The Museum
Posted: December 15th, 2008 | Filed under: Baseball | 68 Comments »
This one’s personal, very personal, so personal that I decided a while ago that I probably should not write about it. But, in the end, I suspect that not writing about it sends a message too, an unclear message, so I’m going to spend a few minutes here on the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. I suspect that unless you are familiar with the museum you will not care about this; and even then you might not. It’s about politics and inside fighting and the unfairness of things, all sorts of stuff that I find tedious and not much fun to write about it. But this is where we are.
As background: The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is located on 18th and Vine in Kansas City — a corner made famous by the jazz players (like Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Hootie McShann and Big Joe Turner) and the baseball players (like Satchel Paige, Bullet Joe Rogan, Willard Brown, Ted Strong and, of course, Buck O’Neil). It is the inspiration of numerous people — and especially Buck — who did not want America to forget about the Negro Leagues and those days before Jackie Robinson played in the Major Leagues.
It is more of an experience museum than a collection of priceless memorabilia — heck, nobody could afford the memorabilia. The museum is set up so that when you first walk in you are blocked from the baseball diamond by chicken wire … you can see the field as you walk all the way around but you cannot get to it until the end, a symbol of the struggle.
And for many years you would show up there and it was likely that Buck O’Neil himself would be around to offer a few stories, or my friend Bob Kendrick, the marketing director, would be around to offer a guided tour. The thing I have always loved about the place is that you can know nothing at all about the Negro Leagues or you can be a baseball historian, and it is the same, the experience of being in the place hits you square. If you have ever visited the place, you know what I mean. It’s special. I will always feel that way. The place has been one of the great loves of my life.
And so, it hurts me to say this, but this is the point today: I intend to never set foot in there again. I know that sounds harsh, but there it is. Maybe, in time, my feelings will soften. Maybe someday I will feel differently. But there are a lot of raw feelings now. As mentioned, this one’s personal.
My colleague and friend Jason Whitlock wrote a powerful and authentic column about what’s happening at the Museum; and you can get the details you need there. I’ll only sum up; a couple of weeks ago, the museum board decided by one vote to name a board member, Greg Baker, as the new executive director. He won by one vote over marketing longtime director Bob Kendrick. I have nothing whatsoever against Greg Baker — I don’t even know the man — but I believe this is a grave injustice, and I believe it’s a slap at Buck O’Neil, it’s a slap at what the Museum has always stood for, it’s a slap at loyalty and fair play, and finally I believe it’s a slap at all of us who who in our own small way have dedicated parts of our lives and money to making the Museum unique and triumphant.
Now, I am telling you right up front that I am not unbiased here. I am a thoroughly conflicted source on all this, and I want that to be entirely clear. I cannot be fair. I have spent countless hours working for the museum. I have donated a whole lot of money to the place — a large portion of my proceeds for “The Soul of Baseball” went to the museum and, specifically, to build the future Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center (which is now in jeopardy). More, Bob Kendrick is a very close friend. He also was a very close friend of Buck’s. He is, in my view, a direct line to the memory of the Buck O’Neil and the man who worked harder than anyone to help the museum succeed. In my mind, he got railroaded.
Here’s what happened, the way I see it: Two years ago, when Buck O’Neil fully realized that he was dying, he made it clear that he wanted Bob to be the man to run the museum. He felt like Bob best represented both the spirit of the Negro Leagues and the business savvy to make the Museum financially strong. Lots of people have worked hard at the museum — I have great admiration for what Ray Doswell as done there as museum curator — but from my angle nobody raised more money for the Museum than Bob (he and Buck usually worked together), nobody has knocked on more doors or worked more tirelessly or come up with more unique ideas. Bob created the Legacy Awards, which honors current Major League players whose achievements represent the vigor of the Negro Leagues. He was instrumental in getting the Museum its national designation from the U.S. Congress. He has campaigned tirelessly for the building.
I know Buck felt that Bob was the right choice, the only choice, to be the next executive director because he told me specifically. He also told many other people.
And when Buck died, some of those other people simply ignored his wished and looked out for themselves. I’m not saying that Buck was king of the museum and should have been allowed to simply name a successor; I am saying that because Buck really built the museum with his name and connections and energy and will, that his voice should have been heard. But Jason is absolutely right in his column — there were always people around the museum jealous of Buck. There were always people eager to move away from Buck’s shadow and impose their own vision on the Museum.
And so when the Museum began to look for a new leader after longtime Executive Director Don Motley stepped down, they basically went out of their way to be sure that Bob would not get the job. They did not name him Interim Director. They hired a firm to conduct some sort of “national search.” They created a process that seemed to have only one purpose: To NOT hire Bob Kendrick. That is their right, of course, and I don’t know all of their motives, and I have little doubt that many people involved have the best intentions. But for someone who has been close to the Museum for a long time. it was hard to watch the way that Bob Kendrick was treated after he gave his life to the place.
I already mentioned that I do not know Greg Baker. I do not believe I have ever met him. And yes, that does leave me with a certain impression — I have spoken at 50 museum events, probably more. I was the moderator for museum talks that involved people like Hank Aaron, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Dave Winfield, Monte Irvin, George Brett, Frank White and numerous others including, often, Buck O’Neil. I have spent many hours promoting the museum around the country, and I suspect I was one of the larger individual donors. I don’t say this to brag — we all have our causes. I say this because I find it hard to reconcile that Greg Baker has this great passion for the Museum (which is what people keep telling me), and yet he has lived in Kansas City for the whole time the Museum has been in operation and I have never once seen him at an event.
