It was July 30, 2005 when a larger than life figure sauntered across Main Street in Cooperstown. He walked among the all-time greatest players who ever stepped onto a baseball field. He stood out among the masses who made the pilgrimage to the sport?s biggest shrine. But he wasn?t Wade Boggs or Ryne Sandberg ? the two players being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame that weekend.
His name was Buck O?Neil, who even at 93, was at times the center of attention. He sported a huge smile as he crossed the street to greet a small contingent of fans who lined the sidewalk, ready to pay $15 for his autograph while some Hall of Famers charged upwards of $300 to scribble their name.
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I didn?t really want O?Neil?s autograph. I just wanted to meet him and shake the hand of the man who to me, represented everything that is great about baseball: passion, understanding and respect.
O?Neil transcended generations, teaching today?s young people the history of the Negro Leagues and telling stories like no one else.
That’s why he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
The first baseman led the Negro National League with a .353 average in 1946 after spending the previous two years stationed with the Navy during World War II. O?Neil was the first black coach hired by a major league team when he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1962. He was a great evaluator of talent, too, as he signed young talents named Ernie Banks, Lou Brock and Billy Williams. They all went onto to have Hall of Fame careers.
O?Neil?s playing career ended 30 years before I was born, but his legend lives on ? despite his absence in Cooperstown.
The Negro Leagues exhibit, which was at Camden Yards this past the weekend, was a great educational piece on the history of the forgotten side of baseball.
One year ago, when the exhibit debuted outside Camden Yards, then-Orioles reliever LaTroy Hawkins lobbied for O?Neil?s enshrinement. A special ballot including Negro Leagues’ legends was unveiled for the election of the 2006 induction class. While 17 others were elected, O?Neil fell one vote short.
Eight months later, on Oct. 18, 2006, Buck O?Neil died.
The Kansas City Royals ? who play near the Negro Leagues’ museum that O?Neil helped build, fund and publicize ? have a “Buck O?Neil Legacy Seat,” a seat behind home plate given to one fan each game who is nominated for best exemplifying O?Neil?s spirit.
The roving Negro Leagues exhibit is a great place to find O?Neil?s story. Why not Cooperstown?
There were many Hall of Famers in Cooperstown on that Saturday in July two summers ago. I ran into many of them personally, simply walking through town. But the only memory I’ll have of Buck O?Neil is a strong handshake and an autograph.
Unfortunately, many Americans didn’t get to see the living legend, shake his hand or spend a few moments with him. And unfortunately for the entire baseball world, his legacy hasn’t been immortalized in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It should.
Sean Welsh is a staff writer for The Examiner who covers professional and college sports. He can be reached at [email protected].
