The latest episode of the 6-1-1 Podcast, hosted by Phillies legends Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, is a truly special one -- and one that you definitely don’t want to miss.
Rollins and Howard welcome one of the most significant figures in baseball today, particularly when it comes to the preservation of the game’s history: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick.
As part of an important and informative discussion, the three covered a wide variety of topics related to the history of the Negro Leagues and Black baseball. It was particularly special for Rollins and Howard, who are past winners of the NLBM’s Cool Papa Bell Award and Oscar Charleston Award, respectively.
“It was my first time out to the Negro Leagues museum,” Rollins said of when he won the Cool Papa Bell Award in 2001. “ … And I got to meet the great, the legendary Buck O’Neil. … It was great to hear him then, it was great to walk through the museum and to hear the stories in person from the man himself and meet Bob, who’s been nothing but a welcoming presence in baseball.”
Kendrick joined the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum three years after its inception in 1990, and since then, he has championed the history of Black baseball and educated countless players and fans alike about its impact on the game.
Located in Kansas City, the birthplace of the Negro Leagues, the NLBM has been home to a treasure trove of historical artifacts and accounts chronicling the indelible and indispensable place the Negro Leagues hold in baseball lore. With the museum on the verge of an expansion into a new 30,000-square-foot home, Kendrick spoke about the magnificent story it tells.
“Our story is not a ‘woe is mine’ kind of story,” Kendrick said. “They never cried about social injustice; they went out and did something about it. You won’t let me play with you in the Major Leagues? I’ll create a league of my own.
“And then that league would rise to rival -- and in many cities across this country, surpass -- Major League Baseball in popularity and entertainment. What’s not to love about that kind of story?”
Kendrick has helped bring that story to millions of people over the decades, and his conversation with Rollins and Howard on the podcast ranged from the origins of the Negro Leagues to unforgettable stories about Negro Leagues legends such as Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Bell, Charleston and many others. There was even mention of the Savannah Bananas.
This is a must-see episode of the 6-1-1 Podcast, with Kendrick’s palpable passion and excitement for Negro Leagues history shining as a beacon guiding baseball fans everywhere to the NLBM -- which is about to get much bigger.
“It’s gonna be something special, y’all,” Kendrick said of the expansion. “I can’t wait for us to cut the ribbon and roll out the red carpet. I want all you guys to be here in Kansas City for that celebration.”