and 5 days, would be by far the oldest person to appear in a professional baseball game (surpassing 83-year-old Jim Eriotes who had struck out in another Northern League game just a week earlier).^[3][4] However, that claim was in error, as the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League had signed Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe to a one-game contract and allowed him to face one batter on June 19, 1999 when he was 96 years old.^[5] While O'Neil was the second-oldest pro player, the claim was amended that he would be the oldest person to make a plate appearance in a professional baseball game. The Schaumburg Flyers are a Northern League baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois. ... This article refers to the modern Northern League. ... Ted Radcliffe c. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Presidential Medal of Freedom

On December 7th, 2006, Buck was posthumously honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom^[6]; the award was given to his brother, Warren, on his behalf on December 15th. He was chosen due to his "excellence and determination both on and off the baseball field," according to the White House news release. He joins such sports notables as Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, Joe DiMaggio, and Jack Nicklaus in receiving the United States' highest civilian honor. December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States, considered the equivalent of the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... James Cleveland Jesse Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was a popular American athlete and civic leader. ... For other persons named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. ... This article refers to the golfer. ...

Death

On August 5, 2006, O'Neil was admitted to a Kansas City hospital after complaining that he didn't feel well. He was admitted for fatigue and was released three days later only to be re-admitted September 17. On September 28, Kansas City media reported that O'Neil's condition had worsened.^[7][8] On October 6, O'Neil died at the age of 94 of heart failure and bone marrow cancer.^[9] August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The word fatigue is used in everyday living to describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work induced burning sensation within muscle. ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ...

See also

• List of African American firsts

United States citizens of African descent, African Americans, make up a demographic minority of a national population composed primarily of those of European-Caucasian ancestry. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ Barnstorming & the Negro Leagues: 1900s–1930s. Baseball, the Color Line, and Jackie Robinson. American Memory from the Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
2. ^ "?", The Kansas City Star, February 28, 2006.
3. ^ "Ex-Negro Leaguer digs in at All-Star game", Associated Press, July 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
4. ^ "Stars of All Ages Shine in N.L. All-Star Game", July 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
5. ^ Key Dates in Schaumburg Flyers History. Schaumburg Flyers. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
6. ^ "Buck O'Neil awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom", McClatchy Newspapers, December 7, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
7. ^ "Buck O'Neil Remains Hospitalized", TheKansasCityChannel.com, September 28, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
8. ^ Mellinger, Sam. "O’Neil’s health worries his friends", The Kansas City Star, September 29, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
9. ^ "Baseball Legend Buck O'Neil Dies At 94", October 6, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.

2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• "John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil", The Kansas City Star, October 8, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-09. A special 8-page tribute section.
• Baseball Hall of Fame Candidate's Biography
• Address at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
• PBS Interview With O'Neil
• Buck O'Neil Interview July 2006
• Buck O'Neil Obituary
• ESPN: "O'Neil Was the Real 'Voice' of America"
• SRQ Magazine interview September 2006
• Buck O'Neil Interview on Public Radio International's "The Tavis Smiley Show" March 31, 2006

October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
• Michael Tillery tribute article