Passing of The Buck

By: Kolsky


In March, I posted briefly (very, very briefly) on the passing of Kirby Puckett, and I included a photograph of his Hall of Fame plaque. I would very, very much like to include a similar photo in this post, but alas I cannot; when the Hall of Fame convened a special committee to induct Negro Leaguers, Buck O’Neil fell one vote short. Of course, that didn’t stop him from speaking at the ceremony, serving as the voice of the 17 players who were selected (none of whom lived to see it).

For Buck, it was never a sore subject. How upset could he be about this? This is a man who was born just a handful of years too early to play Major League Baseball. He played a part in the popularization and success of the Negro Leagues (winning five pennants and two Negro League World Series titles as a player and manager for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1938-55) but by the time the MLB color barrier was broken, his career was ending.

More so than his playing days, the feats that followed should have earned him Hall of Fame status - he became a big-league scout for African-American talent with the Cubs, and was responsible for the signing of both Ernie Banks and Lou Brock; he broke the color barrier for big-league coaches when he signed with the Cubs in 1962; and perhpas most importantly, he served to remind fans everywhere of baseballs past, particularly with respect to the Negro Leagues, and to help promote baseball in every possible way.

Through all of this, he remained a positive, outgoing person, never feeling bitter about what might have been. Perhaps nothing speaks more to Buck’s positivity than the title of his 1996 autobiography: I Was Right On Time. He took his life in stride and enjoyed it for what it was - he made every second of his 94 years on earth count, and he never seemed regretful of anything.

For me, the image of Buck that may last longest is of an old man, mere months before his death, smiling ear-to-ear as he took two walks and hustled - for a 94-year-old, anyway - to first base during a minor league all-star game. Yes, it was something of a gimmick, but to see how happy it made this great man just to be a part of the game of baseball - any game of baseball, really - made even a cynic feel the special aura of the american pastime.

I don’t think Buck would have asked for anything more. John Jordan O’Neil, rest in peace.

a couple links to cool Buck stuff: audio about the Negro Leagues, video of his last at-bat

Matt Kolsky (please feel free to call him Kolsky) is the contributing editor of the Chicago Sports Review and the editor-in-chief of Serious Sports News Network. You can hear Kolsky live on Chicago's kookiest and most fun sports radio show, The Morning Break, on Fridays (from 10-Noon on WSBC 1240 AM). As you can see, he's very busy, but you can also send him email via serioussportsnewsnetwork@gmail.com, and it's entirely possible that he'll respond.

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