July 22, 2025 • 57 mins
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, shares the remarkable story of how the museum grew from a one-room office to America's National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and discusses plans for a new 30,000+ square foot facility.
• Negro Leagues history represents both the ugly reality of segregation and the triumphant spirit of Black baseball players who created their own leagues
• The museum preserves stories of legendary players like Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and Willie Mays who began their careers in the Negro Leagues
• Bob Kendrick started as a volunteer in 1993 before eventually becoming museum president in 2011
• Many MLB greats came from the Negro Leagues, including Hank Aaron who started as a cross-handed hitting shortstop with the Indianapolis Clowns
• The Birmingham game broadcast last year transformed historic Rickwood Field to honor Negro Leagues history on national television
• Texas produced many Negro Leagues stars including Willie Wells from Austin and both Foster brothers from Calvert
• MLB officially recognized Negro Leagues statistics in 2020, making Josh Gibson the all-time batting average leader at .372
• Video games like MLB The Show have introduced younger generations to Negro Leagues history and players
• The museum tells a counterintuitive civil rights story that celebrates triumph rather than focusing solely on struggle
To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's "Pitch for the Future" capital campaign to build their new facility, visit nlbm.com - every contribution helps preserve this vital piece of American history.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
The Bully is a cozy Austin original bar and grill
that feels like home.
Boulevard Bar and Grill,nestled into this Northwest
Hills strip mall, recentlycelebrated two decades.
The drink prices are like goingback to 2004.
It's where familiar facesgather and everyone knows your
name.
The Bully family are alsofriends of the stories inside
(00:48):
the man cave podcast boulevardbarn grill on far west boulevard
in northwest austin.
Stevie lee we look very smallin these boxes here today, a
revised version of the BradyBunch boxes, but, man, we have a
(01:10):
special episode.
Of course.
It's always special when StevieLee gets to join me right In
the man cave.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Absolutely Always special to see your face, man.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Man, I tell you what.
And those watching if you'relistening, you're okay.
I tell you what.
And those watching if you'relistening, you're okay.
But if you're watching in thisworld, we're not perfect, nor
are anything that's digitalrelated.
So if you see Stevie kind offrozen, it's not him, it's
whatever Wi-Fi provider in theAustin area is.
(01:40):
We'll blame them.
We won't name names, but I knowI've had some Wi-Fi outages
here recently and I was out oftown and my phone was blowing up
.
Hey, your service has beeninterrupted.
We'll get to it immediately.
But, stevie, here in the middleof July it's the slowest month
in the sports world and you andI have talked about having this
(02:03):
gentleman that we're going tohave a guest.
He's making an appearance inthe man cave for the first time.
He runs a museum that is notonly significant for baseball
but captures and continues andbreathes life into a significant
historic part of baseball, thatbeing the Negro Leagues.
(02:25):
And you have a late familymember that you'll discuss,
we'll just talk to him about.
But when you think of the NegroLeagues and the significant
piece of history tied toAmerican baseball, what comes to
mind for you?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Oh man, it really comes to mind that there was an
ugly time in our history, butalso celebrated for African
American history.
It's mixed feelings, because wewere excluded but we found our
(03:06):
own way to compete and do things, uh, our own way.
And then then we were um, youknow, put, put together again,
or put together you know.
So it's, it's bittersweet, butI love that there's a museum
preserving the history of it andall.
(03:28):
So I can't wait to talk to MrBob about it all, because it's
something that's needed and isalways going to forever be
needed.
This museum that he runs willstay beyond us.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, absolutely yeah , the president of the Negro
Leagues Baseball Museum and oneof my favorite cities and I'm
not just saying this because BobKendrick's going to be in the
man cave but Kansas City.
I spent a lot of time when Iwas working in the Oklahoma City
TV market, from Big 12championships, ncaa tournaments,
even Royals baseball.
(04:03):
It is a great city and Stevieand his lovely better half,
summer, are going to get to knowKansas City a lot more because
they have their oldest daughterwill be playing volleyball up
there.
But we'll get into that.
But, stevie, you know, all thiswouldn't be possible.
I know we opened up with theBoulevard Bar and Grill, which
is going to be the sponsor ofour upcoming live 90-minute
(04:26):
episode to preview everythingfootball-related at all levels.
But our friends, familyHargrove, roofing out of your
hometown, shreveport, louisiana.
What do you got to say aboutthose fine Americans who provide
quality roofs to Texas andLouisiana?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Absolutely fine Americans.
You and I went to dinner withBilly and some of his staff last
week.
They are fine, fine humans.
We'll do you right and give youa fair quote and do the work
correctly.
And what they're saying isalways hard-growth roofing.
Know who's on your roof.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And Stevie Lee does that the best 100% of the time.
But on that note, man, enoughof us talking about it.
This is someone.
We have waited our times.
We couldn't get our schedulelines, but the well-spoken,
great leader, just an ambassadorto everything great about
baseball and Negro League'sbaseball history.
(05:25):
Stevie, are you ready?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Let's ride.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Let's ride, baby.
All right, you just heard,stevie, we're going to bring in
(05:55):
our guy, bob Kendrick, reallyquick, and this episode is about
baseball and preserving NegroLeague's history.
And, if you are not aware,we're on every social media
platform known to mankind.
So give us a follow to each ofthose listed and you can
subscribe to our YouTube pagefor free.
And that's great the way oureconomy is right now, stevie,
(06:18):
let's not waste any more time.
Let's bring in, for the firsttime, the Bob Kendrick.
Bob Kendrick from the KansasCity, missouri.
(06:41):
That's one thing that I think alot of people are confused of.
Kansas City is in two statesfor the most part.
Which side is the good side,missouri or Kansas, or is all
the above?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Well, they're both great sides.
But if I was going to bepartisan to it, well it'd have
to be on the Missouri side,because the museum is on the
Missouri side and I live on theMissouri side.
But no, they're both greatareas.
You can literally stand onstate line road and straddle it
and you have one foot inMissouri and one foot in Kansas,
and so they're twin cities andboth are great places.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
So, stevie, I gotta call him out, and I know that
it's not Stevie's fault, but hecould not wait to show you that
Jackie Robinson jersey that heproudly hangs on his office wall
behind you.
I mean, stevie was like a kidat Christmas.
He couldn't wait to show you.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Yeah, no, it's impressive.
You know, it never gets old forme talking about Jackie
Robinson celebrating JackieRobinson, his beautiful widow,
rachel Robinson, just celebratedher 103rd birthday.
Wow, and she is just asbeautiful today as she was when
Jackie married her.
And to me she is well, she'sroyalty.
(08:04):
She is baseball royalty andhonestly I don't know if she
gets enough credit for her rolein Jackie's pioneering breaking
of the color barrier, becausewhile Jackie never publicly
broke down, hers was theshoulder that he leaned on when
he got home.
Hers was the shoulder that heleaned on when he got home and I
(08:24):
can only imagine what it musthave been like for her sitting
in those stands listening tothese people say these
mean-spirited things about herhusband.
And she had to be there and shehad to kind of take it, and so
both of them play such a pivotalrole in breaking baseball's
(08:44):
color barrier and we're soblessed that she is still with
us.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
That's beautiful.
And then the other night thehologram.
I think it was a week ago.
I think it was for JackieRobinson with a hologram, is
that right?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Oh, at the All-Star game.
Yeah, yeah, that was for HenryAaron.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Oh, hank Aaron, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
That was for the great Henry Aaron.
I tell you what no one doescelebrations quite like Major
League Baseball.
That was so powerful.
And of course it was my goodfriend CeCe Sabathia's idea to
celebrate Henry Aaron.
Of course I'm sure theycouldn't come to Atlanta and not
celebrate Henry Aaron.
They couldn't come to Atlantaand not celebrate Henry Aaron.
(09:26):
But the fact that the game wasplayed on July 15th to be able
to celebrate his 715th home run,which will be epic, it will
always remain the greatestsports accomplishment in my
lifetime.
I was almost 12 years old whenHenry Aaron hit record home run
715.
I grew up in Georgia, a littletown called Crawfordville,
(09:47):
georgia, east of Atlanta, westof Augusta, all of 500 people
and Sean every day on theplayground.
I wanted to be Henry Aaron.
Now I know some other kids.
Stevie wanted to be Henry Aaronsometime but I had to be Henry
Aaron and when he hit home run715 in Atlanta's Fulton County
Stadium, I'm at home in mymother's living room in
(10:09):
Crawfordville, georgia and ashe's circling the bases there,
I'm circling the bases rightalongside him in my mother's
living room.
So she had the old couch.
That was first base.
The old TV was second base.
The other old couch was thirdbase and her recliner was home
plate.
And as my childhood idol wastouching them all, I'm touching
them all too, and I had theesteemed honor of walking the
(10:33):
late great Henry Aaron throughthe Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum back in 1999.
It was the first and only time,fellas, that I've ever been
starstruck, and every time I wasaround him I was reduced to
that almost 12-year-old kid thatcircled the bases with him.
Yeah, so that moment at theAll-Star Game brought back so
(10:55):
many memories and it was sotremendously well done.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
That was unreal.
I was in, you know, I know itseems it doesn't seem possible,
but I was speechless when I sawthat hologram and then that
image of his wife.
Yes, In the background of thestadium and I was just, I know I
couldn't think of anything tosay.
I was just so invested in thatand I was like did, did.
(11:23):
Did I witness what I just saw?
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah, beautiful, it was very powerful.
It was very powerful, verymoving, very poignant, and Henry
Aaron will always remain such aprevalent have, a prevalent
place in this sports history.
And the fact, fellas, that hecame out of the Negro Leagues,
(11:45):
that's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
You know, he was 18 years old.
He was a skinny cross-handed,hitting shortstop when he came
to the Indianapolis Clowns in1952.
And, for those who might behearing that term for the very
first time, in the case of MrAaron he was a right-hand hitter
who was hitting with his lefthand on top.
That, of course, is unorthodox.
(12:07):
The fear is that you break yourwrist.
It didn't matter.
Well, henry Aaron was knockingthe cover off the baseball in a
highly unorthodox fashion.
When he gets to theIndianapolis Clowns, they put
the right hand on top and therest, as they say, is history.
Yeah, 755 home runs laterthat's mind-blowing.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So, stevie and I, you , you I mean you bob you
mentioned nobody puts on a showthat honors an era, an
individual or the game itself,like Major League Baseball does.
And I know I met you throughour mutual friend, michael
Coleman, and I followed youbefore that and I was just okay
(12:54):
when, a year ago, when the bigshow, the production produced in
Birmingham Alabama, I literallyhad a, just because of the
historical value of it.
I literally had a tear in myeye watching this and how it all
came together.
So, for those of you who maynot have seen this, we kept this
(13:17):
clip and Stevie and I were justwe've got to get Bob on here,
especially after we witnessedthis.
This was beautiful.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Oh, it's been surreal .
It has been everything that Icould have imagined, and then
more.
Just to walk into what I callone of baseball's greatest
cathedrals, to walk into thisarea and see this transformation
has been absolutely amazing,and I tip my cap to all my
friends over at Major LeagueBaseball, everyone who had a
hand in making this happen.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Stevie, when you and I talked about that and saw it
because Birmingham is an oldtown with a ton of athletic and
baseball history.