Still, as far as I know, Greg Baker is perfectly qualified to run the Museum. He has a varied background, and former Chiefs player and current professor Pellom McDaniels — who ran the search committee and is someone I very much like and admire — says that he has a strategic sense that Bob Kendrick lacks. I have no insider knowledge there and would not argue the point.
But I would argue with the process, because it is rife with signs of corruption. Greg Baker was on the Museum Board for a little more than a year (and even THEN he was no more visible and, best I can tell, did not show up for events nor raise money for the museum — sorry, I cannot get this out of my head). And so, when the process started, he made his way onto the search committee. Best I can tell, he was instrumental in turning the search away from Bob Kendrick. He personally guided the process to a search firm run by a longtime acquaintance (and perhaps a close friend — though Baker denies they are especially close).
And then, just as the thing got going, Baker decided that he was as good a candidate as anyone else, and he stepped off the search committee and applied for the job himself. The committee, his committee, then looked at the candidates offered up by this nationwide search and determined that, what do you know, Greg Baker was the most qualified candidate in the country to be executive director. What a lucky break to have the best candidate in the whole country right there all along.
The search committee then wanted to ram Greg Baker right through — the original idea was to have the Museum board simply approve their recommendation of Greg Baker. But certain members of the board, perhaps recognizing a pat hand when they saw it, rebelled and insisted that they be allowed to vote on all three finalists: Greg Baker, Bob Kendrick and Ray Doswell.
Finally there was one more quirk: The board met to vote on the three men, but those board members who could not make it to the meeting for whatever reason were not allowed to vote in absentia. I do not know if this is common for museum boards, maybe it is. It just seems to me very strange that there were board members who did not get to vote on the person who will lead the museum. The final vote was 8-7 for Baker. At least seven board members did not vote. And, of course, Greg Baker did not get to vote for himself. At least I hope he didn’t.
Two board members have already resigned because of all this.
So there you go. That’s what happened. Now, maybe Greg Baker is the right man, maybe he does have the strategic know-how to guide the museum through these troubled times — it’s always hard to keep a museum like this solvent. But already there’s a strong sense that Baker plans to kill the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center, even though that was the passion of Buck’s final years, and even though millions of dollars were raised (and many millions more were there to be had, but some of those people I would rather not mention sabotaged the project for their own reasons), even though I suspect many people would want their money back. Already I have this unmistakeable feeling that the museum is moving away from the zeal of Buck.
The reason I loved the Negro Leagues Museum was because of Buck O’Neil and Bob Kendrick — not just them as people but their vision for the place as living memory for those men who could really play ball but could not play in the big leagues because of the color of their skin. That vision is the reason I spent so much time and money and energy. Buck is gone now. Bob, in my mind, has been treated unfairly and coldly. And so, yes, this is personal. I’m not saying the Museum will miss me. I’m saying that I will miss the Museum.
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Your feelings are completely understandable, Joe.
Buck loses by one vote again.
Something’s got to be done to save the museum from politics, becasue that’s all it is. You and Jason can lead the fight. I’m proud of the fact that the museum is in Kansas City.
Tell us what we need to do?
I’m with Ron. Let us know if/how we can help.
Joe,
As a board member for a non-profit (not a museum) I would say the inability to vote in abstentia is rare. People have other responsibilities and when they are unable to attend, board members are allowed to lodge their vote in writing prior to the meeting.
Great article on how painful it is when something that you have given a part of your life to and you feel it being ripped away and pushed into another direction.
I certainly hope that the museum survives and thrives, but the board should be cautious in ostracizing a significant prtion of thier supporters.
I am embarrassed to say that I have never visited the museum. I live 25 minutes from the place and have never gone. Other fellow KC readers – what can we do here?
Mike
I just hope we still have a museum around in 3 years. The red flags are already showing.
Joe
When it comes to baseball in Kansas City–I defer to Joe–he is the best thing that has happened to KC baseball since Mr. K. and…..Buck!!
I do have one thought..and it is in some small way supported by an earlier post.
To me, the negro League Museum is the ebst of its kind..and I include Cooperstown!! OUR museum celebrates the Negro Leagues, its players, the time, everything that was good about that era. I can spend hours in the museum and enjoy every minute–feel like I am a part of the experience–it is simply GREAT!
However, “nobody ” goes to the museum. As an earlier post states, he is a huge baseball fan but has never been to the museum. I have heard sportscasters in KC say the same…on most occasions when I go the the museum it is me and the statues.
If the point of the museum is to celebrate the Negro Leagues…and I am naive enough to think/hope it is, OUR museum needs to be at the Truman Sports complex–a part of the focal point of sports in Kansas City. How amny sports fans would visit the museum if it were between The K ans arrowhead?? How many folks would get to experience the beauty that was Negro League baseball that otherwise would never know? How many fans in KC, who unfortunately would NEVER go to 18th and Vine, would get to see the museum and become supporters.
As much as I love OUR museum, I fear it will never be what it was intended to be as long as it is in its current location. We can argue all we want that this is where it “should” be….I fear the reality is that many sports fans will never have or take the opportunity to see this gem.
[...] And so, it hurts me to say this, but this is the point today: I intend to never set foot in there again. I know that sounds harsh, but there it is. Maybe, in time, my feelings will soften. Maybe someday I will feel differently. But there are a lot of raw feelings now. As mentioned, this one’s personal.” – Joe Posnanski on the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City [...]
