© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Baseball Hall of Fame Induction

>

By Greg Echlin

Kansas City – The Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this Sunday (July 30) in Cooperstown, New York will have a strong Kansas City flavor. Though Buck O'Neil, the Chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, isn't among the 17 figures from the Negro Leagues and Pre-Negro Leagues going into the Hall, he'll be there to honor those who will. KCUR's Greg Echlin has more.

Buck O'Neil says he plans to keep the spotlight on the 17 inductees, some of whom he knew very well, from the Negro Leagues and the pre-Negro Leagues.

Buck: I'm going to thank that committee for doing the job that they did.

(Voiced at the site of his K.C. grave)

One of the most noteworthy is J.L. Wilkinson, the late owner of the Kansas City Monarchs, who is buried here at Mt. Moriah Cemetery.

Because of the unique relationship O'Neil enjoyed with his team owner, he referred to him as Wilkie as opposed to Mr. Wilkinson.

Buck: If you said Mr. Wilkinson, he probably wouldn't have answered. He was Wilkie. Nobody said Wilkinson.

(Still voicing from gravesite)

Without ever meeting J.L. Wilkinson, Tom Fredrick, a local attorney, feels he also knows the former Monarchs owner extremely well. Frederick, who has extensively researched Wilkinson as a biographer, was reassured recently.

Frederick: In fact, his son, Dick Wilkinson, now in his mid-80s told me how remarkable it was that I knew his father better than he ever knew his father, which is very poignant.

(Again from gravesite)

Gifted with what Frederick calls unique trailblazing instincts and action, Wilkinson was credited with innovating night baseball five years before it took place in the major leagues 1935. He also knew how put together a winning baseball team. Andy Cooper, who also will be inducted this weekend, was a standout pitcher for the Detroit Stars before Wilkinson traded for him. Dick Clark, a researcher from Ypsalanti, Michigan, says Wilkinson landed a pitcher with outstanding credentials.

Clark: He was THE Detroit Stars top pitcher for years in the 20s. I think that something that didn't hurt: The Monarchs traded five players to get Andy Cooper.

Cooper was a player/manager for the Monarchs in the late 30s when his managing style made an impact on Buck O'Neil who later became the Monarchs player/manager. The slugger in the Monarchs lineup in the
late 30s and early 40s was Willard Brown, who also will be inducted this weekend. In 1947, the same year Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, the St. Louis Browns purchased Willard Brown from the Monarchs.

Though at age 32, Brown's best slugging years were behind him, Les Moss - who was a St. Louis teammate - saw a flash of the slugger that Willard Brown once was.

Les Moss: He was at the end of his career, but you could see at one time he was a pretty good darned hitter. He hit a homerun off Newhouser. I remember that.

That homerun off Hal Newhouser of the Detroit Tigers, who is already in the Baseball Hall of Fame, was Brown's only homerun in the big leagues.

Of the 17 going into the Hall this weekend, Brown was the only one who had a taste of the major leagues.

Greg Echlin, KCUR News.

KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.