So long, Friend, RIP Buck

[buckoneill4HOF]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15164010

thanks, HOF

[buckoneill4HOF]

"This is outstanding. I've been a lot of places, I've done a lot of things that I really liked doing. I hit the home run, I hit the grand slam home run, I hit for the cycle, I've hit a hole in one in golf. I've done a lot of things I like doing. Oh, man. I took along with the other president and I got to hug his wife Hillary, so I've done a lot of things I like doing, but I'd rather be right here right now representing these people that helped build a bridge across the chasm of prejudice, not just the ones like Charley Pride and me that lead across it. Yeah.

This is quite an honor for me. See, I played in the Negro leagues. Tell you what, the Negro leagues was nothing like Hollywood is trying to make it. The Negro leagues was the third- largest black business in this country. Yeah. First black insurance, white insurance. It was a ten cent policy, just enough to bury us, but the black insurances insured our crops, our homes. Yeah. Stock, they made millions.

Next, Madam C.J. Walker, cosmetology. You see that pretty hair over there, don't you see it? Mrs. Robinson. Tell you what, yeah, that's right. Madam C.J. Walker was doing that a hundred years ago and she made millions. To tell you the truth, Madam C.J. Walker was the first black woman millionaire in this country and to tell you, Madam C.J. Walker might have been the first woman millionaire in the country that earned it. They had other women millionaires but they inherited the money. Madam C.J. Walker earned it.

Next, Negro league baseball. All you needed was a bus, and we rode in some of the best buses money could buy. Yeah. And a couple of sets of uniforms. You could have 20 of the best athletes that ever lived, and that's who we are representing here today. It was outstanding. And playing in the Negro leagues was a lot, which a lot of you don't know, see, when I first came to the Negro leagues, five percent of major league ball players were college men because the major leaguers wanted them right out of high school, put them in the minor league, bring them on in. But Negro leagues, 40 percent of Negro leagues, leaguers, were college men. The reason that was, we always spring trained in a black college town and that's who we played in spring training, the black colleges, so when school was out, they came and played baseball. When baseball season was over, they'd go back to teaching, the coaching or to classes. That was Negro league baseball. And I'm proud to have been a Negro league ball player. Yeah, yeah.

And I tell you what, they always said to me Buck, I know you hate people for what they did to you or what they did to your folks. I said no, man, I never learned to hate. I hate cancer. Cancer killed my mother. My wife died 10 years ago of cancer – I'm single, ladies. I hate AIDS. A good friend of mine died of AIDS three months ago. I hate AIDS. But I can't hate a human being because my God never made anything ugly. Now, you can be ugly if you want to, boy, but God didn't make you that way.

So I want you to light this valley up this afternoon. Martin [Luther King] said "Agape" is understanding, creative – a redemptive good will toward all men. Agape is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. And when you reach love on this level, you love all men, not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, but you love them because God loved them, and I love Jehovah my God with all my heart, with all my soul and I love every one of you as I love myself.

Now, I want you to do something for me. I'm going to get off this stage, I think I've done my six minutes. But I want you to do something for me. I want you to hold hands, whoever's next to you, hold a hand, come on, you Hall of Famers, all you people out there, hold hands. Everybody hooked up? Everybody hooked up? Well then I tell you what, see, I know my brothers up here, my brothers over there, I see some black brothers of mine and sisters out there. I know they can sing. Can you white folks sing? I want you to sing after me:

(Singing began) The greatest thing, come on everybody, the greatest thing, in all of my life, is loving you. The greatest thing in all of my life is loving you. The greatest thing in all of my life is loving you. The greatest thing in all my life is loving you. (Singing ended)

Thank you folks, thank you folks, thank you folks, thank you folks, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Now, sit down. I could talk to you 10 minutes longer but I got to go to the bathroom."

[Ytown Tribe fan]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/15700438.htm

Here's a real nice writeup from the Kansas City Star.

RIP Buck. Baseball needs you still.

[Williamsburg2599]

His speech was my favorite this year. RIP Buck:(.

[bryanac625]

Well, Buck is in the ultimate Hall of Fame now.

If the Cooperstown HOF chose to miss out on inducting him, it's their loss, not his.
:dance

[THE OX]

Well, Buck is in the ultimate Hall of Fame now.

If the Cooperstown HOF chose to miss out on inducting him, it's their loss, not his.
:dance

RIP, Mr. O'Neil! You were perhaps the best spokesman Negro League baseball ever had. A delightful human being, and a helluva ballplayer.

The HOF folks that DIDN'T induct Buck while he could still have enjoyed it deserve having their a$$es kicked, IMO.

Buck O'Neil, a true HOF'er in the hearts of Negro League baseball fans!

[kearns643]

Well, Buck is in the ultimate Hall of Fame now.

If the Cooperstown HOF chose to miss out on inducting him, it's their loss, not his.
:dance


Wow, a brillant statement "ultimate Hall of Fame"...best I have read on the forum...almost brought to tears when I read it....I wish I could have met him.