As I posted when whitlock wrote your linked reference, the museum is, in my opinion, the most culturally significant edifice that exists anywhere within 300 miles of Kansas city. When one visits, as this johnson countian has 6 or7 times, one is overwhelmed.
I will not pretend to have practical solutions that would salvage the museum as we know it….only that it is a more than worthy goal to strive for. If KC and baseball were to allow the museum to veer from the Poz/whitlock/Buck visison it would be a travesty of the first order……..As a huge sports fan and a 60ish old fart I can honestly say that I would rather have the Chiefs leave Kansas City than lose that hallowed museum……..let us find a way ……keep lobbying on your blog, Joe. Let us know what we can do….how we can help…..keep waving the flag…….Thank you for your passionate efforts ….they have obviously been of great importance.
The question is then, Joe: what can one do to support the museum?
Obviously, if everyone who wants to see the Museum survive and thrive followed your path and stopped attending/donating/etc, then the museum would die. And though it would be nice for some to say that Baker’s regime killed the museum, that is a small condolence and, besides, it is ultimately petty and self-destructing. I don’t believe there is anybody who wants to deprive Kansas City or future generations of the knowledge and history and soul that resides in the Museum.
So what do we do? How do you keep the “soul of baseball” alive when also trying to kick the presiding doctor out of the room?
I’m asking a serious question here and I don’t mean to sound belligerent or snotty. Though I don’t live in KC and don’t foresee a trip there in the near future, I would like to know that the Museum is still there and is still ready to teach people about the class and struggles of Negro League players and what America was like only 60 years ago. I would like to be able to visit the Museum whenever I do finally make it down that way, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
And I don’t mean to insult or belittle your very personal choice (and I applaud you and thank you for writing about it) of leaving the museum. But, obviously, baseball fans and America as a group cannot make that same decision or the Museum that we all respect and honor and want to see flourish will shut its doors and disappear.
Thanks for your thoughts, Joe.
It sounds to me like the board could/should meet and entertain the idea of another vote with ALL Board member votes counted. If a super majority of board members stood in this corner and demeanded a new, full voting process what would happen? I hope more board members do not resign until something like this is attempted!
Bravo for coming out in public and making a stand, Joe. I’m with those above – I think there’s a petition site on-line, let’s start one to right this wrong.
Darn shame, Joe.
Don’t get shy with this, or feel like you’re burdening your readers. Keep pushing. The fight for the Directorship may be over, but the fight to maintain the livelihood of the museum and the vision of its founders is still going on.
Keep us updated.
Whenever an organization brings in someone because of their ability to guide the whole org. someplace it means one thing; They’re brought in the make the necessary cuts to survive.
After the recession is over, and the musuem is still standing(maybe slightly wounded), he’ll be replaced with someone who loves it and nutures it back to health.
It’s as though, in the times of recession, it’s a financial good cop bad cop situation. All the bad cops are taking over, slicing budgets up..so in a few years the good cops can come in and fix the mess the recession created.
I’m going the other way on this one.
1) While current technology should allow things to work differently, it is not at all rare to require board members to be in attendence in order to vote. This gets to that whole idea of quorum. (Of course, scheduling an important vote or refusing to delay an important vote when the it is close and members are missing is another issue.)
2) The is a huge difference between what needs to be done when an organization is founded and what needs to be done to keep it going. There is a huge difference between what the first generation of leaders wants/see and what laters generations want/see. That is not to say that one is right and the other wrong. Rather, it is to say that people know what they know, and it is rare for them to be able to admit when what they know is no longer the way the world works. Is this one of those times? I don’t think that any of us readers could possibly know that.
3) I challenge anyone who has read Joe’s post — and Joe to — to read the actual job description and talk to people who have worked at the museum about what role of of ED is for THAT organization. Before judging who should have been selected for the job, perhaps you should investigate what the job actually is.
4) I also challange everyone to examine all the candidates qualifications, experience and visions for what they would do, and to compare them to the job description.
5) I caution everyone that the appearance of impropiety and actualy impropiety are not the same thing. Is it reason to wonder? Yes. Might it call for investigation? Sure. But don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions.
6) Winning by one vote is winning. Perhaps selection of the ED should require a 2/3 vote of the board. But perhaps not. It is the job of the board to select the ED, not the previous ED. And the board voted on this.
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There are two big issues here. One is that the guy whom Joe and Whitlock want didn’t get the job. They feel that their friend and idol (Buck)’s legacy is not being properly honored, and their other friend (Bob) is being dissed. This is personal for them.
Second, however much they love the museum and have given to it, I don’t think that either of them knows enough about the daily operations (day to day management stuff) or the strategic plan (board level stuff) to be a good judge of who should or should not be the ED. In fact, all of us lack that information.
Choosing an ED is an important thing. It any board’s most important duty. In fact, some argue that hiring/supervising/evaluating/firing the ED is really the only essential duty of any board. Getting this right matters.
Making a personal or emotional decision, or an uniformed decison is the height of folly.
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I applaud Joe for making his feelings known. But I suggest that he learn a bit more — and he is actually in a position to do so — before he cement his conclusions. He has a public voice and can harm the future of museum by bashing its board and management so much that people stop going or stop supporting it.
I suggest that that he sit down and talk with Mr. Baker. I suggest that he interview people from the board to find out more about their thinking process.
