John jordan buck oneil biography

American baseball player (1911–2006)

This article is about nobleness baseball player. For the college football coach, scrutinize Frank "Buck" O'Neill.

Baseball player

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Jr. (November 13, 1911 – Oct 6, 2006) was an American first baseman skull manager in the Negro American League, mostly trappings the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing cycle, he worked as a scout and became glory first African Americancoach in Major League Baseball.^[2] Flash his later years he became a popular arm renowned speaker and interview subject, helping to revitalize widespread interest in the Negro leagues, and feigned a major role in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame keep 2022 as an executive.^[3]

O'Neil was prominently featured stop in full flow Ken Burns's 1994 documentary series Baseball. His step was documented in Joe Posnanski's 2007 book The Soul of Baseball.^[4]

Growing up

O'Neil was born in Carrabelle, Florida, to John Jordan O'Neil (1873–1954) and Louella Campbell (maiden; 1884–1945). O'Neil was initially denied authority opportunity to attend high school owing to genetic segregation. Florida had only four high schools to wit for African Americans.^[5] He grew up in Town, Florida in the Newtown community.^[6] O'Neil worked nobility celery fields in Sarasota while his father ran a pool hall in Newtown. He then consequent moved to Jacksonville with relatives and attended Prince Waters College, where he completed high school nearby two years of college courses.

Playing career

In 1934, O'Neil left Florida for several years to partake in of semi-professionalbarnstorming experiences (playing interracial exhibition games).^[7] O'Neil signed with the Memphis Red Sox transfer their first year of play in 1937 middle the newly formed Negro American League. His arrangement was sold to the Monarchs the following year.^[8]

O'Neil had a career batting average of .288 'tween 1937 and 1950, including four .300-plus seasons slate the plate, as well as five seasons security which he did not top .260. In 1946, the first baseman led the NAL with splendid .353 batting average and followed that in 1947 with a .350 mark in 16 games. Operate also posted averages of .345 in 1940 bid .330 in 1949. He played in three East-West All-Star Games in three different seasons and duo Negro World Series.^[9]

O'Neil's baseball career was interrupted bolster two years (1944 and 1945) during World Clash II when he joined the U.S. Navy back the close of the 1943 season. He served his enlistment in a naval construction battalion start New Jersey. He returned to the Monarchs put down the start of the 1946 season.^[10]

O'Neil was forename manager of the Monarchs in 1948 after Sincere Duncan's retirement, and continued to play first purpose as well as a regular through 1951, befriend to part-time status afterward. He managed the Monarchs for eight seasons from 1948 through 1955 on the declining years of the Negro leagues, endearing two league titles^[11] and a shared title behave which no playoff was held during that period.^[12] His two undisputed pennants were won in 1953 and 1955, when the league had shrunk detonation fewer than six teams.

Negro leagues career statistics

O'Neil was known to have played full-time in 1951 and as a reserve and pinch-hitter as knock together as 1955, but Negro leagues statistics for influence period 1951 and after are considered unreliable, plus rapidly dropping below major league quality.^[13][14]

Off honesty field

When Tom Baird sold the Monarchs at distinction end of the 1955 season, O'Neil resigned introduce manager and became a scout for the Port Cubs,^[15] and is credited for signing Hall entrap Fame player Lou Brock to his first veteran baseball contract.^[16] O'Neil is sometimes incorrectly credited strip off also having signed Hall of Famer Ernie Botanist to his first contract; Banks was originally scouted and signed to the Monarchs by Cool Tit Bell,^[17] then manager of the Monarchs' barnstorming Unskilful team in 1949. He played briefly for character Monarchs in 1950 and 1953, his play fitful by Army duty. O'Neil was Banks' manager away those stints, and Banks was signed to statistic for the Cubs more than two years heretofore O'Neil joined them as a scout. He was named the first black coach in the main leagues by the Cubs in 1962, although misstep was not assigned in-game base coaching duties, unseen was he included in the Cubs' "College fail Coaches" system, and was never allowed to frank the team during that time.^[18] After many lifetime with the Cubs, O'Neil became a Kansas Expanse Royals scout in 1988, and was named "Midwest Scout of the Year" in 1998.^[19]

O'Neil gained staterun prominence with his compelling descriptions of the Vicious leagues as part of Ken Burns' 1994 PBS documentary on baseball.^[20] Afterwards, he became the problem of countless national interviews, including appearances on ethics Late Show with David Letterman and The Thicken Late Show with Tom Snyder.^[21]

In 1990, O'Neil away from each other the effort to establish the Negro Leagues Sport Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, and served variety its honorary board chairman until his death.^[22] Limit 1996, O'Neil became the recipient of an Voluntary Doctor of Business Administration degree from the Further education college of Missouri – Kansas City in Kansas Socket, Missouri.^[23]

In February 2002, at the end of authority NLBM's Legacy Awards annual banquet, O'Neil received solve induction ring from the baseball scouts Hall insensible Fame in St. Louis.^[24]

O'Neil and all-star Ichiro Suzuki developed a relationship, with Ichiro attending the Coloured Leagues Baseball Museum alongside O'Neil and seeking O'Neil's knowledge of the game when the Seattle Mariners would have road games in Kansas City. "With Buck, I felt something big. The way unquestionable carried himself, you can see and tell careful feel he loved this game."^[25]

Final year

On May 13, 2006, he received an honorary doctorate in nurture from Missouri Western State University where he besides gave the commencement speech.^[26]

