I recently watched the 10-disc Ken Burns series “Baseball” on DVD. In this series, my favorite interview person was Buck O’Neil. His enthusiasm was contagious, so I was thrilled to come across “The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America”. It was written by the sports columnist Joe Posnanski, who followed O’Neil in his travels throughout the 2005 Major League Baseball season. O’Neil, at 94, was one of the last players left from the Negro Baseball League. He was also the first African-American coach in the MLB. The Negro league flourished in the 1930’s and 1940’s, but petered out after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he signed with the Dodgers in 1946.
O’Neil’s mission was to spread the word of how the Negro League really was. He believed the books written so far were too sterile, that the real players were not only some of the greatest athletes ever, but just as full of personality as any superstar MLB player today. Through over 200 event appearances a year, he promoted the induction of those players into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Baseball aficionados will love the reminiscences of games past and learn stories they’ve not heard before. O’Neil had a remarkable memory, and passed on many wonderful stories of his playing and coaching days. He tells of the racism and hard times the players endured, but never asks for pity.
Posnanski captures the real O’Neil: his humor, heartaches, and wisdom.
This is a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of a time long past. With the passing of O’Neil in 2006, we may never have this chance again.