No, Joe cannot be fair about this right now. But given national soap box, he should put himself in a position where he CAN be fair, else he might do as much to bring Buck’s museum to end as anyone else.
This museum survived the loss of Buck O’Neil, its biggest supporter and the embodiment of its spirit.
But can it survive the loss of Joe Posnanski and Bob Kendrick?
Joe –
Could it be that Bob Kendrick is best suited for the position he is currently holds, Marketing Director? It doesn’t sound like anyone is capable of doing the Marketing responsibilities better.
The board’s majority thought that Greg Baker was the right man for the job. Maybe they didn’t think your friend had the right skillset to fulfil that role. I have no doubt that Bob has the passion and fundraising skills you speak of, but that isn’t all there is to it at the executive level.
I am sure Buck O’ Neil would be disappointed his partner did not get the job, however I doubt he would boycott the museum. That seems counterintuitive to what the overall spirit of the museum is supposed to represent.
The Negro Leagues existed because of the prejudice times that didn’t even allow African-Americans a chance in the Major Leagues. I encourage you to give Greg Baker a chance, or at the very least meet the man before publically taking such drastic stances as ‘never setting foot inside again.’
If everyone follows your lead to boycott, it seems certain that Buck’s lasting legacy and jewel of KC, is headed for failure.
Grant
Not from KC so forgive my ignorance, but what’s the rationale for potentially not doing the research and education center? Is the idea that it is too expensive? Is the museum doing well – and so the idea for the new ED is to figure out how best to expand its reach? Or is the museum doing poorly and they’re looking for someone to steward it through tough times?
After Shysterball linked to Whitlock’s column this morning, I was wondering if Joe would comment as well. Certainly I cannot speak to what the museum should or should not do, but in making this decision I hope they carefully weighed making 2 (and probably more) important allies angry. Not sure the whole “any publicity is good publicity” applies to this case.
Ceolaf,
I believe Joe and Jason’s take wasn’t that their guy was more qualified (Joe prefaced by saying that he was biased), but that the whole process was just slimey from teh get-go…underhanded and just not appetizing at all…
I have served on several boards and it is always been required that members be present to vote. Even Congress no longer allows proxy voting in committee. I think members should be present, hear the issues, and then cast their vote.
Tell us more about the BOERC. How would it have been different from the museum as a whole? Why would someone want to kill it?
If you abandon the museum, you will only hurt yourself and the legacy of your friend.
Business is messy and unfair. Get over it. Stand up and fight for the thing you love. Walking away is petulant and pointless.
Ok, what does this mean from Whitlock’s column?
“An up-to-date Hood Pass is a requirement for leading the museum. It’s not a job for Clarence Thomas.”
The charge against Baker seems to be that he isn’t “black enough” for the KC African-American community. Seriously? Are we back to that sort of thing again? I guess this means that 1. In order you be the ED of this museum you have to have the right skin color, and 2. besides skin color you have to have other people of your skin color think you have enough of the same skin color as them. Great. This doesn’t seem much different from Rep. Bobby Rush’s primary campaign against Barack Obama for Illinois’ 1st CD back in 2000. At that time he had whisper campaigns about Obama being only half-black, being raised in Hawaii, having gone to Harvard, and of generally not being “black enough” when compared to Rush, the former 1960s Black Panter. I don’t know who Greg Baker is, but if he’s in the same category as Clarence Thomas (who knew true poverty and overcame huge obstacles in his life) and Barack Obama then perhaps he’s not so bad.
Remember people, we are reading Joe’s blog…he’s entitled to “rant” a little and voice his opinion. He’s not a KC Star columnist while he writes this so take it all with a grain of salt.
Give the NLBM a few days or weeks or months to see where it’s going…I’m guessing Joe will, too.
Buck wouldn’t have held a grudge. He didn’t hold a grudge on MLB since he was “having too much fun” and didn’t want anyone to think anything other than that he was “right on time” — so who’s to say that this new guy (that I don’t know either) isn’t right on time??
Doug
I’m extremely sad to hear this news, Joe, and I’m so sorry that this museum you love so much seems to be turning away from its purpose. That must be so painful for you.
My husband and I took a road trip across the country this summer, and I read him The Soul of Baseball out loud as we drove. By the time we reached Montana (starting from Massachusetts), we decided we’d have to make a stop in Kansas City on our way home, to honor Buck with a stop at the Museum. It was an amazing experience and I remember feeling so grateful to those who had done the work of creating this space, and gathering so much valuable material to tell this story– all the stories. I’m still thankful for it, and grateful for the experience.
It makes me that much sadder to read your comments on the current direction of the museum. If there’s something I can do to make a difference, I would be more than happy to do so… would it be helpful for us to write letters, either to KC newspapers or to the museum itself?
@CEOLAF,
While I welcomed the reasoned counterargument to Mr. Posnanski’s emotional plea, the argument that we as reader’s need to reserve judgment until acquiring more evidence about the position and parties involved (see points #2-5 and most of your second section) would be much more persuasive if you, in turn backed up your arguments with evidence.
If Greg Baker is truly deserving of the position (which you seem to imply, but do not explicitly state), then where is the evidence. Mr. Whitlock and Mr. Posnanski are columnists after all, not reporters. It is there job to produce opinion pieces, and both have done this. You have been given an apparently open forum to cite evidence contradicting both columnists pieces, I would suggest you do so rather than imploring readers to do the work for you.
I was planning on visiting the museum in May. Should I not go now? I feel so horrible about all this.
