Perhaps no one city will be paying more attention to today’s announcement from the Baseball Hall of Fame than Kansas City. Twelve historians and scholars from met in Tampa, Fla. On Sunday to decide how many people associated with the Negro Leagues, from a list of 39, should be inducted later this year. The people on the list include former players, managers, owners and others.
Kansas City is home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and it is also where the Negro Leagues began.
Many expect 10-20 people to make the list. On that list are a number of former players of the Kansas City Monarchs. Perhaps none are more notable than Buck O’Neil, who is the chairman of the NLBM. He was also a player and manager for the Monarchs.
In 1962, O’Neil became the first assistant coach in the major leagues, when he was signed by the Cubs. Before that, he was a scout for the Cubs and was responsible for signing both Ernie Banks and Lou Brock to contracts for the team.
Buck, who is 94, and Minnie Minoso, who is 83, are the only living candidates on the list.
