Buck ONeil

About Buck O'Neil

One of the most important figures in baseball history, John “Buck” O’Neil was a Negro Leagues baseball player and the first black coach in MLB history. In 1937, O’Neil made his pro debut by signing with the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro Leagues. The next year, he began playing for the Kansas City Monarchs, where he served as player and then as a manager until 1955. In 1962, O’Neil became the first African-American coach in MLB history when he became the coach for the Chicago Cubs, for whom he had been scouting since 1955. In 1990, he was instrumental in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He also helped to induct six Negro Leagues players into the National Baseball Hall of Fame between 1995 and 2001. On October 6, 2006, after years of helping to break down the color barrier in baseball, Buck O’Neil passed away. Since his death, he has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Lifetime Achievement Award named after him, and a Hall of Fame award named after him.

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