Do you remember ourconversation when we talked
about that and how that was allput together in Birmingham?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Yeah, I did.
I do remember that man.
Golly, we went down toBirmingham with the family years
ago and we passed by all thestadium.
But we also reflect.
My wife's uncle played in theNegro League and we can get to
that later.
But we always reflect and havea special place for the Negro
League, and we can get to thatlater, but we always reflect and
have a special place for theNegro League in our hearts, in
(14:30):
our house.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
So, Bob, having heard that you've heard so many
stories, I mean family members,descendants of the Negro League
stars.
But when you put it togetherand encapsulate it all for those
who may not be aware of thesignificance of Birmingham in
Negro League's history and howthat production, that broadcast,
(14:54):
turned that old historic fieldinto one of the best productions
of baseball and providing thehistorical perspective of it all
, yeah, no.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
And what it did was it gave Negro Leagues history a
mainstream voice, because thiswas a national international
broadcast done at a stadium thatwas completely transformed.
Rick Woodfield is the oldestactive professional ballpark in
the country, so it's older thanFenway, older than Wrigley.
It just happens to also be theplace that a 17-year-old kid by
(15:32):
the name of Willie Mays beganhis career, and you know, the
apex of that event was supposedto be Mr Mays' attendance at
that game and, as you guys mightrecall, he died two days before
the actual game took place andit became kind of a memorial for
Willie Mays.
But he did exactly what he hadhoped to do and that was to
(15:53):
bring some of his colleaguestogether, a handful of those
former Negro League players whoare still with us.
There are not many left.
We knew from the onset ofbuilding this museum that it was
literally going to be a raceagainst time.
It wasn't a matter of if, itwas simply a matter of when all
of those who helped make thishistory that we preserved were
going to be gone.
Their legacy should never die,and that's our job.
(16:16):
And an event like what we sawin Birmingham, with that
national salute to the NegroLeagues held there at Venerable
Rickwood Stadium was amazing andyou felt like you had literally
walked back in time.
Yeah, no, I mean the look tofeel, the, the aroma of the
various foods, everything feltlike you had time traveled and
(16:39):
you could only imagine what itmust have been like at those
games.
Because black fans filled uprick woodfield, they were out
drawing the birmingham barons,the black barons were out
drawing the birmingham barons intheir own ballpark, and and so
and again.
Willie mays is widely regardedas the greatest major leaguer of
(17:03):
all time and it it comes out ofthe Negro Leagues.
And, as we mentioned at the topof the show, henry Aaron.
Those are two of the greateststars in Major League Baseball
and they both were young playersin the Negro Leagues.
And it should give fans anindication of just how much
talent was there in the NegroLeagues, and Stevie alluded to
(17:26):
this you know, in the opening aswell, how much talent was
missed by Major League Baseballfans.
You see, as fans of this game,we were cheated because we
should have seen all the greatstars, regardless of color, take
the field and play with andagainst one another.
And how much better would ourgame had been.
(17:48):
Because I tell people all thetime they didn't learn how to
play after 1947.
Fellas, they were playing greatbaseball well before 1947.
And had the doors open sooner.
And of course, what we saw lastyear on May 29th essentially,
commissioner Rob Manfred wentback and opened the doors when
(18:08):
they allowed the stats of theNegro Leagues to be entered into
the record books of MajorLeague Baseball.
Because I'd always said, hadthe doors opened sooner, the
records would be entirelydifferent.
But what happens?
He reopens the door and now therecord books are entirely
different.
And it's not a slight againstthose major league counterparts,
it's just how good these guyswere who played in the Negro
(18:31):
Leagues.
And for those who sometimes arecritical of these kinds of
things, I hope that it becomes agateway, a portal into a much
deeper understanding.
Josh Gibson is now yourall-time career batting average
leader at 372.
All-time single-season battingrecord of 466 in 1943.
(18:52):
And I'm going to go out on alimb and say that ain't going to
be broken.
But you should want to know whoJosh Gibson was and why he was
so great.
Who was Boo June Wilson?
Who was Mule Suttles, oscarCharleston, some of these other
lesser known stars from theNegro Leagues?
You should want to know aboutthem as a baseball fan and I
(19:15):
hope that what we've seen overthe last several years with this
elevation of interest andawareness of the Negro Leagues,
that we're creating thatopportunity awareness of the
Negro Leagues that we'recreating that opportunity.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I got a little bit of a story.
I took a class at theUniversity of Texas.
I was actually looking at mytranscript.
I wanted to remember the nameof the class, but I think it was
the history of baseball and itwas a writing component that we
had to write papers in thisclass and we were in class and
(19:47):
the professor was lecturing.
It wasn't a huge class in theseauditoriums at the University
of Texas, one of those smallerclasses and he started talking
about it was one week that hewas just spending on the Negro
League.
And he's talking about someNegro League players are still
alive.
And he's talking about someNegro League players are still
(20:07):
alive.
And I raised my hand mygirlfriend at the time from San
Antonio, her name.
She introduced me to her uncleand so I said, yeah, my
girlfriend's uncle played in theNegro League.
They call him the mule.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, John Mule Mouse .
Speaker 3 (20:25):
And he goes, john Mule Mouse.
He goes, john Mule Mouse,little bitty, young white dude,
he's like John Mule Mouse.
I said, yeah, that's him.
Everybody turned around andlooked at me.
He knows someone To say allthat.
It wasn't that far away.
(20:45):
If we want to remember history,it's not really history, it's
part of us still.
It wasn't that long ago towhere, just because of the color
of your skin, you were excludedout of Major League Baseball.
You know, and so you know, hewanted to talk to me after class
.
He wanted to see if we can gethim down.
He was already very, very oldat that time.
(21:06):
One of my favorite memories ofhim, though.
One of the first times I methim, my girlfriend introduced me
to him and said, yeah, he playsfootball at the University of
Texas.
He was not impressed.
He said you know, the onlyreason you get to play at the
University of Texas is becauseof me.
I said you know, the onlyreason you get to play at the
University of Texas is becauseof me.
And I said, yes, sir.
I said yes, sir, and then hehanded me a playing card that he
(21:31):
had autographed.
He handed it to me.
I was like, oh, this is niceand he looked at me and said
that'll be $5.
I couldn't hand it back to him,you know.
So I had to reach him a walletand grab $5 and give it to him.
It wasn't a do you want to buythis or do you think this is
(21:56):
nice?
He gave it to me and when itwas in my hands he wasn't going
to take it back.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
He wouldn't take it back.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Well, we called him Uncle Sonny, uncle Sonny.
He was Uncle Sonny in thefamily, but he passed away in
2013.
But he left a legacy.
He let everyone know in thefamily.
All the little kids knew who hewas, and so his memory still
lives on whenever we gettogether with my wife's family
in San Antonio, so it was reallycool to know he actually.
(22:27):
I'm sorry, but going rambling,but when President Barack Obama
was inaugurated, he and some ofhis friends walked the parade.
I don't know if you rememberthat, bob, but they were at the
parade with the presidentialinauguration parade.
So that was pretty special tohave someone that we can
(22:52):
actually look up to and lookback on.
That paved the way for youngblack athletes today.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
You know, Well, you know he still holds a record he
hit 11 home runs in 11 straightgames.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow, yeah, he told 11 home runsin 11 straight games.
Wow, he told me that he was soimpressive as a great ball
player but impressive as a humanbeing.
But he tells a funny, funnystory in the documentary the
(23:20):
Other Boys of Summer and hetalks about facing Satchel Paige
page.
And he says he gets in thebatter's box and he digs in and
he hears the umpire say strikeone.
He said never saw the ball andhe said I thought they were
playing shadow ball.
(23:41):
And he says he gets back, hesteps out, he gets back in the
batter's box.
He hears the umpire say striketwo.
He said I never saw the ball.
He said I dropped my bat and Istarted heading to the dugout.
The manager said well, john,you only got two strikes.
He said, skipper, I didn't seethe first and I didn't see the
(24:04):
second one.
What makes you think I'm goingto see the third one?
Oh my.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
God, wow, wow that was good, that was him.
Man, that was him.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
That's hilarious, Bob .
You know, all across the Southand throughout the country the
Negro Leagues had a presence insome form.
Tell us a little bit about thehistorical piece of the Negro
Leagues in places like whereStevie and I are, in Austin,
Texas, in the Central Texas area.
(24:39):
And then, how were youinfluenced?
Because you were a guy thatgrew up in small-town Georgia,
played college basketball for asmaller college, yeah, and how
did you not be persuaded?
But what was it that said?
You know, I have an opportunity.
I'm going to not only promotethe brand the eternal brand of
(25:02):
the Negro Leagues, but become soinvolved to where you're named
president of the Negro LeaguesBaseball Museum in KC.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, Well you know, to answer your first question,
you would be hard pressed tofind any part of this country
that wasn't touched at somepoint in time by black baseball
history.
And while the state of Texasdidn't have a formal team in the
what we call the organizedprofessional Negro Leagues, the
state of Texas is tremendouslyimpactful in these leagues
(25:32):
because some of the greatestplayers of all time that played
in Negro Leagues came out ofTexas.
So when you start talking aboutboth of the Foster brothers,
andrew and Willie Foster RubeFoster, of course Andrew Rube
Foster would establish the NegroLeagues, but people sometimes
forget he had been a greatpitcher himself in the early era
of black baseball and RubeFoster, in my own opinion, is
(25:55):
the most brilliant baseball mindthis sport has ever seen.
But Rube Foster is also one ofthe rarest of baseball figures
who would have gone in the Hallof Fame as a player, as a
manager and as an executive, andyou don't find many, if any,
that check all three boxes.
His brother, willie Foster, wasone of the greatest left handed
pitchers, not in black baseballhistory but in baseball history
(26:17):
.
Both were from Calvert, texas.
The legendary, the legendarySmokey Joe Williams in the
National Baseball Hall of Fame.
You know, from Waco Texas, youknow, so you know you had all
these great stars.
Of course I was last there withyou all when we were honoring
Willie Wells.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
El Diablo.
El Diablo, the devil, who grewup there in Austin, texas.
He was Ozzie Smith, before weever knew who, ozzie Smith was
Easily Making those same kindsof acrobatic plays, but Willie
Wells was a power hittingshortstop and, I'm sorry, smokey
, joe Williams was from SeguinTexas, not far.
(27:01):
Yes, seguin Texas, you know.
So there was so many wonderfulplayers.
Ernie Banks out of Dallas,texas, even though a lot of
people did not know that,ernie's career began in the
Negro Leagues with the greatKansas City Monarchs.
So the state of Texas plays anintegral role in the story of
(27:23):
the Negro Leagues, integral rolein the story of the Negro
Leagues, and so we are thrilled.
Now the second part of yourquestion.
I started at the Negro LeaguesBaseball Museum, believe it or
not, as a volunteer in 1993.
Who knew, yeah, who knew, thatit would turn into a career and
one of the most gratifyingthings I think I could have done
, either personally orprofessionally.
(27:45):
I'll never forget fellas,walking into what was then a
one-room office in 1993.
That was the Negro League SpaceBall Museum.
It had some photos on the wall,a few boxes of memorabilia and
that was the museum.
