Buck O Neil's Accomplishments

“He (Buck) was a blessing for all of us. I believe that people like Buck (O’Neil) and Rachel Robinson and Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa are angels that walk on earth to give us all a greater understanding of what it means to be human.” These timeless words were spoken by Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson about John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil. The great John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil was a baseball player for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League and the first African American baseball coach in the Major Leagues, but more importantly than that, he was an inspiration to society. Buck O’Neil deserves to be in the Historical Hall of Fame due to his voluminous accomplishments in his life, his permanent positive impact on society and his greatness throughout history.
One reason John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil is justified to be in the Historical Hall of Fame is because of his countless achievements. His crowning accomplishment was his title as the first African American Baseball Coach. He was hired in 1962 to be a coach for the Chicago Cubs. This proved to be an immense step forward in both the Major League Baseball and Buck’s career as it demonstrated an African American can play and coach. Buck also cofounded the Negro League Museum in Kansas City. It stands today as a privately funded museum dedicated to preserving the history of Negro League Baseball in

America. In 1999, O’Neil received Kansas State College Lifetime Leadership Award. Receiving this award displays that O’Neil had been a lifetime leader not just in baseball, but in his daily life.
O’Neil also deserves to be in the Historical Hall of Fame due to his a permanent impact on society. In 2008, O’Neil received an award presented by Major League Baseball. The award meant to acknowledge an individual who made a positive impact on society, broadened the appeal of baseball and whose integrity & dignity exemplify what's best in humanity. Later, this award was named after Buck in order to honor his accomplishments. Still to this day, they are awarding this inspirational man’s award. Today O’Neil’s legacy, and the legacies of more than 2,600 men and women who played in the Negro Leagues, lives on at the Negro League Baseball Museum, affectionately called the “house that Buck built.”
While O’Neil has achieved much throughout his lifetime, his most important accomplishment lies within “paving the road” for the other African Americans who wanted to play the game of baseball. When asked about the roles of African Americans in baseball O’Neil replied, “As far as not playing in the majors, every black ballplayer who played baseball before Jackie Robinson was important. We paved the way.” Buck proved himself a pioneer in the world of African American baseball as he was the first African American baseball coach in the Major Leagues. Furthermore, O’Neil left the baseball field and served his country as a member of the US Navy during World War II.
John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil deserves to be in the Historical Hall of Fame as a result of his countless accomplishments, his permanent positive impact on society, and his ability to demonstrate greatness!

Throughout Buck’s life, he had the honor of receiving countless awards such as the Kansas State College Lifetime Leadership award and his own award named after him due to his legacy off and on the field. Buck O’Neil proved himself to be a pioneer of African Americans in baseball and a fighter for equality in sports. It is with the utmost honor that I nominate John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil to the Historical Hall of

Fame.