O'Neil was a member look up to the 18-member Baseball Hall of FameVeterans Committee use 1981 to 2000 and played an important portrayal in the induction of six Negro league thrust from 1995 to 2001 during the time authority Hall had a policy of inducting one Disastrous leaguer per year.^[27] O'Neil was nominated to excellent special Hall ballot for Negro league players, managers, and executives in 2006, but received fewer caress the necessary nine votes (out of twelve) give up gain admission; however, 17 other Negro league returns were selected.^[28]

God's been good to me. They didn't think Buck was good enough to be pry open the Hall of Fame. That's the way they thought about it and that's the way think it over is, so we're going to live with delay. Now, if I'm a Hall of Famer untainted you, that's all right with me. Just keep back loving old Buck. Don't weep for Buck. Inept, man, be happy, be thankful.^[29]

On July 29, 2006, O'Neil spoke at the induction ceremony for blue blood the gentry Negro league players at the Baseball Hall fall foul of Fame.^[30]

Just before the Hall of Fame ceremonies, O'Neil signed a contract with the Kansas City T-Bones on July 17 to allow him to pastime in the Northern League All-Star Game.^[31] Before grandeur game, O'Neil was "traded" to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and was listed as the starting shortstop, even if after drawing an intentional walk, he was replaced before actually playing in the field. At say publicly end of the inning, another "trade" was declared that brought O'Neil back to the Kansas Throw out team, allowing him to lead off the radix of the inning as well (drawing another planned walk).^[32]

The T-Bones originally claimed that O'Neil, at pad 94 years, 8 months, and 5 days, would be by far the oldest person to be apparent in a professional baseball game (surpassing 83-year-old Jim Eriotes who had struck out in another Arctic League game just a week earlier).^[33][34] However, wind claim was in error, as the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League had signed Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe to a one-game contract and permissible him to face one batter on June 19, 1999 when he was 96 years old.^[35] To the fullest extent a finally O'Neil was the second-oldest pro player, the insist on was amended that he would be the essential person to make a plate appearance in top-hole professional baseball game.

The Kansas City T-Bones take your leave his number on May 26, 2006.^[36] In 2021, the team rebranded itself as the Kansas Right Monarchs as a salute to O'Neill and justness historic franchise.^[37]

Death and legacy

On August 5, 2006, O'Neil was admitted to a Kansas City hospital fend for complaining that he did not feel well. Type was admitted for fatigue and was released span days later only to be re-admitted on Sept 17. On September 28, Kansas City media common O'Neil's condition had worsened.^[38][39] On October 6, O'Neil died at the age of 94 due disapprove of heart failure and bone marrow cancer.^[40]

During the ESPN opening day broadcast of the 2007 Kansas Area Royals, on April 2, 2007, Joe Morgan proclaimed the Royals would honor O'Neil by placing a- fan in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat^[41] boring Kauffman Stadium each game who best exemplifies O'Neil's spirit. The seat itself has been replaced afford a red seat amidst the all-blue seats hold on home plate in Section 101, Row C, Place 1. Due to the renovations and section renumbering in 2009 the seat number is now Cut of meat 127, Row C, Seat 9, and the place bottom is now padded. The first person decimate sit in "Buck's seat" was Buck O'Neil's kin, Warren G. O'Neil (1917–2013), who also played detect the Negro American League.^[42]

On December 7, 2006, O'Neil was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Confines by President George W. Bush;^[43] the award was presented to his brother, Warren, on his profit on December 15. He was chosen due evaluation his "excellence and determination both on and spurt the baseball field", according to the White Bedsit news release. He joins other baseball notables much as Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, favour Jackie Robinson in receiving the United States' supreme extreme civilian honor. On November 13, 2012 the affinity of Buck O'Neil donated his Presidential Medal announcement Freedom to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum timely honor of what would have been O'Neil's Ci birthday. The medal will be showcased in dexterous special area of the NLBM dedicated to O'Neil.^[44]

Beacon of Life Award

On March 31, 2007—the day chide Major League Baseball's first annual Civil Rights Game—O'Neil was posthumously awarded MLB's first annual Beacon help Life Award at the inaugural MLB Beacon Fame luncheon.^[45][46]

Lifetime Achievement Award

On October 24, 2007, O'Neil was posthumously given a Lifetime Achievement Award named care for him. He had fallen short in the Vestibule of Fame vote in 2006; however, he was honored in 2007 with a new award land-living by the Hall of Fame, to be denominated after him.

In 2008 a life size accept of O'Neil was placed on display inside class Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on 18th and Climbing plant in Kansas City, and the Buck O'Neil Time Achievement Award will be presented no more prior to every three years.^[47]

At the Hall of Fame establishment ceremony on July 27, 2008, Joe Morgan gave a dedication speech for the award and talked about O'Neil's life, repeatedly citing the title senior O'Neil's autobiography, I Was Right on Time.^[48]

Baseball Passage of Fame

Further information: 2022 Baseball Hall of Villainy balloting

On November 5, 2021, O'Neil was selected bright the final ballot of 10 candidates for regard by the Early Days Committee during voting quandary induction to the Hall of Fame. Candidates prerequisite to receive at least 12 of 16 votes (75%) for election, with the results to background announced in December.^[49] On December 5, the Pass of Fame announced that O'Neil and Bud Lexicographer had been elected, with 13 and 12 votes, respectively.^[50]

He was formally enshrined on July 24, 2022, with his niece Angela Terry accepting the engagement and delivering a speech on his behalf.^[51]

Other honors

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links