If you never got a chance to meet Buck O'Neil, you missed a life changing experience. Buck had something that is sadly missing from so much of our society, charisma. Buck is one of the most popular people I've never met...but on the three occassions I had the privaledge to meet him, and shake his hand, he had a unique way of of making me feel like it was ME that was the important one in the conversation.
Buck was an All-Star in the Negro Leagues back in the 40s. He was the first black coach of a major league baseball team. He was one of the first black scouts in the major leagues -- he scouted Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Lou Brock. He played baseball with greats like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. He wasn't allowed to attend Sarasota High School because of the color of his skin.
In spite of facing the color barrier his entire life, there was not one ounce of hate in his body. The man was blessed with a positive spirit, and seeing the positive in everything. Buck was "discovered" in 1994 when Ken Burns did the nine part documentary entitled "Baseball". Buck told stories of the Negro Leagues. Buck follwed it up with an autobiography "I was right on time" -- wehre he told more stories. In 1995 he started up the Negro League Baseball Museum. In 1998 the Museum moved to a new, permanent location in the historic 18th and Vine district of Kansas City. During that time he got numerous Negro Leagues players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
This past Spring, in a special election for the Hall of Fame, Buck O'Neil was unexcusably passed over for entrance into the Hall of Fame. But seventeen other people associated with the negro leagues and hispanic leagues were inducted in. Like everything else in Buck's life, he was left out. And like everything else, Buck had no bitterness. He went to the induction ceremony at Cooperstown to give a speech for the others -- all deceased. It was a ceremony in which he should have been honored, instead, he honored others. He sang -- and got others to sing with him. No bitterness.
Earlier this year, the Negro League Museum he founded was named the official national museum for the Negro Leagues. It is the one and only shrine to the league of players that Major League Baseball refused to let in the league. He had seen what will probably be the final group of Negro League's players into the Hall of Fame -- and he wasn't included.
In spite of the hatred that he faced against him, Buck O'Neil accomplished more than I will ever imagine accomplishing. In spite of the hatred, he did it all with a smile on his face, and love in his heart. He touched so many people with his compassion, and charisma, and way of making everyone feel as if they were bigger than life.
Friday Night, Buck O'Neil passed away at the age of 94. He will be dearly missed, but thankfully his discovery at the age of 84 allowed him, and his stories to live on. I'm grateful for having the opportunity to meet him.
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