Buck O'Neil
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Jr. (November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006) was an American first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball. In his later years he became a popular and renowned speaker and interview subject, helping to renew widespread interest in the Negro leagues, and played a major role in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 as an executive.
| Buck O'Neil | |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: November 13, 1911 Carrabelle, Florida, U.S. | |
| Died: October 6, 2006 (aged 94) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| debut | |
| 1937, for the Memphis Red Sox | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1955, for the Kansas City Monarchs | |
| Negro American League statistics | |
| Batting average | .258 |
| Home runs | 9 |
| Runs batted in | 175 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
| Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2022 |
| Vote | 81.3% |
| Election method | Early Baseball Era Committee |
O'Neil was prominently featured in Ken Burns's 1994 documentary series Baseball. His life was documented in Joe Posnanski's 2007 book The Soul of Baseball.