THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 40
Sports The late Buck O’Neil finally recognized as a Hall of Fame figure By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil was much more than a Negro Leagues icon. He was a glaring symbol of America as both an aspirational concept and oppressive colossus. His long overdue enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this past Sunday was the sport finally acknowledging, if only implicitly, that O’Neil, who passed away in 2006 at the age 94, was one of the most important figures in Major League Baseball’s twofold sublime and shameful history. “If Uncle John was here with us this afternoon, his usual spirit of humility and gratefulness would be on full display,” said O’Neil’s niece, Dr. Angela Terry, who spoke on his behalf at the induction ceremony. O’Neil was part of the 2022 class that included David Ortiz, who won three World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, and Gil Hodges, a threetime World Series champion
with the BrookNegro Leagues icon Buck O’Neil was enshrined into the National at Yankee Stalyn/Los Ange- Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this past Sunday (Wiki / dium honoring les Dodgers and Leagues KC Congdon, Rochchester, N.Y. photo) Negro 1969 New York players where I Mets. first met O’Neil. Two pioneerThe experience ing players also was profound. joined O’Neil. I was captivatBud Fowler, ed by his force of born in Frankpersonality, enfort, N.Y., in cyclopedic-like 1858 and raised recall of basein Cooperstown, ball and Ameris the earliest ican history, known African and his sincere, American player modest manner, in organized the latter charprofessionacteristic in spite al baseball. Orof O’Neil being a estes “Minnie” demonstrably Miñoso, a native consequential of Perico, Cuba, presence. became the While his status first Afro-Lation the field no in the major didn’t match leagues when he the towering acAM NEWS took the field for complishments the Cleveland Indians in 1949 rabelle, Florida in 1911, upheld of fellow Negro Leagues con07/07/22 and was the Chicago White the oral lore of the Negro temporaries such as Cool Papa 0 Sox’s first Black player. Addi- Leagues and the early years Bell, Josh Gibson and Satchtionally, Tony Oliva and Jim of Black players populating el Paige, O’Neil, who played all Kaat were enshrined. the major leagues. It was at an but one year of his career with O’Neil, who was born in Car- event over three decades ago the Kansas City Monarchs,
with which he won the Negro World Series as a first baseman in 1942, was significant to the progress of Blacks in baseball. O’Neil managed the Monarchs from 1948 through 1955 and became the first Black coach in the major leagues in 1962 with the Chicago Cubs. However, he was minimized inarguably due to the color of his skin by the Cubs and never afforded the opportunity to serve as an in-game base coach. Even before Sunday’s festivities, O’Neil’s legacy has long lived as a preeminent voice in Ken Burns’ 1994 PBS documentary series on the history of baseball and in the the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. O’Neil was its former chairman, and a representative of the museum informed me on Tuesday that preparations are ongoing in the development of the Buck01284 O’Neil EdAM NE ucation and Research Center, 07/07/ an expansion 7project which 74470 22784 will be located at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, where in 1920 Andrew “Rube” Foster founded the Negro Leagues.
Despite holding the best record, the Yankees show some cracks By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews With the Subway Series behind them, the bright lights dim a little for the New York Yankees as they host the Kansas City Royals at the Stadium beginning tonight through Sunday for four games. They’ll then host the Seattle Mariners for a threegame series next Monday through Wednesday. Since going into last week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Yanks have not been the dominant team they were Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman has had his struggles this for most of this season. season, posting a 5.48 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched heading They were 58-21 after a into last night’s game versus the Mets (MLB.com photo) 6-1 win over the Cleveland
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Guardians on July 2, but were 8-11 since for a 66-32 record before facing the Mets at Citi Field last night (Wednesday) in the second game of their two-game series. “We can play better,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday. “We were playing about as well as you can play. We’ve played a little less thanAM thatNEWS so far and we haven’t pulled out some of those 07/21/22 games we had been pulling out.” The Yankees’ 6-3 loss to the Mets on Tuesday was an example. They went up 2-0 in the top of the first inning on back-to-back home runs by Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo off Mets starter Tiajuan Walker. But their own starter, Jordan Montgomery, gave it all back plus two more runs in the bottom of the inning as the Mets scoredAM four. NEWS Maybe the most important measuring 07/28/22 stick for the Yankees has been them losing three out of five games to the Houston Astros this season, their greatest threat in the American League. The Astros were
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terday afternoon. The Yankees must now assess their most pressing needs heading into the Aug. 2 trade deadline. With key bullpen piece Michael King out for the season with a fractured elbow sustained against the Baltimore Orioles last week, they will be seeking another reliable 01304 relief arm. Former closer Aroldis Chapman AM NE is no longer an elite pitcher and has strug07/21/ 0 7 22784 gled with74470 a 5.48 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched before last night’s game. Chad Green and Zach Britton have also had issues consistently getting outs to put it mildly.
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