And guys like the late greatBuck O'Neill and other local
Negro leaguers literally tookturns paying the monthly rent to
(28:08):
keep that little one roomoffice open and, as I like to
say, hopes and dreams of one daybuilding a facility that would
pay rightful tribute to not justone of the greatest chapters in
baseball history, but what?
Now?
Thousands of people from aroundthe globe discover one of the
greatest chapters in Americanhistory.
From around the globe discoverone of the greatest chapters in
American history.
(28:29):
But, guys, when I walked intothat one room office, I
literally walked into what wouldbecome my passion.
I fell in love with the museum,I fell in love with this mission
and I fell in love with theamazing athletes who made this
history.
I had no idea at the time thatit was going to turn into a
career.
I just wanted to support theorganization in any way that I
could, and so I startedvolunteering.
And I was no different thanvirtually everybody else who had
(28:52):
an encounter with Buck O'Neill.
It was love at first sight.
You met Buck and I just wantedto be on Buck's team.
I wanted to assist in any waythat I could, and so I started
volunteering.
Five years later, I became themuseum's first director of
marketing in 1998 and eventuallyserved as VP of marketing,
(29:13):
before leaving for 13 months andthen, in 2011, coming back to
be named president of the NegroLeagues Baseball Museum.
So it's a tremendous story inits own right to go from being a
volunteer to now trying to leadwhat I think is one of the most
important cultural institutionsin the world.
That easily makes baseballmuseum.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Well, I got a question how do you guys get
funding to keep?
Speaker 4 (29:37):
it is primarily.
It is primarily private,privately funded.
We get a few dollars, we get afew dollars from the state.
The city supports to someextent, but the bulk of the
resources are generatedprivately.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
And is that through events and galas and things like
that?
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Yeah.
So events, admission to themuseum, the fundraiser, as you
mentioned, fundraising events,membership, foundational support
, events, membership,foundational support.
So you know, I'm out there, man,I'm beating the pavement, I'm
turning over every rock andstone I can to make sure that we
can keep this place healthy andwhole.
And, of course, I think youboth are aware that we've
announced plans to build a new30 plus thousand square foot
(30:19):
Negro Leagues baseball museumthat's going to be built right
around the corner from where themuseum currently operates.
So you know, you think about amuseum that started in such a
grassroots fashion as we did, ina little tiny one-room office.
Today we are recognized asAmerica's national Negro Leagues
Baseball Museum, as deemed anddesignated so by the United
(30:40):
States Congress and, of course,now on the cusp of building the
nation's first Negro Leaguescampus, as the gateway into
historic 18th and Vine and, as Ilike to say, an international
headquarters for both blackbaseball and social history.
So it's been an incrediblejourney for a little museum that
no one gave any chance ofsucceeding and, as I tell folks,
(31:02):
I am as excited as you couldpossibly be about having to
raise $35 million.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Your energy is unmatched and you have to be in
that position because for Idon't think it's the younger
generation just specifically Ithink it's everybody in America.
This is just an opinion and itmay be fact, depending on who's
listening or who we're talkingto, but I challenge everyone
(31:33):
who's listening watching this goto the Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum's website.
You will learn so much about itand how to donate to help Bob,
and maybe a corporate donationwould be well, definitely would
be extremely beneficial.
And when you have anopportunity to talk to Bob if
(31:53):
you visit Kansas City, not onlywill you feel connected but
you'll feel motivated to notonly be a part of this but to
extend the legacy forgenerations and generations.
But the big part that I'vewanted to make that the
statement is this didn't justhappen at the civil rights
movement in the fifties andsixties, the Negro leagues, I
(32:16):
want to say, before the turn ofthe century, of the, before the
turn of the 20th century.
These men, just what they hadto go through just to play the
game that they love and couldhave played a lot of them at the
MLB level what they did, howthey got to all these little
(32:38):
communities just to playbaseball and Birmingham is a
good example, which had a whiteteam, and then, of course, the
Black Barons and the segregationthat was involved.
Everything that I've read Ijust cannot for us.
I can't imagine a world likethat, but I think this helps so
we won't go backwards ever again.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Yeah, no, we certainly think that is one of
the roles that this museum plays, you know.
But, guys, I don't think therewas ever a time that people
didn't want to know about theNegro Leagues.
They just had no way to knowabout the Negro Leagues.
It's not in the pages ofAmerican history books.
So countless generations of ushave gone through our own formal
(33:22):
educations without againknowing one of the most
significant chapters, not inbaseball history, but American
history, and so, as you can wellimagine, it is an awakening for
virtually everyone who walksthrough those turnstiles at the
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
But you know, I like to say thatit is a counterintuitive look
at the civil rights movement,because most civil rights
(33:45):
stories are very painful.
They're downtrodden, becauseyou've seen me on my journey as
enslaved people, my quest forcivil rights where I've been
sprayed with water hoses, policedogs released on me, the police
brutality that still manifestsitself to this day.
But my success stories, sean,have rarely ever been talked
(34:06):
about, and the story of theNegro Leagues is one of those
great American success stories.
You won't let me play with youin the major leagues?
Ok, I'll create a league of myown.
And when you start to thinkabout that, guys.
That is the American way.
(34:27):
And so while America was tryingto prevent them from sharing in
the joys of its nationalpastime, it was the American
spirit that allowed them topersevere and prevail, and when
our guests walk away from thatmuseum, they leave cheering that
spirit.
So it's nothing sad or somberabout this story and again,
(34:51):
stevie touched on this at thebeginning.
Segregation was a horriblechapter in this country's
history, but out of segregationcame this wonderful story of
triumphing conquest.
And so while the circumstancesthat dictated a need for a Negro
Leagues are sorrowful, thestory of the Negro Leagues, it,
is as uplifting as anything youwill ever encounter, and that's
(35:16):
the way we treat the story thereat the Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum.
My, you know, we were talkingabout John Neal Miles earlier
and he would go out and aboutthe San Antonio area talking
about the history of the NegroLeagues.
And sometimes when you tellyour story, people just
naturally assume that you'recomplaining.
But, as he would so eloquentlysay, he said I'm not complaining
(35:40):
, I'm just explaining.
This is what happened.
These are the conditions andcircumstances which we had to
operate under.
But, as I also remind folks, nomatter what that set of social
circumstances might have been,it never killed their love of
the game, and they were drivenby a pure love of the game.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yeah, that's beautiful, stevie.
I got a little excited, um, Isaid you know what we got?
we were talking about subjectscontent for this episode and I,
sunday night, I got real excited.
I just you know how wesometimes jump on Instagram and
scroll.
Well, this interview popped upand this is a universe thing.
(36:28):
We talked about Jackie Robinsonin the background of Stevie's
Wall and you would never guesswho his favorite athlete was.
And I saw this interview withthe great Bill Russell, the
great basketball legend, and Idon't know what year this was,
because he was sitting with TimDuncan, former of the Spurs,
(36:49):
great by way of Wake Forest.
And Tim looks shaven.
He looks a little younger, butI thought this interview right
here was so fitting but justinspiring in a way.
I want you guys to check thisout.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
You know the name Jackie Robinson, absolutely.
The day after he died, his wifecalled me and said I want you
to be a pallbearer at Jackie'sField.
I said, of course.
I said, but class, why?
Why me?
And she said you were Jackie'sfavorite athlete.
(37:29):
That's pretty cool and I feelthe same way about you.
Speaker 5 (37:36):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Stevie, he's looking at him.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
In the same lens that Jackie did with Bill.
So he's another youngergeneration.
I mean both of you guys.
Man your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
That gives me chill bumps.
Yeah, that's powerful, becauseit looked like Duncan was still
playing in that video, right?
And so the times of segregation?
We think that's long ago andit's not, guys, it's not.
But he was just one generationaway from that, when Duncan was
(38:22):
playing.
Now Duncan has kids that willsee this interview and will hear
that story and carry on thelegacy of who Bill Russell was
or is and the story of whoJackie Robinson is.
And then from that, with birth,going down a rabbit hole of
(38:43):
Jackie Robinson broke the colorbarrier in Major League Baseball
but he first was at in theNegro League.
Ooh, there's a Negro League inKansas City.
Let's take our kids up here toKansas City and check out this
Negro League museum in KansasCity because it all ties
(39:03):
together, guys.
It's so emotional for mebecause you know, and also, tim
Duncan is not from thecontinuous United States, he's
what Virgin Islands?
Right, he's from the US VirginIslands, but he knew about
Jackie Robinson and Bill Russellas a young kid.
So this is not just an Americanissue, this is a worldwide
(39:26):
issue.
Bob, hats off to you andeverything that you do.
It's special to me to have youon right now.
I'm a little nervous, even whenwe got on, because this is
close to me, mean, I, uh, mywife's uh uncle always talked
(39:49):
about it.
We will sit down and just talkabout it and um, but to have you
on preserving the history, andyou were absolutely right, he
never complained, this is whatthey did.
Uh, he almost celebrated, it,almost sounded like he wanted to
keep it that way, you know.
So because he had so much funand had so many.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
You know, Stevie, people want to sometimes hop on
the challenges that they had.
But when you talk to theplayers, they wanted you to know
the joy that they had, the joyexactly.
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
That's exactly what.
Speaker 4 (40:23):
I know, and, scott, I had not seen that video clip
before, so thank you for sharingthat.
That was very powerful.
Because, number one, you knowthere are a handful of people
who are sports icons.
I like to refer to them asJackie Robinson, joe Lewis,
jesse Owens.
Bill Russell falls into thatcategory.
(40:46):
I've always believed that everyhero has a hero.
Somebody inspires us.
Bill Russell was an inspirationfor a lot of guys.
I hope the younger guys whoplay in the NBA take time to
learn his story, because it's animportant story.
(41:08):
These guys were all very muchso prevalent in ushering in
civil rights in this country.
And for Tim to hear thatdirectly from Bill that he
looked at him the way thatJackie had looked at Bill
Russell, that he looked at himthe way that Jackie had looked
at Bill Russell.
(41:28):
And for Bill Russell to hearthat Jackie looked at him that
way, because you know howimportant Jackie was to Bill
Russell.
So that's special there, thatis.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
That's so.
I couldn't wait.
I just could not wait to showthat, because that really not
only put a lot into perspectivefor me personally, not just
being a fan, but just a humanelement of it all Of
relationships, idols, heroes,whatnot.
We're coming to the end of thisbecause our second segments are
(42:01):
so fast we couldn't let Bobmake an appearance unless he
delivered one of these.
All right, Bob, we've been veryfortunate.
This is episode 471.
(42:22):
The man Cave stories areusually anything tied to the
individual's life locker room,maybe a story that's never been
told before, but mainly storiesthat are equally as amusing
today as they were when theyoccurred.
Do you have any of those thatyou feel comfortable sharing.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
You know, and the stories don't usually center
around me, but there's storiesfrom the Negro Leagues that have
been passed down to me that Ithink are tremendously inspiring
and, in this case, amusing,because any time you talk about
Satchel Paige there are nothingbut great stories associated
with the legendary Leroy SatchelPaige.
(43:05):
I first heard the legendarybroadcaster Vin Scully tell the
story.
