Episode 298 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block of episodes on the greatest players in the history of the Negro Leagues.
Buck O’Neil was fantastic first baseman, a terrific scout and manager and an overall amazing ambassador to the game in general.
Born in segregated Florida, O’Neil realized that the game of baseball was a way out of hard labor in the celery fields of his youth during the 1930s.
Though forced to barnstorm and play in obscurity during his early years in professional baseball, O’Neil became a staple at first base for some of the greatest Negro Leagues teams of all time as a member of the Kansas City Monarchs.
O’Neil made two All-Star teams and was an integral part of the Monarchs’ 1942 Negro World Series championship squad. A great hitter and defender, O’Neil was sadly robbed of a chunk of his prime years when he served in the Navy in World War II.
After his service, O’Neil returned to the Negro Leagues and managed the Monarchs from 1948-1955 when the league was struggling financially in the post-integration era.
Armed with a keen eye for talent, O’Neil then became a scout for the Chicago Cubs and signed legends such as Lou Brock. He is even credited as being the first African-American manager in MLB history when he became manager of the Cubs in 1962 despite never getting to manage on the field.
He continued to enjoy decades of success as a scout for the Cubs and the Kansas City Royals, and even helped establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.
A true pioneer and credit to the game of baseball, O’Neil was a legend. Finally, in 2022 he was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the National Pastime.
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