[jalbright]

Once again, baseball has found a way to miss what would have been a magical moment--Buck O'Neil basking in the glory he deserved not so much for his play, but all he did for the game in his rich life. Now, only heaven can experience that joy first hand. It would have been so much better for the game if the living had that opportunity. RIP, Buck--and say hello to all the greats you played against (major or Negro Leaguers) who preceded you there. Enjoy the game you dedicated your life to without having to deal with the infirmities of age anymore!

Jim Albright

[jalbright]

The accounts I've read indicate he got eight votes, and needed nine of the twelve. So it's four people who kept him out. We don't know if the deceased voter was one of those four or not, and, if so, how he would have acted had he known that his vote would be one to keep Buck out.

While I disagree with the committee's decision on Buck, especially given the support for Manley and Pompez, there is an issue with Buck. I'd say Buck's role in promoting the game and keeping alive the memory of the Negro Leagues is enough--but others might disagree with that. No other single portion of his baseball career is really HOF material by itself--not as a player, coach, or scout. Combine all his accomplishments as he did in life, and I can't see how he could be kept out. However, there is a justifiable reluctance to accept this "lifetime achievement" approach, mainly because once you open that door, where and how do you close it?

Like I said, I don't agree with those four, whichever ones they were. But please don't attack their good faith in excluding Buck. If this argument doesn't persuade you, I can appreciate that. But Buck himself forgave them publicly by his gracious response to being excluded. Buck had too big a heart to hold hate or resentment, and we should honor his memory by emulating him in that regard. That doesn't mean we shouldn't work to rectify the mistake in omitting him from the Hall, though.

Jim Albright

[Mischa]

RIP, Mr. O'Neil! You were perhaps the best spokesman Negro League baseball ever had. A delightful human being, and a helluva ballplayer.

The HOF folks that DIDN'T induct Buck while he could still have enjoyed it deserve having their a$$es kicked, IMO.



I'm sorry, but Negro League experts felt that he was not good enough and they had plenty of information to support their belief. As a player, he slugged .402, which is pathetic for a first baseman, let alone one who wants to be in the Hall of Fame. As a manager in the Negro Leagues, he was far less successful than guys like Vic Harris and Candy Jim Taylor, who were also better players. If he were to be elected, it would be based on his role as a spokesman, which is not a way anyone has ever gone into Cooperstown before. Some felt that he should have, but it is hardly a universal opinion among Negro League experts and as such, threats of physical violence are immature to say the least.

[The Kid]

A great player and a great person. We'll miss you Buck. RIP:(

[KCGHOST]

Like I said, I don't agree with those four, whichever ones they were. But please don't attack their good faith in excluding Buck.

This is what I do attack. I am absolutely convinced that at least one of the people who didn't vote for Buck did so out of jealousy for all the attention Buck had received since "Baseball" was released.

[jalbright]

This is what I do attack. I am absolutely convinced that at least one of the people who didn't vote for Buck did so out of jealousy for all the attention Buck had received since "Baseball" was released.
If that's the case, please name the target(s) of your suspicion and provide the evidence to support it. Doing otherwise is defaming a bunch of respected Negro League researchers for no apparent reason. The first problem is, how do you know how they voted?

Jim Albright

[Got Twins?]

I was in Kansas City Aug 3-4 and went to the NLBM for the first time. I met Buck and was able to visit with him for a few minutes, get his autograph and have my picture taken with him. What a gracious man he was. He was patient with all who were there, and signed autographs or posed for pictures with all who wanted them. It was the next day that he went to the hospital for the first time.

I consider it an honor to have met this man, and will always remember that day. Regardless of stats, managing record, etc, Buck belongs in the HoF. He was a good player, and obviously has more fame than almost any other player. If you want to argue he wasn't a good enough player, there are owners, writers, and others in the HoF who never picked up a bat. If Buck isn't worthy due to his stats, he is certainly worthy based on everything else he has brought to the game.

Let's not let the next generation forget Buck.

[Mischa]

Regardless of stats, managing record, etc, Buck belongs in the HoF. He was a good player, and obviously has more fame than almost any other player. If you want to argue he wasn't a good enough player, there are owners, writers, and others in the HoF who never picked up a bat. If Buck isn't worthy due to his stats, he is certainly worthy based on everything else he has brought to the game.

Let's not let the next generation forget Buck.

To address point one, people have been elected due to contributions as owners, unmpires, etc. - but no player has ever been put in because he was a celebrity and appeared on TV and was likable, quotable and popular. Steve Dalkowski had lots of fame; same with Pete Rose, Herb Washington, Albert Belle and Johnny Berardino. That doesn't make any of them a Hall of Famer. The Hall of Fame is not around to award famous people but the best baseball players, managers, owners and umpires - of which Buck O'Neil was none of the above.

There are no writers that I'm aware of in the Hall of Fame. There is the J.G. Taylor Spink Award given out by the Hall, but that's a different matter. Please get your facts straight.

As for anyone forgetting O'Neil, I'm not concerned. I AM concerned about people forgetting Andy Cooper, John Beckwith, Candy Jim Taylor, Biz Mackey and other true greats of black baseball and am glad that the Hall honored people who deserve the recognition and fame, not people who already are more popular than their baseball skills warrant.