Then, a few years ago, I wasout at Kauffman Stadium and we
were celebrating Jackie RobinsonDay.
But we had a weather delaybecause, you know, in Kansas
City even in April the weathercan get inclement.
I'm there and they say well,george Brett and Whitey Herzog
(43:29):
are back in the suite.
Why don't you go by and sayhello to him?
Well, the minute I see MrHerzog, the first thing I do I
just look at him.
I say, is it true?
And he knew exactly what I wastalking about.
So the year is 1956.
Now, if you believe that SatchelPaige was born in 1906, which I
absolutely do not believe, butfor the sake of this story,
(43:52):
let's just say that he was bornin 1906.
My math says that would nowmake him 50 years old and,
fellas, he's still pitchinggreat.
He's now in AAA baseball,pitching for the Miami Marlins
and a young outfielder for theMarlins was the late great
Whitey Herzog and they'replaying in Rochester, new York.
(44:16):
And so the Rochester team had aknothole in the outfield wall
and they had a promotion thatsaid if any batter could hit the
ball on the fly through theknothole you could win $100,000.
Well, it was virtuallyimpossible.
But Mr Herzog says he goes outto the outfield, he's jogging.
(44:37):
He took a baseball with himbecause he wanted to see if the
ball would fit in the hole.
Baseball with him because hewanted to see if the ball would
fit in the hole.
Well, there's just enoughcircumference to squeeze that
ball through the hole.
He goes and gets Satchel.
He says Satchel, you're alwaysbragging about how great your
control is and how you can throwa baseball over a chewing gum
(44:59):
wrapper.
He didn't warm up in thebullpen like most pitchers do.
Throwing to the catcher acrosshome plate, satchel would use a
stick of foil chewing gumwrapper.
The catcher would sit thechewing gum wrapper on top of
home plate and wherever thecatcher moved the chewing gum
wrapper, Satchel right over thetop of that chewing gum wrapper.
Oh my God.
(45:19):
He said yeah, you alwaysbragging about how great your
control is and how you can throwa baseball over chewing gum
wrapper.
Well, I bet you a bottle of oldgranddad bourbon that you can't
throw a baseball through this,not hole.
Now.
Satchel page fellas had anickname for everybody.
(45:40):
His nickname for Mr Herzog wasWild Child.
He says Wild Child, will theball fit?
Mr Herzog shows him it's justenough circumference to squeeze
that ball through the hole.
He says Wild Child, I'll takethat bet.
Mr Herzog says he steps off 60feet six inches.
(46:04):
He puts down the pitchingrubber.
He's going to give the old manthree tries to throw that ball
through the net hole.
He says Satchel takes thebaseball like a hunter, is
looking through the telescope ofhis rifle and he measures.
And he measures and he says thefirst pitch goes in the hole but
(46:27):
spins back out.
He says he is in freakingdisbelief.
But he's saying to himselfthere is no way he can get any
closer than that.
The very next pitch, rightthrough the hole.
Satchel reaches down, picks upthe bottle of bourbon and says
(46:50):
wild child, I'll take that, andsmothers on off into the sunset.
So, as I tell my guests, therewill never, ever, ever another
Leroy Satchel-Payne.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
It's awesome Bob Kendrick's recount of history
eloquently, smoothly, as if youwere there for all of this.
This is amazing.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
You know what I think .
As someone who fashionsthemselves and I think I got
fashioned that way as astoryteller, there's no greater
compliment for me when peoplesay I felt like I was there.
You know, when you paint apicture that you feel like
you're there and you're watchingthat epic showdown between
Satchel and Josh Gibson, or youcan envision the speed of Cool
(47:43):
Papa Bell.
I think that's what we live for.
So much of the Negro Leagueswas based on oral history.
Storytelling has always been animportant part of how this story
was treated, and it's great tosee that with this new
generation, authenticity andstorytelling has really stepped
(48:03):
to the forefront, and so thestory of the Negro Leagues fits
beautifully, and I think that'swhy we've captivated the
imagination of so many youngfolks when we were able to put
the Negro Leagues into the videogame MLB the Show.
It has been literally a gamechanger, and so every day I'm
getting kids coming into themuseum and guys, they want to
show me how Satchel did hisdouble pump wind up, how he did
(48:26):
his high leg kick and, of course, how he threw the b-ball.
They want to throw the b-balllike Satchel threw the b-ball.
And, man, that just fills myheart with joy, because that's
exactly what we hope wouldhappen.
That's exactly what we hopedwould happen, and so
storytelling plays such atremendous role in how we
communicate around this piece ofhistory.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
You do it well, very well.
I don't want to stop talking,man.
Speaker 3 (48:54):
I know you got to get out of here for things that you
have to do, but I just don'twant to stop talking.
I can hear your story all day.
So, that being said, man, we'regoing to be back and forth to
Kansas City to see my daughter,but we're going to definitely
stop by.
I want to get involved.
I want to help with yourfundraisers and things like that
(49:14):
.
I'll be in touch and any way Ican help.
Sean, I think that we should getthe link and when we post this,
we will fill in the donationsection so we can just just help
out with with donating andkeeping this thing going and
keeping it alive.
Speaker 4 (49:34):
Yeah, no, man, we absolutely appreciate,
appreciate that the campaign iscalled Pitch for the Future.
Pitch for the future.
Sometimes, when people hear youworking on the capital campaign
, they think you only want largedonations.
And we do want large donations.
But in the spirit of my friendBuck O'Neill, I say this and I
mean it wholeheartedly everybuck counts, yeah, yeah, every
(49:57):
buck we receive moves us closerto our target goal.
And so, yeah, if you're soinclined, please join us at
nlbmcom and go to the Pitch forthe Future tab and consider
making a contribution to help usbuild, buck, a brand new house,
a new Negro Leagues baseballmuseum and we're excited and I'm
(50:18):
going to have to come up therewith Stevie because I have not
been back to Kansas City since Ileft OKC.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
Unfortunately, I'll throw myself under the bus.
I did drive around KC to go toOmaha, but Kansas City is a
beautiful place and the NegroLeagues Museum from afar.
I've always had a vestedinterest and for you to be here
and telling these stories isamazing.
We're going to take a quickbreak and, bob, you're going to
be thoroughly entertained.
Telling these stories isamazing.
We're going to take a quickbreak and, bob, you're going to
be thoroughly entertained fromthe ad you're going to see from
(50:48):
Hargrove Roofing Two guys thatare here in this room with you
trying to act, and Stevie.
I think he may win an AcademyAward at some point for this.
But on the other side we'regoing to end with some
positivity stories inside theman Cave tradition and that's
coming up on the other side.
We're going to end with somepositivity stories inside the
man Cave tradition and that'scoming up on the other side of
this break.
Speaker 5 (51:07):
Here at Hard Grove Roofing we try to think outside
the box, to kind of get thecreative juices flowing.
So I brought in my friendStevie Lee, former defensive
tackle for the Texas Longhorns.
He's going to help the teamstrategize, really motivate them
, light a fire.
Speaker 3 (51:23):
This guy's going to block down.
This guy's going to help theteam strategize, really motivate
them, light a fire.
This guy's going to block down.
This guy's going to block down.
You put your butt into theguard and that way, my Mike
linebacker gets free to do what.
Speaker 5 (51:31):
Not only are they going to learn a thing or two,
but they're going to also leavewith a great attitude and a
bunch of smiles on their faces.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
I'm sorry.
What does this have to do withroofing exactly?
Get out Right now.
Speaker 5 (51:46):
I said get out For me .
That's what it's all about.
It's just having fun making ouremployees have a great time.
Speaker 3 (52:13):
Hargrove Roofing.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
Know who's on your roof.
Hey man, tell me something good.
All right, gentlemen, and thebob kendrick, the president of
the negro league's baseballmuseum and beautiful kansas city
.
You know, if you, if one, wereto judge the world, and here in
america or across the globe, bysocial media, you think there's
nothing but negativity.
That's what inspired this threeyears ago.
Let's, let's end with somepositivity and we'll begin with
(52:38):
our v now VIP alumni of StoriesInside the man Cave.
Bob Kendrick, tell me somethinggood, my brother.
Speaker 4 (52:48):
Well, there's a lot of good to be told, particularly
as it relates to this story ofthe Negro Leagues, because,
again, they never cried aboutthe social injustice, they went
out and did something about it,and that's a story that is so
steep and embodies the Americanspirit, and that's why I think
so many people have gravitatedto this story.
It is everything that Americaaspires to be, and it's all
(53:13):
wrapped up inside this wonderfulstory of these very courageous
and talented athletes who, whenit's all said and done, all they
wanted to do was play ball.
They just wanted to play ball.
They didn't know they weremaking history, they didn't care
about making history, they justwanted to play ball.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
Man.
That's so inspiring, Stevie.
Final thoughts on our guy BobKendrick and this amazing story.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Man, bob, you're so right.
There's so much good going onin the world today.
I love your positive vibes andattitude.
That's my something.
Good man.
Everybody's out there listeningand watching this.
Take out the Bob right now, man, he's positive about everything
.
Find something good in yourlife to hang on to, man Right
(54:04):
now.
I got two more weeks with mybaby being at home.
I'm hanging on to that.
It's sad but I'm happy becauseI raised her to go off and now
she's going off.
Sounds like she's going to bein pretty good hands over in
Kansas City.
I can just send her to Bob'shouse.
Speaker 4 (54:20):
We're going to take care of her here.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
Steven, don't worry about it.
Well, I'll take mine short.
Tell me something good.
There's a lot to be thankfuland express gratitude for, but
I've got two reasons right hereYou'll look at them for me to
make that, return to Kansas Cityand eat the great food.
There is that debate betweenKansas City barbecue and Texas
barbecue.
(54:43):
I'm going to stay neutral onthat one.
Speaker 3 (54:48):
I went up there for orientation and I tried it.
I'm going to keep that tomyself right now.
Maybe I went to a differentplace.
I'm not going to make a fulljudgment off of what I had, Bob.
I'm going to need somerecommendations when I get there
.
Speaker 4 (55:06):
All right, you got it .
Speaker 2 (55:08):
You got it.
It's fantastic.
But you know it's just you gotto have, like, an open mind, you
got to have an open palateperiod.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
It's true, you know, bob, much appreciation to you,
my friend.
Thank you for taking some timeto tell the beautiful story of
the Negro Leagues BaseballMuseum and you know, and your
wealth of knowledge and amazingstorytelling as well.
Well, I appreciate it, guys.
(55:38):
Thank you all so much forhaving me on the show.
Thank you for your support.
I'm just going to hitch a ridewith Stevie, or he may make me
drive half the way.
That's how he is sometimes Ican see him now snoring on the
passenger side.
Speaker 3 (55:52):
That's a 10-hour drive man.
I'm going to drive up there todrop her off.
I'm thinking I'm never going todrive it again.
Well, we've got to use ourSouthwest miles.
Speaker 2 (56:03):
Hey, what's the best airline to fly into Kansas City?
Speaker 3 (56:05):
Yeah, for us it would be Southwest, Southwest.
It's up and down and it's about$150.
That's it I like it.