This blog should have the little thumbs up/thumbs down options on posts.
EP, consider this your thumbs up. Well said.
CEOLAF, seriously.
@CEOLAF
With respect, I have some experience in the matter of boards as well and the birthing of organizations. Which in my opinion is exponentially more difficult to do than taking one over, especially one with a solid foundation and donor base.
Point being there would probably be no Negro Leagues Baseball Museum without Buck O’Neill, and if there were it would be markedly different. The museum as it exists now owes its success to the passion and magnetism of the man who was able to attract Joe and other donors. And articulate the vision.
I believe a young organization, especially when it is a grass roots organization and not a corporation, that was born and nurtured under the great influence and guidance of an individual has an OBLIGATION to that individual to honor his wishes in respect to a successor. There are many reasons unknown – and perhaps even unknowable – to anyone else that the founding individual will have for their choice and if they were trusted in life, why not in death?
As the generations pass on and the mission of the org is firmly entrenched well, perhaps it might be appropriate for a passionate outsider to take the reigns.
It is quite fashionable these days to pad ones resume with board positions and to use such positions as social graces. I always find these persons become a cancer and eat away at the original intent and mission until ultimately the org is a cookie cutter or in decline. I’m not saying that is what’s happening here but it sure smells funny.
People may have found this already, but here’s the news story/museum press release for the announcement
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Negro-Leagues-Baseball-Museum-Names/story.aspx?guid={7BFA2A9B-1FF2-4885-9E14-A08A2F533CE4}
And here’s Greg Baker’s bio:
http://www.kcmo.org/manager.nsf/web/baker?opendocument
Not sure how to get those to show up as a hyperlinks.
On an unrelated note… carl peterson has resigned!
CEOLAF’s “you can’t handle the truth” argument not withstanding, I have to preface my comment by saying that as a self-centered New Yorker, I was, until now, only vaguely aware of this musem.
That said, I think the most telling line in the article was that two board members resigned at the end of the process. Yes, this “election” was probably as personal an issue for them as it admittedly is for Joe, and felt their voices either weren’t heard or were ignored. Surely CEOLAF can’t broach the same argument with those two (not to mention the other voters on the board) who thought Kendrick was, in fact, qualified for the job. How demoralized they must have felt to simply walk away.
Where is Jeremy Schapp when you need him? Bryant Gumbel! Ring your alarm!
just perused Greg Baker’s bio.
i think justyo nailed this on the head.. sounds to me baker wants to run for governor.
Joe –
I appreciate you making your feelings known, as I was curious after the announcement and Jason W’s article. I agree that the selection process appears to be “icky” at best, which doesn’t sit well with me.
However, I don’t know any of these folks personally nor do I know anything about running a museum. I do have 3 boys (9, 7, and 3) who love baseball and have enjoyed several trips to the museum already. I don’t want to, nor will I, deprive them of the opportunity to learn more about the game they love and, in time, learn about the impacts of the game on society and vice-versa.
More and more, life is shades of gray rather than black and white. Do I discourage my kids from being amazed about certain athlete’s accomplishments because of what they may or may not have done or do I take the opportunity to help them understand that people don’t always do the right thing. My boys helped me be less judgmental one beautiful Sunday morning as we were driving to church….as we passed a golf-course, inwardly I was grumbling and jealous of the folks who were enjoying a great day outdoors while I wasn’t when one of my boys said “those guys must have gone to the early church service so they could play golf today”. Now, whether those guys had or had not gone to an early service doesn’t matter in this case because they could have and my attitude was wrong.
I think it’s similar with this museum situation. Does the current situation seem wrong to some folks – yes. Should I be diligent in observing the situation and making decisions with regards to any donations – yes. Should I stop going to the museum because these recent events don’t sit well with me – no, not at this time. I only heard Buck speak once but it was a powerful message for me and while he may have been saddened by these changes it doesn’t seem likely (based on that talk and numerous speeches and articles) he would support a boycott of the museum.
This is a shame for Buck’s legacy. I was in KC a few months ago and was fortunate enough to get a tour with Bob. It even convinced my Mom (who is by no means a baseball fan) to read Joe’s book. This is a shame for Kansas City, and I’m glad Whitlock and Poz have brought it to light.
Joe, thank you for your piece on the Chiefs today. I think it might have finally pushed Clark Hunt to take long overdue action.
Now for the first time in a long time, I have hope for the Chiefs.
Let me point out a few things.
1) I said nothing in support of any candidate, or that criticizes either candidate.
2) Like most (most every?) reader of this blog, I don’t know any of the candidates. Heck, I don’t know even know anything about them.
3) Like most every reader of this blog, I have not spoken with anyone one the board about their decision, or their decision making process.
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Joe is clearly heavily invested in this museum. Yes, there’s the financial tie, but there are also a lot of emotional ties. And that’s in addition, I believe, to his ties to Buck and to Bob.
Therefore, I do not think that he wants to harm the museum.
I wrote, “I applaud Joe for making his feelings known.” His feeling are valid, and his questions are important.
I also wrote, “I suggest that that he sit down and talk with Mr. Baker. I suggest that he interview people from the board to find out more about their thinking process.” This was not so that he could support the new guy, but rather so that he could figure out whether or not he should support the new guy.
Joe wrote, “I cannot be fair.” And I responded to that with, “No, Joe cannot be fair about this right now. But given [his] national soap box, he should put himself in a position where he CAN be fair, else he might do as much to bring Buck’s museum to end as anyone else.”
