KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bob Kendrick has the time.
He also has an incredible amount of passion for the history, significance and celebration of Black baseball, his energy and enthusiasm helping to honor those legendary players who are finally starting to get some of the widespread recognition they deserve.
As president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a position he's held since 2011, Kendrick also plays an important role connecting with Major League Baseball teams and players, educating them on the people and stories that make the Negro Leagues such a vital part of history.
I met up with Kendrick this past week in Kansas City for several reasons. One, to discuss Pittsburgh's storied Negro Leagues history, something that has fascinated me since my dad took me to West Field as a kid and told me about Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell and others.
I also wanted to ask Kendrick about his role. It led to a fascinating discussion on perspective.
Kendrick conducts tours for MLB teams and will occasionally overhear a player complaining about a late-night charter flight. A quick overview of what these guys went through will usually quash those complaints.
"They can come in here and see the challenges these players had," Kendrick said. "Where they'd go into a town, fill up the ballpark, and then not be able to get a meal from the same fans who were just cheering them. Or a place to stay, so they'd sleep on the bus and eat their peanut butter and crackers until they could get to a place offering basic services.
"All of a sudden that late-night charter flight doesn't seem so bad. It makes you appreciate what you have. It also makes you embrace the love of the game."
Nobody embraced that love more than Kendrick's predecessor, Buck O'Neil, a former Negro Leagues player and the museum's late honorary board chairman. O'Neil served as Kendrick's mentor until his death in 2006. It's one of the reasons Kendrick always makes sure to have time for people.
When O'Neil was alive, Kendrick remembers seeing him sit at the security desk near the front of the museum, casually greeting those who walked through its doors. It wasn't uncommon to see double-takes or hear someone whisper, "Hey, wasn't that Buck O'Neil?"
"Next thing you know, he's walking them through the museum," Kendrick said. "If Buck O'Neil can do that, you better believe I can take the time and do it."
But it's not just about taking the time, Kendrick explained. When he'd listen to O'Neil tell stories, he was amazed by the authenticity and excitement in O'Neil's voice. How he could tell the same story 500 times and each version felt brand new. How O'Neil could paint a picture with words.
"For a storyteller, there's no greater compliment than someone saying, 'I felt like I was there,' " Kendrick said. "The difference is that Buck lived it. I've heard it first-hand, so now I'm trying to paint that picture."
The same for connecting with a younger generation, which is another of Kendrick's favorite parts of his job. To follow last year's centennial celebration, the museum is launching Negro Leagues 101, which includes an educational initiative for people of all ages, as well as a college-level course on the history of Black baseball.
Like O'Neil, Kendrick still makes sure to give tours and casually interact with patrons. He laughs when he doesn't identify himself and someone thinks he's a random employee. Whenever he's spotted, Kendrick said he can often sense the appreciation because he took the time to talk.
"If me getting down in the exhibit makes the trip even more meaningful to them," Kendrick said, "that's a beautiful thing."
Most beautiful for Kendrick might be the big-picture change he's able to affect through baseball.
Whether it's at the museum, on his podcast, via Zoom calls or visiting area schools, Kendrick is eager to educate about the Negro Leagues.
The incredible baseball, sure, but also how it played out against the backdrop of American segregation and how the message of equal opportunity for all rings as true today as it did back then.
"We want [kids] we educate to understand and early on develop tolerance and respect for those who don't look like them," Kendrick said. "We're able to do that through baseball, although I think kids inherently don't see color. They grow into a world where they're taught to see color. That's the innocence and beauty of a child.
"We spend so much of our time trying to tell our children what to do. Maybe we should look at life through their eyes. I think this world would be a much better place if we did."