Speaker 2 (56:12):
So for the esteemed Bob Kendrick and the Stevie Lee
and his beautiful hometown ofShreveport, Louisiana, and the
even more beautiful city ofKansas City, and to my college
alma mater hometown, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Austin, Texas, and
to all of you beautiful man Cavestories inside the man Cave
(56:34):
followers, listeners, viewers,whatnot?
Just remember.
We are very gracious of youinvesting your time and liking
and sharing.
And for the OG man Cave boys,that being Harbaugh Harts, Big
Mike and the Coach Moe, what dowe tell them, Stevie Lee?
Speaker 5 (56:52):
We out.
You see the drippy.
I'm fitted up.
I'm in my car in the Giddy Up.
Speaker 3 (56:59):
I said get out.
The Bully is a cozy Austin original bar and grill
that feels like home.
Boulevard Bar and Grill,nestled into this Northwest
Hills strip mall, recentlycelebrated two decades.
The drink prices are like goingback to 2004.
It's where familiar facesgather and everyone knows your
name.
The Bully family are alsofriends of the stories inside
(00:48):
the man cave podcast boulevardbarn grill on far west boulevard
in northwest austin.
Stevie lee we look very smallin these boxes here today, a
revised version of the BradyBunch boxes, but, man, we have a
(01:10):
special episode.
Of course.
It's always special when StevieLee gets to join me right In
the man cave.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Absolutely Always special to see your face, man.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Man, I tell you what.
And those watching if you'relistening, you're okay.
I tell you what.
And those watching if you'relistening, you're okay.
But if you're watching in thisworld, we're not perfect, nor
are anything that's digitalrelated.
So if you see Stevie kind offrozen, it's not him, it's
whatever Wi-Fi provider in theAustin area is.
(01:40):
We'll blame them.
We won't name names, but I knowI've had some Wi-Fi outages
here recently and I was out oftown and my phone was blowing up
.
Hey, your service has beeninterrupted.
We'll get to it immediately.
But, stevie, here in the middleof July it's the slowest month
in the sports world and you andI have talked about having this
(02:03):
gentleman that we're going tohave a guest.
He's making an appearance inthe man cave for the first time.
He runs a museum that is notonly significant for baseball
but captures and continues andbreathes life into a significant
historic part of baseball, thatbeing the Negro Leagues.
(02:25):
And you have a late familymember that you'll discuss,
we'll just talk to him about.
But when you think of the NegroLeagues and the significant
piece of history tied toAmerican baseball, what comes to
mind for you?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Oh man, it really comes to mind that there was an
ugly time in our history, butalso celebrated for African
American history.
It's mixed feelings, because wewere excluded but we found our
(03:06):
own way to compete and do things, uh, our own way.
And then then we were um, youknow, put, put together again,
or put together you know.
So it's, it's bittersweet, butI love that there's a museum
preserving the history of it andall.
(03:28):
So I can't wait to talk to MrBob about it all, because it's
something that's needed and isalways going to forever be
needed.
This museum that he runs willstay beyond us.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, absolutely yeah , the president of the Negro
Leagues Baseball Museum and oneof my favorite cities and I'm
not just saying this because BobKendrick's going to be in the
man cave but Kansas City.
I spent a lot of time when Iwas working in the Oklahoma City
TV market, from Big 12championships, ncaa tournaments,
even Royals baseball.
(04:03):
It is a great city and Stevieand his lovely better half,
summer, are going to get to knowKansas City a lot more because
they have their oldest daughterwill be playing volleyball up
there.
But we'll get into that.
But, stevie, you know, all thiswouldn't be possible.
I know we opened up with theBoulevard Bar and Grill, which
is going to be the sponsor ofour upcoming live 90-minute
(04:26):
episode to preview everythingfootball-related at all levels.
But our friends, familyHargrove, roofing out of your
hometown, shreveport, louisiana.
What do you got to say aboutthose fine Americans who provide
quality roofs to Texas andLouisiana?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Absolutely fine Americans.
You and I went to dinner withBilly and some of his staff last
week.
They are fine, fine humans.
We'll do you right and give youa fair quote and do the work
correctly.
And what they're saying isalways hard-growth roofing.
Know who's on your roof.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And Stevie Lee does that the best 100% of the time.
But on that note, man, enoughof us talking about it.
This is someone.
We have waited our times.
We couldn't get our schedulelines, but the well-spoken,
great leader, just an ambassadorto everything great about
baseball and Negro League'sbaseball history.
(05:25):
Stevie, are you ready?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Let's ride.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Let's ride, baby.
All right, you just heard,stevie, we're going to bring in
(05:55):
our guy, bob Kendrick, reallyquick, and this episode is about
baseball and preserving NegroLeague's history.
And, if you are not aware,we're on every social media
platform known to mankind.
So give us a follow to each ofthose listed and you can
subscribe to our YouTube pagefor free.
And that's great the way oureconomy is right now, stevie,
(06:18):
let's not waste any more time.
Let's bring in, for the firsttime, the Bob Kendrick.
Bob Kendrick from the KansasCity, missouri.
(06:41):
That's one thing that I think alot of people are confused of.
Kansas City is in two statesfor the most part.
Which side is the good side,missouri or Kansas, or is all
the above?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Well, they're both great sides.
But if I was going to bepartisan to it, well it'd have
to be on the Missouri side,because the museum is on the
Missouri side and I live on theMissouri side.
But no, they're both greatareas.
You can literally stand onstate line road and straddle it
and you have one foot inMissouri and one foot in Kansas,
and so they're twin cities andboth are great places.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
So, stevie, I gotta call him out, and I know that
it's not Stevie's fault, but hecould not wait to show you that
Jackie Robinson jersey that heproudly hangs on his office wall
behind you.
I mean, stevie was like a kidat Christmas.
He couldn't wait to show you.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Yeah, no, it's impressive.
You know, it never gets old forme talking about Jackie
Robinson celebrating JackieRobinson, his beautiful widow,
rachel Robinson, just celebratedher 103rd birthday.
Wow, and she is just asbeautiful today as she was when
Jackie married her.
And to me she is well, she'sroyalty.
(08:04):
She is baseball royalty andhonestly I don't know if she
gets enough credit for her rolein Jackie's pioneering breaking
of the color barrier, becausewhile Jackie never publicly
broke down, hers was theshoulder that he leaned on when
he got home.
Hers was the shoulder that heleaned on when he got home and I
(08:24):
can only imagine what it musthave been like for her sitting
in those stands listening tothese people say these
mean-spirited things about herhusband.
And she had to be there and shehad to kind of take it, and so
both of them play such a pivotalrole in breaking baseball's
(08:44):
color barrier and we're soblessed that she is still with
us.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
That's beautiful.
And then the other night thehologram.
I think it was a week ago.
I think it was for JackieRobinson with a hologram, is
that right?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Oh, at the All-Star game.
Yeah, yeah, that was for HenryAaron.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Oh, hank Aaron, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
That was for the great Henry Aaron.
I tell you what no one doescelebrations quite like Major
League Baseball.
That was so powerful.
And of course it was my goodfriend CeCe Sabathia's idea to
celebrate Henry Aaron.
Of course I'm sure theycouldn't come to Atlanta and not
celebrate Henry Aaron.
They couldn't come to Atlantaand not celebrate Henry Aaron.
(09:26):
But the fact that the game wasplayed on July 15th to be able
to celebrate his 715th home run,which will be epic, it will
always remain the greatestsports accomplishment in my
lifetime.
I was almost 12 years old whenHenry Aaron hit record home run
715.
I grew up in Georgia, a littletown called Crawfordville,
(09:47):
georgia, east of Atlanta, westof Augusta, all of 500 people
and Sean every day on theplayground.
I wanted to be Henry Aaron.
Now I know some other kids.
Stevie wanted to be Henry Aaronsometime but I had to be Henry
Aaron and when he hit home run715 in Atlanta's Fulton County
Stadium, I'm at home in mymother's living room in
(10:09):
Crawfordville, georgia and ashe's circling the bases there,
I'm circling the bases rightalongside him in my mother's
living room.
So she had the old couch.
That was first base.
The old TV was second base.
The other old couch was thirdbase and her recliner was home
plate.
And as my childhood idol wastouching them all, I'm touching
them all too, and I had theesteemed honor of walking the
(10:33):
late great Henry Aaron throughthe Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum back in 1999.
It was the first and only time,fellas, that I've ever been
starstruck, and every time I wasaround him I was reduced to
that almost 12-year-old kid thatcircled the bases with him.
Yeah, so that moment at theAll-Star Game brought back so
(10:55):
many memories and it was sotremendously well done.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
That was unreal.
I was in, you know, I know itseems it doesn't seem possible,
but I was speechless when I sawthat hologram and then that
image of his wife.
Yes, In the background of thestadium and I was just, I know I
couldn't think of anything tosay.
I was just so invested in thatand I was like did, did.
(11:23):
Did I witness what I just saw?
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah, beautiful, it was very powerful.
It was very powerful, verymoving, very poignant, and Henry
Aaron will always remain such aprevalent have, a prevalent
place in this sports history.
And the fact, fellas, that hecame out of the Negro Leagues,
(11:45):
that's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
You know, he was 18 years old.
He was a skinny cross-handed,hitting shortstop when he came
to the Indianapolis Clowns in1952.
And, for those who might behearing that term for the very
first time, in the case of MrAaron he was a right-hand hitter
who was hitting with his lefthand on top.
That, of course, is unorthodox.
(12:07):
The fear is that you break yourwrist.
It didn't matter.
Well, henry Aaron was knockingthe cover off the baseball in a
highly unorthodox fashion.
When he gets to theIndianapolis Clowns, they put
the right hand on top and therest, as they say, is history.
Yeah, 755 home runs laterthat's mind-blowing.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So, stevie and I, you , you I mean you bob you
mentioned nobody puts on a showthat honors an era, an
individual or the game itself,like Major League Baseball does.
And I know I met you throughour mutual friend, michael
Coleman, and I followed youbefore that and I was just okay
(12:54):
when, a year ago, when the bigshow, the production produced in
Birmingham Alabama, I literallyhad a, just because of the
historical value of it.
I literally had a tear in myeye watching this and how it all
came together.
So, for those of you who maynot have seen this, we kept this
(13:17):
clip and Stevie and I were justwe've got to get Bob on here,
especially after we witnessedthis.
This was beautiful.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Oh, it's been surreal .
It has been everything that Icould have imagined, and then
more.
Just to walk into what I callone of baseball's greatest
cathedrals, to walk into thisarea and see this transformation
has been absolutely amazing,and I tip my cap to all my
friends over at Major LeagueBaseball, everyone who had a
hand in making this happen.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Stevie, when you and I talked about that and saw it
because Birmingham is an oldtown with a ton of athletic and
baseball history.
Do you remember ourconversation when we talked
about that and how that was allput together in Birmingham?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Yeah, I did.
I do remember that man.
Golly, we went down toBirmingham with the family years
ago and we passed by all thestadium.
But we also reflect.
My wife's uncle played in theNegro League and we can get to
that later.
But we always reflect and havea special place for the Negro
League, and we can get to thatlater, but we always reflect and
have a special place for theNegro League in our hearts, in
(14:30):
our house.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
So, Bob, having heard that you've heard so many
stories, I mean family members,descendants of the Negro League
stars.