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Frankly, I am not invested in negro league baseball or this museum. However, as someone who loves Joe’s writing (Did you know that he’s working on a book about the 1991 Reds?) I feel a little invested in him. I love his writing style, and find the way that he blends is gut/emotional reactions to thinks with his better judgement and more well-reasoned arguments.
Joe is amazing and I love what I have of him. And for that, I want him to have what is in his best interest and the best interest of those things that he loves.
He loves this museum, I think. And I think that can put himself into a position to figure out what is actually in its best interest.
He wrote that he cannot be fair. And I believe that he cannot, or could not at the time he wrote this. But I believe that he soon will be able to — that is one of his great gifts, the ability to recognize his gut/emotional reactions and take another look at then. And because he probably wants what is best for the museum, I hope he applies his many gifts to this situation.
*************************
My original comment, like this one, has at least two audiences. One is Joe, and the other is fellow readers/commenters. Perhaps I should have done a better job of making clear what I intended for Joe, and what I intended to inform previous commenters. That would be entirely my fault.
So, let me make this more explicit: Joe had good reason to write what he wrote, and labeled it quite clearly. This is personal for him, and as he was writing it he knew he could not be fair. But many readers/commenters have made clear that they think that the the board was wrong, without good reason — even implying that they might have overstepped their authority. I have no idea if they made the right decision, but it clear that they did NOT overstep their authority.
If anyone wants to help the museum, they do not do so by criticising the board based on this post or Whitlock’s column. There is not enough information in either to make informed criticisms, and undermining the legitimacy of the museum can hurt fundraising and discourage people from visiting. If anyone wants to help, they should find out more first.
You know, it’s not like there was a “majority” of board members that voted for Baker. A bunch of board members weren’t there. So Baker didn’t even get 50% of the vote. If you’re looking to make a coup d’etat in an organization, you just schedule a vote when the people who are against you can’t make it. Game over.
Joe,
This indeed does seem like bullshit. It’s quite sad to hear. I’m sorry that such a great thing has been ruined, certainly for you, since you’ve put so much time into it (certainly more than anyone not involved directly with the museum.
Other than being typical backstabbing politics, this strikes me as just the Dilbert Principle in action – people who are really good at their jobs aren’t allowed to move up, because they’re too hard to replace at the more important lower level they already occupy. Employees that add no value are the ones who move to the place where they can do the least damage (management);.
From Baker’s Bio “On the lighter side, he is a regional Emmy Award winner for the vocals on the Remember Me KC documentary about the history of Kansas City, Mo., and also has produced and recorded a variety of other commercial videos and music.” F-ing awesome!
I feel Joe and Jason! I, too, am very upset and disappointed re: the recent happenings, but I am more concerned about the Museum in general and the John “Buck” O’Neil Education and Research Center specifically.
I will continue to support both because that is what Buck would do, and I am sure that in time so will Joe and Jason. Besides, the Museum, the support for the education and research center and Bob need our help more now than ever!
We can not let either fail!
Oh, and it should be easy to figure out the whole present to vote issue – it should be spelled out in the bylaws or articles of incorporation. I looked over the articles of incorporation on the Secretary of State’s website (I know, I need a life), and there was nothing mentioned, which probably means it’s in the bylaws.
Joe-thank you for your honesty; I feel your pain, but your presence is needed now more than ever. You traveled with Buck, you laughed with Buck, you ate with Buck. You were there by Buck’s side when the Hall of Fame told him no and now you are telling Buck “no” in front of the whole world. Buck had the courage to make his “last stand” before those who denied him. Your decision is a “last stand” against Buck. Buck would never want you to to shut the museum out because that means you are shutting him out.
Yes the NLBM Board is direct less with no mission. Yes the search for the new director was flawed. Bob Kendrick was not given a fair chance. And while everyone is looking at Greg Baker; Don Motley is as much to blame for the mess at the NLBM.
No one is arguing about Kendrick’s qualifications for the job-the concern is the manner in which the Board has conducted their business. Greg Baker, Don Motley, and Kevin Gray (the rat pack) all know that for the past two years they have set out to segue into their own agenda for the museum. All these men are forgetting that it was BUCK who made it possible for them to hold the board seats they do now.
Now is not the time for those who have a vested interest in the museum to bow out…it is time for those to have a vested interest in the museum to demand accountability from this rat infested board.
Buck did not bow down…so Joe why should you…
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onThe MuseumHere’s a quick excerptAnd for many years you would show up there and it was likely that Buck O’Neil himself would be around to offer a few stories, or my friend Bob Kendrick, the marketing director, would be around to offer a guided tour. … [...]
Just wanted to log my support –
After my senior year of college I went on a baseball road trip with three friends – we visited like 11 ballparks in 14 days. But we had an extra day in KC and we went to see the Negro Leagues Museum. It was my favorite part of the entire trip…and then Buck O’Neil showed up to do a commercial! He took a picture with us and signed Monarchs hats for us. It remains my favorite piece of baseball memorabilia.
I don’t have much money to offer, but I want to help out in any way I can. What can we do, Joe?
I don’t know if I can say that I will never set foot in there again. My son is five and just now old enough to appreciate the museum, and I want him to benefit from it as much as I have.
We live in St. Louis, so we have only been to the museum a couple of times. However, one one of those times was when Buck was still alive. My wife and I walked in and I had my son in my arms. Buck stopped and came over to talk to him. It didn’t even dawn on me until half way through the conversation who he was.
