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SPORTS Thursday 22 June 2017

MLB, players’ union donate $1M to Negro Leagues museum in KC

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
When it was founded in
a one-room office nearly
three decades ago, the
Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum set out to preserve
an important yet quickly
fading era of America’s
pastime.
The days of Pop Lloyd and
Judy Johnson, Josh Gibson
and Satchel Paige.
Its mission has evolved and
expanded over the years
to where it serves not only
as a caretaker of the past
but a bridge to the future.
There is the Buck O’Neil
Education and Research
Center,
which opened earlier
this year in the old Paseo
YMCA, and a $19 million
urban youth academy in
development nearby that
aims to attract more kids to
the game.
All those endeavors cost
money, of course, and
that’s where Major League Major League Baseball commissioner Robert Manfred, left, MLB Players Association Executive Director, Tony Clark, second from left,
Baseball and its players’ and Bob Kendrick, right, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum, unveil a symbolic check during ceremonies in Kansas
union have stepped in. City, Mo., Wednesday, June 21, 2017.
They joined Wednesday to Associated Press
present a $1 million grant
to the museum to help with late 1800s, often as part of the country. barrier with the Brooklyn teams folded in the early
operating costs, expansion military or college teams. Games often played in ma- Dodgers in 1947 — got their 1960s. By the late 1980s, the
plans and educational op- There were few color barri- jor urban centers became start on teams such as the era was largely forgotten,
portunities. ers back then, only a pro- events, drawing thousands Homestead Grays, Pitts- glossed over by historians
“Because of the sacrifices found love of the game. of fans to see a style of burgh Crawfords and the eager to rewrite baseball’s
and triumphs of the men But as racism grew in the play that was every bit as Kansas City Monarchs. often-checkered past.
and women of the Negro early 1900s, and Jim Crow entertaining as the games “The Negro Leagues With that in mind, a group
Leagues, the museum is an laws began an age of played by their white coun- played an important role of former players led by
inspirational experience for segregation, black players terparts. in not only changing the Monarchs star Buck O’Neil
fans of any age,” Baseball found it increasingly dif- The Negro Leagues had game but America, too,” decided to found a muse-
Commissioner Rob Man- ficult to gain acceptance their share of stars, too. said the museum’s presi- um to preserve their history.
fred said. “We appreciate in the game. So in 1920, Cool Papa Bell and Josh dent, Bob Kendrick, who It has since grown into a
the museum’s contribu- former player Rube Foster Gibson became house- was close friends with sev- 10,000-square-foot destina-
tions to baseball and the held a meeting at the Pas- hold names, while future eral former players. tion in the historic 18th and
role it can play in encour- eo YUMC to set rules for the Hall of Famers such as Ernie The integration of baseball Vine District, adjacent to
aging young people.” Negro National League, Banks, Willie Mays, Hank in the 1940s and ‘50s led the American Jazz Muse-
Blacks have played profes- and soon rival leagues Aaron and Jackie Robin- to the decline of the Ne- um, and draws thousands
sional baseball since the were springing up across son — who broke the color gro Leagues, and the last of visitors every year.q