But when you put it togetherand encapsulate it all for those
who may not be aware of thesignificance of Birmingham in
Negro League's history and howthat production, that broadcast,
(14:54):
turned that old historic fieldinto one of the best productions
of baseball and providing thehistorical perspective of it all
, yeah, no.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
And what it did was it gave Negro Leagues history a
mainstream voice, because thiswas a national international
broadcast done at a stadium thatwas completely transformed.
Rick Woodfield is the oldestactive professional ballpark in
the country, so it's older thanFenway, older than Wrigley.
It just happens to also be theplace that a 17-year-old kid by
(15:32):
the name of Willie Mays beganhis career, and you know, the
apex of that event was supposedto be Mr Mays' attendance at
that game and, as you guys mightrecall, he died two days before
the actual game took place andit became kind of a memorial for
Willie Mays.
But he did exactly what he hadhoped to do and that was to
(15:53):
bring some of his colleaguestogether, a handful of those
former Negro League players whoare still with us.
There are not many left.
We knew from the onset ofbuilding this museum that it was
literally going to be a raceagainst time.
It wasn't a matter of if, itwas simply a matter of when all
of those who helped make thishistory that we preserved were
going to be gone.
Their legacy should never die,and that's our job.
(16:16):
And an event like what we sawin Birmingham, with that
national salute to the NegroLeagues held there at Venerable
Rickwood Stadium was amazing andyou felt like you had literally
walked back in time.
Yeah, no, I mean the look tofeel, the, the aroma of the
various foods, everything feltlike you had time traveled and
(16:39):
you could only imagine what itmust have been like at those
games.
Because black fans filled uprick woodfield, they were out
drawing the birmingham barons,the black barons were out
drawing the birmingham barons intheir own ballpark, and and so
and again.
Willie mays is widely regardedas the greatest major leaguer of
(17:03):
all time and it it comes out ofthe Negro Leagues.
And, as we mentioned at the topof the show, henry Aaron.
Those are two of the greateststars in Major League Baseball
and they both were young playersin the Negro Leagues.
And it should give fans anindication of just how much
talent was there in the NegroLeagues, and Stevie alluded to
(17:26):
this you know, in the opening aswell, how much talent was
missed by Major League Baseballfans.
You see, as fans of this game,we were cheated because we
should have seen all the greatstars, regardless of color, take
the field and play with andagainst one another.
And how much better would ourgame had been.
(17:48):
Because I tell people all thetime they didn't learn how to
play after 1947.
Fellas, they were playing greatbaseball well before 1947.
And had the doors open sooner.
And of course, what we saw lastyear on May 29th essentially,
commissioner Rob Manfred wentback and opened the doors when
(18:08):
they allowed the stats of theNegro Leagues to be entered into
the record books of MajorLeague Baseball.
Because I'd always said, hadthe doors opened sooner, the
records would be entirelydifferent.
But what happens?
He reopens the door and now therecord books are entirely
different.
And it's not a slight againstthose major league counterparts,
it's just how good these guyswere who played in the Negro
(18:31):
Leagues.
And for those who sometimes arecritical of these kinds of
things, I hope that it becomes agateway, a portal into a much
deeper understanding.
Josh Gibson is now yourall-time career batting average
leader at 372.
All-time single-season battingrecord of 466 in 1943.
(18:52):
And I'm going to go out on alimb and say that ain't going to
be broken.
But you should want to know whoJosh Gibson was and why he was
so great.
Who was Boo June Wilson?
Who was Mule Suttles, oscarCharleston, some of these other
lesser known stars from theNegro Leagues?
You should want to know aboutthem as a baseball fan and I
(19:15):
hope that what we've seen overthe last several years with this
elevation of interest andawareness of the Negro Leagues,
that we're creating thatopportunity awareness of the
Negro Leagues that we'recreating that opportunity.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I got a little bit of a story.
I took a class at theUniversity of Texas.
I was actually looking at mytranscript.
I wanted to remember the nameof the class, but I think it was
the history of baseball and itwas a writing component that we
had to write papers in thisclass and we were in class and
(19:47):
the professor was lecturing.
It wasn't a huge class in theseauditoriums at the University
of Texas, one of those smallerclasses and he started talking
about it was one week that hewas just spending on the Negro
League.
And he's talking about someNegro League players are still
alive.
And he's talking about someNegro League players are still
(20:07):
alive.
And I raised my hand mygirlfriend at the time from San
Antonio, her name.
She introduced me to her uncleand so I said, yeah, my
girlfriend's uncle played in theNegro League.
They call him the mule.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, John Mule Mouse .
Speaker 3 (20:25):
And he goes, john Mule Mouse.
He goes, john Mule Mouse,little bitty, young white dude,
he's like John Mule Mouse.
I said, yeah, that's him.
Everybody turned around andlooked at me.
He knows someone To say allthat.
It wasn't that far away.
(20:45):
If we want to remember history,it's not really history, it's
part of us still.
It wasn't that long ago towhere, just because of the color
of your skin, you were excludedout of Major League Baseball.
You know, and so you know, hewanted to talk to me after class
.
He wanted to see if we can gethim down.
He was already very, very oldat that time.
(21:06):
One of my favorite memories ofhim, though.
One of the first times I methim, my girlfriend introduced me
to him and said, yeah, he playsfootball at the University of
Texas.
He was not impressed.
He said you know, the onlyreason you get to play at the
University of Texas is becauseof me.
I said you know, the onlyreason you get to play at the
University of Texas is becauseof me.
And I said, yes, sir.
I said yes, sir, and then hehanded me a playing card that he
(21:31):
had autographed.
He handed it to me.
I was like, oh, this is niceand he looked at me and said
that'll be $5.
I couldn't hand it back to him,you know.
So I had to reach him a walletand grab $5 and give it to him.
It wasn't a do you want to buythis or do you think this is
(21:56):
nice?
He gave it to me and when itwas in my hands he wasn't going
to take it back.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
He wouldn't take it back.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Well, we called him Uncle Sonny, uncle Sonny.
He was Uncle Sonny in thefamily, but he passed away in
2013.
But he left a legacy.
He let everyone know in thefamily.
All the little kids knew who hewas, and so his memory still
lives on whenever we gettogether with my wife's family
in San Antonio, so it was reallycool to know he actually.
(22:27):
I'm sorry, but going rambling,but when President Barack Obama
was inaugurated, he and some ofhis friends walked the parade.
I don't know if you rememberthat, bob, but they were at the
parade with the presidentialinauguration parade.
So that was pretty special tohave someone that we can
(22:52):
actually look up to and lookback on.
That paved the way for youngblack athletes today.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
You know, Well, you know he still holds a record he
hit 11 home runs in 11 straightgames.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow, yeah, he told 11 home runsin 11 straight games.
Wow, he told me that he was soimpressive as a great ball
player but impressive as a humanbeing.
But he tells a funny, funnystory in the documentary the
(23:20):
Other Boys of Summer and hetalks about facing Satchel Paige
page.
And he says he gets in thebatter's box and he digs in and
he hears the umpire say strikeone.
He said never saw the ball andhe said I thought they were
playing shadow ball.
(23:41):
And he says he gets back, hesteps out, he gets back in the
batter's box.
He hears the umpire say striketwo.
He said I never saw the ball.
He said I dropped my bat and Istarted heading to the dugout.
The manager said well, john,you only got two strikes.
He said, skipper, I didn't seethe first and I didn't see the
(24:04):
second one.
What makes you think I'm goingto see the third one?
Oh my.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
God, wow, wow that was good, that was him.
Man, that was him.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
That's hilarious, Bob .
You know, all across the Southand throughout the country the
Negro Leagues had a presence insome form.
Tell us a little bit about thehistorical piece of the Negro
Leagues in places like whereStevie and I are, in Austin,
Texas, in the Central Texas area.
(24:39):
And then, how were youinfluenced?
Because you were a guy thatgrew up in small-town Georgia,
played college basketball for asmaller college, yeah, and how
did you not be persuaded?
But what was it that said?
You know, I have an opportunity.
I'm going to not only promotethe brand the eternal brand of
(25:02):
the Negro Leagues, but become soinvolved to where you're named
president of the Negro LeaguesBaseball Museum in KC.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, Well you know, to answer your first question,
you would be hard pressed tofind any part of this country
that wasn't touched at somepoint in time by black baseball
history.
And while the state of Texasdidn't have a formal team in the
what we call the organizedprofessional Negro Leagues, the
state of Texas is tremendouslyimpactful in these leagues
(25:32):
because some of the greatestplayers of all time that played
in Negro Leagues came out ofTexas.
So when you start talking aboutboth of the Foster brothers,
andrew and Willie Foster RubeFoster, of course Andrew Rube
Foster would establish the NegroLeagues, but people sometimes
forget he had been a greatpitcher himself in the early era
of black baseball and RubeFoster, in my own opinion, is
(25:55):
the most brilliant baseball mindthis sport has ever seen.
But Rube Foster is also one ofthe rarest of baseball figures
who would have gone in the Hallof Fame as a player, as a
manager and as an executive, andyou don't find many, if any,
that check all three boxes.
His brother, willie Foster, wasone of the greatest left handed
pitchers, not in black baseballhistory but in baseball history
(26:17):
.
Both were from Calvert, texas.
The legendary, the legendarySmokey Joe Williams in the
National Baseball Hall of Fame.
You know, from Waco Texas, youknow, so you know you had all
these great stars.
Of course I was last there withyou all when we were honoring
Willie Wells.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
El Diablo.
El Diablo, the devil, who grewup there in Austin, texas.
He was Ozzie Smith, before weever knew who, ozzie Smith was
Easily Making those same kindsof acrobatic plays, but Willie
Wells was a power hittingshortstop and, I'm sorry, smokey
, joe Williams was from SeguinTexas, not far.
(27:01):
Yes, seguin Texas, you know.
So there was so many wonderfulplayers.
Ernie Banks out of Dallas,texas, even though a lot of
people did not know that,ernie's career began in the
Negro Leagues with the greatKansas City Monarchs.
So the state of Texas plays anintegral role in the story of
(27:23):
the Negro Leagues, integral rolein the story of the Negro
Leagues, and so we are thrilled.
Now the second part of yourquestion.
I started at the Negro LeaguesBaseball Museum, believe it or
not, as a volunteer in 1993.
Who knew, yeah, who knew, thatit would turn into a career and
one of the most gratifyingthings I think I could have done
, either personally orprofessionally.
(27:45):
I'll never forget fellas,walking into what was then a
one-room office in 1993.
That was the Negro League SpaceBall Museum.
It had some photos on the wall,a few boxes of memorabilia and
that was the museum.
And guys like the late greatBuck O'Neill and other local
Negro leaguers literally tookturns paying the monthly rent to
(28:08):
keep that little one roomoffice open and, as I like to
say, hopes and dreams of one daybuilding a facility that would
pay rightful tribute to not justone of the greatest chapters in
baseball history, but what?
Now?
Thousands of people from aroundthe globe discover one of the
greatest chapters in Americanhistory.
From around the globe discoverone of the greatest chapters in
American history.
(28:29):
But, guys, when I walked intothat one room office, I
literally walked into what wouldbecome my passion.