Buck was remarkably nice and welcoming. I still have my copy of Soul of Baseball that I plan on giving to my son when he is old enough to read it.
I hope that the museum continues and prospers for a long time.
I still don’t understand why Whitlock is playing the race card by saying Baker isn’t black enough. What does he mean when he talks about “an up to date Hood Pass”? This fight seems nasty and I doubt any outsiders like me would want any part of it. The bottom line is the museum is going to suffer.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Joe. It is absolutely right that you should do so. What I wish I knew is what this guy’s vision for the museum actually is. I should think that, knowing that his hiring was controversial, that he would be making every effort to make clear his goals. Unless, of course, he knows that this would do more to lose support than to gain it. Lack of clarity is always a cause for suspicion…
Last summer I attended an event at the museum where Joe interviewed pitchers Dave Stewart and Fergie Jenkins. It was an incredible baseball experience. It would be a shame if we were unable to continue to enjoy times like that.
I was also fortunate enough to have Bob Kendrick host a tour of the museum. I don’t know what his qualifications my be, but I am absolutely sure no one could be more passionate about the museum. Buck knew Bob would be an excellent successor.
Oddibe:
I took the Clarence Thomas reference to mean that under no circumstances would a graduate of Holy Cross be an acceptable Executive Director.
Sadly, this type of anti-Crusader bias is all too common in America today.
@ CEOLAF
Understood. Clearly Mr. Posnanski and Mr. Whitlock have excellent platforms to voice their opinions. Rather than waiting for either of them to become less emotional regarding this situation, though, I would like for one of the eight members who voted for Greg Baker to explain their vote. If he is the clear-cut choice to lead the museum into the future, then it should not be a difficult decision to defend.
On the other hand, if they remain quiet regarding their choice, it presents the public with the perception of impropriety, which combined with the misconduct and pettiness implied in both articles could be more damaging to the museum than hiring the wrong director. If I (or an institution I was associated with) was being wrongfully attacked, I would certainly make my side known in whatever method I had at my disposal.
Does anyone have any statements of rebuttal from the eight board members themselves which they could share?
Joe,
I do not believe for a minute that Buck would turn his back on the museum, and I hope that you will reconsider your stance. Breathe deep and think hard about this one, my friend.
Grant Hinkle? As in, WSOP bracelet winner Grant Hinkle?
[...] Vote The Museum [...]
For me it comes down to the voting process. It is of course completely possible that Eric Baker was the best man for the job, but the process with which he was selected seems geared at least as much toward selecting Eric Baker as it was toward finding the best candidate. I can understand the desire and even the requirement to have members present to vote, but let’s review here:
8 voted for Eric Baker
7 voted for Bob Kendrick
7 were not there
This is probably the most important decision the committee will make in years and almost a third of its members were not involved in the decision. I have zero idea if that’s a result of opportunism, but at the very least it doesn’t speak well of the process. Furthermore, any one-vote victory represents a clash of ideas, and this doesn’t seem like the good kind.
And yeah, the narrative of Baker being on the selection committee, hiring a longtime business partner to conduct a national search, dropping out of the selection committee, and then getting picked as the guy… that doesn’t sit well. I can’t honestly believe that that’s just how things worked out.
Still of the 15 that voted, 8 voted for Eric Baker. Don’t know what to make of that without more info.
Joe, I have a little rule of thumb: if someone says they will never do something, it means they will probably do it. I’m not trying to be snarky, it’s just one of the more effective ways I know of predicting the future.
Those are my thoughts. Peace to all.
Joe,
To put into proper terms as with Buck’s non entry into the HOF. Bob got “bucked” by the board. If it does everything a duck does. its a duck.
Dwight Schrute? As in owner of Schrute Beet Farms?
As someone who volunteered at the museum for five years while living in KC – I can without a doubt say that if Buck O’Neil was the heart of the museum – Bob Kendrick was its soul. Buck hated asking people for money – so he relied on Bob to do it for him. For as hard as Buck worked…Bob worked harder as he was always around him. My membership with the museum is done. It hurts because I worked so hard to create awareness for the museum….and I feel like I am betraying Buck…but somehow I think he would understand.
from personal experience, i know the new ex-dir is pond scum. he probably doesn’t know much about the negro leagues, but he sure knows about “little birds” = ask him to tell you about them. what an injustice to the museum!
Joe –
I have been to the museum several times and I actually just asked for a membership to the musuem as a Christmas present this year.
You are typically the reason I attend the museum as I would typically go when you had one of your presentations. I attended the “My Favorite Day in Baseball” a couple of years ago. It was better than going to a game.
I guess I have the same question as everyone else: What can we do? My plan for now is to continue going, giving money, and attending events. (However, if you will not be providing events, I’m not sure how interested I will be). Maybe this is just something we have to get through, maybe it’s something that will bring the museum down, maybe it will be the best thing for the museum. All I know for sure is that not going and not providing funds is going to hurt Buck’s dream – that’s a certainty.
I think we should continue to go. I think we should continue to promote Bob Kendrick and his ideas. Maybe something will happen?
Please tell me if I’m way off here.
[...] trouble brewing at the Negro League Museum in Kansas City? A couple of weeks ago, the museum board decided by one vote to name a board member, Greg Baker, as the new executive director … Baker won by one vote over longtime [...]
It isn’t that Baker is insufficiently black, it is that he is insufficiently sufficient.