I fell in love with the museum,I fell in love with this mission
and I fell in love with theamazing athletes who made this
history.
I had no idea at the time thatit was going to turn into a
career.
I just wanted to support theorganization in any way that I
could, and so I startedvolunteering.
And I was no different thanvirtually everybody else who had
(28:52):
an encounter with Buck O'Neill.
It was love at first sight.
You met Buck and I just wantedto be on Buck's team.
I wanted to assist in any waythat I could, and so I started
volunteering.
Five years later, I became themuseum's first director of
marketing in 1998 and eventuallyserved as VP of marketing,
(29:13):
before leaving for 13 months andthen, in 2011, coming back to
be named president of the NegroLeagues Baseball Museum.
So it's a tremendous story inits own right to go from being a
volunteer to now trying to leadwhat I think is one of the most
important cultural institutionsin the world.
That easily makes baseballmuseum.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Well, I got a question how do you guys get
funding to keep?
Speaker 4 (29:37):
it is primarily.
It is primarily private,privately funded.
We get a few dollars, we get afew dollars from the state.
The city supports to someextent, but the bulk of the
resources are generatedprivately.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
And is that through events and galas and things like
that?
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Yeah.
So events, admission to themuseum, the fundraiser, as you
mentioned, fundraising events,membership, foundational support
, events, membership,foundational support.
So you know, I'm out there, man,I'm beating the pavement, I'm
turning over every rock andstone I can to make sure that we
can keep this place healthy andwhole.
And, of course, I think youboth are aware that we've
announced plans to build a new30 plus thousand square foot
(30:19):
Negro Leagues baseball museumthat's going to be built right
around the corner from where themuseum currently operates.
So you know, you think about amuseum that started in such a
grassroots fashion as we did, ina little tiny one-room office.
Today we are recognized asAmerica's national Negro Leagues
Baseball Museum, as deemed anddesignated so by the United
(30:40):
States Congress and, of course,now on the cusp of building the
nation's first Negro Leaguescampus, as the gateway into
historic 18th and Vine and, as Ilike to say, an international
headquarters for both blackbaseball and social history.
So it's been an incrediblejourney for a little museum that
no one gave any chance ofsucceeding and, as I tell folks,
(31:02):
I am as excited as you couldpossibly be about having to
raise $35 million.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Your energy is unmatched and you have to be in
that position because for Idon't think it's the younger
generation just specifically Ithink it's everybody in America.
This is just an opinion and itmay be fact, depending on who's
listening or who we're talkingto, but I challenge everyone
(31:33):
who's listening watching this goto the Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum's website.
You will learn so much about itand how to donate to help Bob,
and maybe a corporate donationwould be well, definitely would
be extremely beneficial.
And when you have anopportunity to talk to Bob if
(31:53):
you visit Kansas City, not onlywill you feel connected but
you'll feel motivated to notonly be a part of this but to
extend the legacy forgenerations and generations.
But the big part that I'vewanted to make that the
statement is this didn't justhappen at the civil rights
movement in the fifties andsixties, the Negro leagues, I
(32:16):
want to say, before the turn ofthe century, of the, before the
turn of the 20th century.
These men, just what they hadto go through just to play the
game that they love and couldhave played a lot of them at the
MLB level what they did, howthey got to all these little
(32:38):
communities just to playbaseball and Birmingham is a
good example, which had a whiteteam, and then, of course, the
Black Barons and the segregationthat was involved.
Everything that I've read Ijust cannot for us.
I can't imagine a world likethat, but I think this helps so
we won't go backwards ever again.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Yeah, no, we certainly think that is one of
the roles that this museum plays, you know.
But, guys, I don't think therewas ever a time that people
didn't want to know about theNegro Leagues.
They just had no way to knowabout the Negro Leagues.
It's not in the pages ofAmerican history books.
So countless generations of ushave gone through our own formal
(33:22):
educations without againknowing one of the most
significant chapters, not inbaseball history, but American
history, and so, as you can wellimagine, it is an awakening for
virtually everyone who walksthrough those turnstiles at the
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
But you know, I like to say thatit is a counterintuitive look
at the civil rights movement,because most civil rights
(33:45):
stories are very painful.
They're downtrodden, becauseyou've seen me on my journey as
enslaved people, my quest forcivil rights where I've been
sprayed with water hoses, policedogs released on me, the police
brutality that still manifestsitself to this day.
But my success stories, sean,have rarely ever been talked
(34:06):
about, and the story of theNegro Leagues is one of those
great American success stories.
You won't let me play with youin the major leagues?
Ok, I'll create a league of myown.
And when you start to thinkabout that, guys.
That is the American way.
(34:27):
And so while America was tryingto prevent them from sharing in
the joys of its nationalpastime, it was the American
spirit that allowed them topersevere and prevail, and when
our guests walk away from thatmuseum, they leave cheering that
spirit.
So it's nothing sad or somberabout this story and again,
(34:51):
stevie touched on this at thebeginning.
Segregation was a horriblechapter in this country's
history, but out of segregationcame this wonderful story of
triumphing conquest.
And so while the circumstancesthat dictated a need for a Negro
Leagues are sorrowful, thestory of the Negro Leagues, it,
is as uplifting as anything youwill ever encounter, and that's
(35:16):
the way we treat the story thereat the Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum.
My, you know, we were talkingabout John Neal Miles earlier
and he would go out and aboutthe San Antonio area talking
about the history of the NegroLeagues.
And sometimes when you tellyour story, people just
naturally assume that you'recomplaining.
But, as he would so eloquentlysay, he said I'm not complaining
(35:40):
, I'm just explaining.
This is what happened.
These are the conditions andcircumstances which we had to
operate under.
But, as I also remind folks, nomatter what that set of social
circumstances might have been,it never killed their love of
the game, and they were drivenby a pure love of the game.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yeah, that's beautiful, stevie.
I got a little excited, um, Isaid you know what we got?
we were talking about subjectscontent for this episode and I,
sunday night, I got real excited.
I just you know how wesometimes jump on Instagram and
scroll.
Well, this interview popped upand this is a universe thing.
(36:28):
We talked about Jackie Robinsonin the background of Stevie's
Wall and you would never guesswho his favorite athlete was.
And I saw this interview withthe great Bill Russell, the
great basketball legend, and Idon't know what year this was,
because he was sitting with TimDuncan, former of the Spurs,
(36:49):
great by way of Wake Forest.
And Tim looks shaven.
He looks a little younger, butI thought this interview right
here was so fitting but justinspiring in a way.
I want you guys to check thisout.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
You know the name Jackie Robinson, absolutely.
The day after he died, his wifecalled me and said I want you
to be a pallbearer at Jackie'sField.
I said, of course.
I said, but class, why?
Why me?
And she said you were Jackie'sfavorite athlete.
(37:29):
That's pretty cool and I feelthe same way about you.
Speaker 5 (37:36):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Stevie, he's looking at him.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
In the same lens that Jackie did with Bill.
So he's another youngergeneration.
I mean both of you guys.
Man your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
That gives me chill bumps.
Yeah, that's powerful, becauseit looked like Duncan was still
playing in that video, right?
And so the times of segregation?
We think that's long ago andit's not, guys, it's not.
But he was just one generationaway from that, when Duncan was
(38:22):
playing.
Now Duncan has kids that willsee this interview and will hear
that story and carry on thelegacy of who Bill Russell was
or is and the story of whoJackie Robinson is.
And then from that, with birth,going down a rabbit hole of
(38:43):
Jackie Robinson broke the colorbarrier in Major League Baseball
but he first was at in theNegro League.
Ooh, there's a Negro League inKansas City.
Let's take our kids up here toKansas City and check out this
Negro League museum in KansasCity because it all ties
(39:03):
together, guys.
It's so emotional for mebecause you know, and also, tim
Duncan is not from thecontinuous United States, he's
what Virgin Islands?
Right, he's from the US VirginIslands, but he knew about
Jackie Robinson and Bill Russellas a young kid.
So this is not just an Americanissue, this is a worldwide
(39:26):
issue.
Bob, hats off to you andeverything that you do.
It's special to me to have youon right now.
I'm a little nervous, even whenwe got on, because this is
close to me, mean, I, uh, mywife's uh uncle always talked
(39:49):
about it.
We will sit down and just talkabout it and um, but to have you
on preserving the history, andyou were absolutely right, he
never complained, this is whatthey did.
Uh, he almost celebrated, it,almost sounded like he wanted to
keep it that way, you know.
So because he had so much funand had so many.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
You know, Stevie, people want to sometimes hop on
the challenges that they had.
But when you talk to theplayers, they wanted you to know
the joy that they had, the joyexactly.
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
That's exactly what.
Speaker 4 (40:23):
I know, and, scott, I had not seen that video clip
before, so thank you for sharingthat.
That was very powerful.
Because, number one, you knowthere are a handful of people
who are sports icons.
I like to refer to them asJackie Robinson, joe Lewis,
jesse Owens.
Bill Russell falls into thatcategory.
(40:46):
I've always believed that everyhero has a hero.
Somebody inspires us.
Bill Russell was an inspirationfor a lot of guys.
I hope the younger guys whoplay in the NBA take time to
learn his story, because it's animportant story.
(41:08):
These guys were all very muchso prevalent in ushering in
civil rights in this country.
And for Tim to hear thatdirectly from Bill that he
looked at him the way thatJackie had looked at Bill
Russell, that he looked at himthe way that Jackie had looked
at Bill Russell.
(41:28):
And for Bill Russell to hearthat Jackie looked at him that
way, because you know howimportant Jackie was to Bill
Russell.
So that's special there, thatis.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
That's so.
I couldn't wait.
I just could not wait to showthat, because that really not
only put a lot into perspectivefor me personally, not just
being a fan, but just a humanelement of it all Of
relationships, idols, heroes,whatnot.
We're coming to the end of thisbecause our second segments are
(42:01):
so fast we couldn't let Bobmake an appearance unless he
delivered one of these.
All right, Bob, we've been veryfortunate.
This is episode 471.
(42:22):
The man Cave stories areusually anything tied to the
individual's life locker room,maybe a story that's never been
told before, but mainly storiesthat are equally as amusing
today as they were when theyoccurred.
Do you have any of those thatyou feel comfortable sharing.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
You know, and the stories don't usually center
around me, but there's storiesfrom the Negro Leagues that have
been passed down to me that Ithink are tremendously inspiring
and, in this case, amusing,because any time you talk about
Satchel Paige there are nothingbut great stories associated
with the legendary Leroy SatchelPaige.
(43:05):
I first heard the legendarybroadcaster Vin Scully tell the
story.
Then, a few years ago, I wasout at Kauffman Stadium and we
were celebrating Jackie RobinsonDay.
But we had a weather delaybecause, you know, in Kansas
City even in April the weathercan get inclement.
I'm there and they say well,george Brett and Whitey Herzog
(43:29):
are back in the suite.
Why don't you go by and sayhello to him?
Well, the minute I see MrHerzog, the first thing I do I
just look at him.
I say, is it true?
And he knew exactly what I wastalking about.
So the year is 1956.
Now, if you believe that SatchelPaige was born in 1906, which I
absolutely do not believe, butfor the sake of this story,
(43:52):
let's just say that he was bornin 1906.
My math says that would nowmake him 50 years old and,
fellas, he's still pitchinggreat.
He's now in AAA baseball,pitching for the Miami Marlins
and a young outfielder for theMarlins was the late great
Whitey Herzog and they'replaying in Rochester, new York.
(44:16):
And so the Rochester team had aknothole in the outfield wall
and they had a promotion thatsaid if any batter could hit the
ball on the fly through theknothole you could win $100,000.
Well, it was virtuallyimpossible.
But Mr Herzog says he goes outto the outfield, he's jogging.
(44:37):
He took a baseball with himbecause he wanted to see if the
ball would fit in the hole.
Baseball with him because hewanted to see if the ball would
fit in the hole.
Well, there's just enoughcircumference to squeeze that
ball through the hole.
He goes and gets Satchel.
He says Satchel, you're alwaysbragging about how great your
control is and how you can throwa baseball over a chewing gum
(44:59):
wrapper.
He didn't warm up in thebullpen like most pitchers do.
Throwing to the catcher acrosshome plate, satchel would use a
stick of foil chewing gumwrapper.
The catcher would sit thechewing gum wrapper on top of
home plate and wherever thecatcher moved the chewing gum
wrapper, Satchel right over thetop of that chewing gum wrapper.
Oh my God.
(45:19):
He said yeah, you alwaysbragging about how great your
control is and how you can throwa baseball over chewing gum
wrapper.
Well, I bet you a bottle of oldgranddad bourbon that you can't
throw a baseball through this,not hole.
Now.
Satchel page fellas had anickname for everybody.
(45:40):
His nickname for Mr Herzog wasWild Child.
He says Wild Child, will theball fit?
Mr Herzog shows him it's justenough circumference to squeeze
that ball through the hole.
He says Wild Child, I'll takethat bet.
Mr Herzog says he steps off 60feet six inches.
(46:04):
He puts down the pitchingrubber.
He's going to give the old manthree tries to throw that ball
through the net hole.
He says Satchel takes thebaseball like a hunter, is
looking through the telescope ofhis rifle and he measures.
And he measures and he says thefirst pitch goes in the hole but
(46:27):
spins back out.
He says he is in freakingdisbelief.
But he's saying to himselfthere is no way he can get any
closer than that.
The very next pitch, rightthrough the hole.
Satchel reaches down, picks upthe bottle of bourbon and says
(46:50):
wild child, I'll take that, andsmothers on off into the sunset.
So, as I tell my guests, therewill never, ever, ever another
Leroy Satchel-Payne.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
It's awesome Bob Kendrick's recount of history
eloquently, smoothly, as if youwere there for all of this.
This is amazing.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
You know what I think .
As someone who fashionsthemselves and I think I got
fashioned that way as astoryteller, there's no greater
compliment for me when peoplesay I felt like I was there.
You know, when you paint apicture that you feel like
you're there and you're watchingthat epic showdown between
Satchel and Josh Gibson, or youcan envision the speed of Cool
(47:43):
Papa Bell.
I think that's what we live for.
So much of the Negro Leagueswas based on oral history.
Storytelling has always been animportant part of how this story
was treated, and it's great tosee that with this new
generation, authenticity andstorytelling has really stepped
(48:03):
to the forefront, and so thestory of the Negro Leagues fits
beautifully, and I think that'swhy we've captivated the
imagination of so many youngfolks when we were able to put
the Negro Leagues into the videogame MLB the Show.
It has been literally a gamechanger, and so every day I'm
getting kids coming into themuseum and guys, they want to
show me how Satchel did hisdouble pump wind up, how he did
(48:26):
his high leg kick and, of course, how he threw the b-ball.
They want to throw the b-balllike Satchel threw the b-ball.
And, man, that just fills myheart with joy, because that's
exactly what we hope wouldhappen.
That's exactly what we hopedwould happen, and so
storytelling plays such atremendous role in how we
communicate around this piece ofhistory.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
You do it well, very well.
I don't want to stop talking,man.
Speaker 3 (48:54):
I know you got to get out of here for things that you
have to do, but I just don'twant to stop talking.
I can hear your story all day.
So, that being said, man, we'regoing to be back and forth to
Kansas City to see my daughter,but we're going to definitely
stop by.
I want to get involved.
I want to help with yourfundraisers and things like that
(49:14):
.
I'll be in touch and any way Ican help.
Sean, I think that we should getthe link and when we post this,
we will fill in the donationsection so we can just just help
out with with donating andkeeping this thing going and
keeping it alive.
Speaker 4 (49:34):
Yeah, no, man, we absolutely appreciate,
appreciate that the campaign iscalled Pitch for the Future.
Pitch for the future.
Sometimes, when people hear youworking on the capital campaign
, they think you only want largedonations.
And we do want large donations.
But in the spirit of my friendBuck O'Neill, I say this and I
mean it wholeheartedly everybuck counts, yeah, yeah, every
(49:57):
buck we receive moves us closerto our target goal.
And so, yeah, if you're soinclined, please join us at
nlbmcom and go to the Pitch forthe Future tab and consider
making a contribution to help usbuild, buck, a brand new house,
a new Negro Leagues baseballmuseum and we're excited and I'm
(50:18):
going to have to come up therewith Stevie because I have not
been back to Kansas City since Ileft OKC.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
Unfortunately, I'll throw myself under the bus.
I did drive around KC to go toOmaha, but Kansas City is a
beautiful place and the NegroLeagues Museum from afar.
I've always had a vestedinterest and for you to be here
and telling these stories isamazing.
We're going to take a quickbreak and, bob, you're going to
be thoroughly entertained.
Telling these stories isamazing.
We're going to take a quickbreak and, bob, you're going to
be thoroughly entertained fromthe ad you're going to see from
(50:48):
Hargrove Roofing Two guys thatare here in this room with you
trying to act, and Stevie.
I think he may win an AcademyAward at some point for this.
But on the other side we'regoing to end with some
positivity stories inside theman Cave tradition and that's
coming up on the other side.
We're going to end with somepositivity stories inside the
man Cave tradition and that'scoming up on the other side of
this break.
Speaker 5 (51:07):
Here at Hard Grove Roofing we try to think outside
the box, to kind of get thecreative juices flowing.
So I brought in my friendStevie Lee, former defensive
tackle for the Texas Longhorns.
He's going to help the teamstrategize, really motivate them
, light a fire.
Speaker 3 (51:23):
This guy's going to block down.
This guy's going to help theteam strategize, really motivate
them, light a fire.
This guy's going to block down.
This guy's going to block down.
You put your butt into theguard and that way, my Mike
linebacker gets free to do what.
Speaker 5 (51:31):
Not only are they going to learn a thing or two,
but they're going to also leavewith a great attitude and a
bunch of smiles on their faces.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
I'm sorry.
What does this have to do withroofing exactly?
Get out Right now.
Speaker 5 (51:46):
I said get out For me .
That's what it's all about.
It's just having fun making ouremployees have a great time.
Speaker 3 (52:13):
Hargrove Roofing.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
Know who's on your roof.
Hey man, tell me something good.
All right, gentlemen, and thebob kendrick, the president of
the negro league's baseballmuseum and beautiful kansas city
.
You know, if you, if one, wereto judge the world, and here in
america or across the globe, bysocial media, you think there's
nothing but negativity.
That's what inspired this threeyears ago.
Let's, let's end with somepositivity and we'll begin with
(52:38):
our v now VIP alumni of StoriesInside the man Cave.
Bob Kendrick, tell me somethinggood, my brother.
Speaker 4 (52:48):
Well, there's a lot of good to be told, particularly
as it relates to this story ofthe Negro Leagues, because,
again, they never cried aboutthe social injustice, they went
out and did something about it,and that's a story that is so
steep and embodies the Americanspirit, and that's why I think
so many people have gravitatedto this story.
It is everything that Americaaspires to be, and it's all
(53:13):
wrapped up inside this wonderfulstory of these very courageous
and talented athletes who, whenit's all said and done, all they
wanted to do was play ball.
They just wanted to play ball.
They didn't know they weremaking history, they didn't care
about making history, they justwanted to play ball.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
Man.
That's so inspiring, Stevie.
Final thoughts on our guy BobKendrick and this amazing story.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Man, bob, you're so right.
There's so much good going onin the world today.
I love your positive vibes andattitude.
That's my something.
Good man.
Everybody's out there listeningand watching this.
Take out the Bob right now, man, he's positive about everything
.
Find something good in yourlife to hang on to, man Right
(54:04):
now.
I got two more weeks with mybaby being at home.
I'm hanging on to that.
It's sad but I'm happy becauseI raised her to go off and now
she's going off.
Sounds like she's going to bein pretty good hands over in
Kansas City.
I can just send her to Bob'shouse.
Speaker 4 (54:20):
We're going to take care of her here.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
Steven, don't worry about it.
Well, I'll take mine short.
Tell me something good.
There's a lot to be thankfuland express gratitude for, but
I've got two reasons right hereYou'll look at them for me to
make that, return to Kansas Cityand eat the great food.
There is that debate betweenKansas City barbecue and Texas
barbecue.
(54:43):
I'm going to stay neutral onthat one.
Speaker 3 (54:48):
I went up there for orientation and I tried it.
I'm going to keep that tomyself right now.
Maybe I went to a differentplace.
I'm not going to make a fulljudgment off of what I had, Bob.
I'm going to need somerecommendations when I get there
.
Speaker 4 (55:06):
All right, you got it .
Speaker 2 (55:08):
You got it.
It's fantastic.
But you know it's just you gotto have, like, an open mind, you
got to have an open palateperiod.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
It's true, you know, bob, much appreciation to you,
my friend.
Thank you for taking some timeto tell the beautiful story of
the Negro Leagues BaseballMuseum and you know, and your
wealth of knowledge and amazingstorytelling as well.
Well, I appreciate it, guys.
(55:38):
Thank you all so much forhaving me on the show.
Thank you for your support.
I'm just going to hitch a ridewith Stevie, or he may make me
drive half the way.
That's how he is sometimes Ican see him now snoring on the
passenger side.
Speaker 3 (55:52):
That's a 10-hour drive man.
I'm going to drive up there todrop her off.
I'm thinking I'm never going todrive it again.
Well, we've got to use ourSouthwest miles.
Speaker 2 (56:03):
Hey, what's the best airline to fly into Kansas City?
Speaker 3 (56:05):
Yeah, for us it would be Southwest, Southwest.
It's up and down and it's about$150.
That's it I like it.
Speaker 2 (56:12):
So for the esteemed Bob Kendrick and the Stevie Lee
and his beautiful hometown ofShreveport, Louisiana, and the
even more beautiful city ofKansas City, and to my college
alma mater hometown, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Austin, Texas, and
to all of you beautiful man Cavestories inside the man Cave
(56:34):
followers, listeners, viewers,whatnot?
Just remember.
We are very gracious of youinvesting your time and liking
and sharing.
And for the OG man Cave boys,that being Harbaugh Harts, Big
Mike and the Coach Moe, what dowe tell them, Stevie Lee?
Speaker 5 (56:52):
We out.
You see the drippy.
I'm fitted up.
I'm in my car in the Giddy Up.
Speaker 3 (56:59):
I said get out.
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