Read his resume _closely_. He’s been the “s***k who sits by the door”. There’s been NO leadership or management to speak of, just “Vice President of Community Leadership”, “Manager of Community Development”, “coordinator for Refugee Resettlement” (!) for DC*, “director of Social Services”. No fundraising experience. No enterprise management experience. And an academic resume that screams mediocrity.** This is what they got from a SEARCH FIRM?! I could get you better candidates from three phone calls.
I totally sympathize with Joe. One of the things I’ve taken from his blog is that, at least in KC, the entire community takes pride in the legacies of black baseball and jazz, and that is due, undoubtedly, to ambassadors like Buck O’Neil. I’d looked forward to visiting the Museum. Now, not so much.
*I live in DC, if the best you can pull is a coordinator title in DC Govt., you must REALLY be sorry.
** I’d have left the “certified as a Rational Behavioral Therapist” off my _management_ resume.
Hi Joe,
Longtime reader here and fan of all that you do. I had the pleasure of meeting Buck a couple times, but I certainly feel I’ve gotten to know him best through your work. Thank you for the insight you’ve given me to such a great and wonderful man.
Buck was special for a million reasons, but he was the ideal ambassador for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum because he represented the best of Negro Leagues Players. So much of your book describes the magic of Buck, the way he was never bitter about his struggles as a Negro Leaguer. He didn’t talk about being turned away from restaurants and bars for being black. He told stories about how great the players were, how big Josh Gibson was, how hard Satchel could throw, and the speed of Cool Papa Bell. Besides, he went to other bars and restaurants that were just as good, if not better. I distinctly remember from your book the way Buck talked about getting to listen to Charlie Parker’s jazz.
Buck made us look at the Negro Leagues, not as a shameful part of our history. That story has been told. Rather, Buck made us remember how terrific that league was, how special it was. Moving past the question of whether it was fair, they were damn good in their own right. And that is something that deserves to be remembered.
It seems to me that the honor and memory of those men was what Buck spent his last years on this earth working for. These men kept their head held high throughout years of injustice and poor treatment, and they did their job everyday to the best of their abilities. And they were good enough to compete with anyone. The Negro Leagues is as much a story of resilience, defiance, and dignity in the face of insult as it is a story of athleticism.
Nobody embodied these qualities as much as Buck O’Neil. Of course we all remember Buck famously spoke at the Cooperstown Induction shortly after he was passed over. He put aside the insult to himself because he believed in honoring the men that day he was serving something greater than himself.
Joe, I can’t begin to understand the emotions that you’re going through, but consider this. You are a premier sportswriter in Kansas City, and most likely, the public’s number one source on the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Continue to work towards the dream that Buck O’Neil worked towards. Nothing can undo the insults that were dealt to Buck O’Neil and Bob Kendrick. Or for that matter, the insults dealt to every player of the Negro Leagues. But just as they built a legacy worth remembering, honor them by ensuring their story continues to be told for generations to come. I hope you don’t leave the hall behind due to this injustice, but emotions are obviously high on this issue, and I wish you the best in your decision.
Joe–
I’ve been a huge fan of yours, Buck and the Museum. I understand your feelings regarding the process of selecting the Exec. Dir. of NLBM, but should we not support the overall cause of what it stands for? We can’t just walk away from it and the history it represents. We need to be part of the solution. Tell me, what was Buck’s vision for the educatioin center…a facility or an education program, or was it both? How feasible is it to raise enough money to construct and maintain the facility? Can educational programs take place in the metro area and beyond without the Y building being transformed and still within Buck’s dream? What do you think?
I’m with RML . . .Baker offers a stunningly UNimpressive bio for an “Executive” candidate. It would be appropriate for middle management at best. Combined with a suspicious selection process, it adds up to a disappointing conclusion. This search was rigged.
That’s the easy part. The hard part is what to do next. I wonder, what would our world be like if Jackie Robinson decided he was fed up with being treated like a piece of “you-know-what” after his first season at Brooklyn and did something more lucrative and less frustrating for a living? What if Rosa Parks just got off the bus, rather than facing the abuse and threats of staying in her seat? What if Joe Black decided after all he’d been through and for such little reward, he wasn’t obligated to be a role model anymore? At the time of their actions, surely none of these exemplars of human dignity had any idea whether their personal discomfort would even be remembered by generations to come, much less vindicated as leading the way towards civil rights for all the rest of us.
That’s what makes this decision so tough, I’m afraid. No one with any sense of ethical justice wants to be part of a false campaign or an endorsement of ego. All of us have at some point in our lives walked away from situations such as these–out of sight, out of mind might be the only way we can sleep at night. I’ve done it. We’ve all done it. “Choose your battles” as the old saying goes.
That said, I must bring up this these two critical questions, “Is walking away really the right thing? Or is it the least painful thing?” Certainly I’m not saying anyone should martyr themselves over gut-twisting decisions like these. Nor am I proposing to judge anyone’s life circumstances or commitment to invoking social change. However, I do challenge anyone who has ever faced this kind of personal decision to be honest enough ask yourself the real reason for walking away from conflict. After all, there are TWO options to the old saying “Choose your battles.” Only one of them involves withdrawal. Best wishes to you Joe. . .my heart truly aches for you. . .BeesGal
Having been to KC on a business trip, I visited most of the major sites around town. Coming back from Independence (specifically the Truman museum), I happened to be coming down 18th. I had no idea that the Negro Leagues Museum was there because all that was advertised on the street was the jazz district. I knew that the museum was somewhere in KC, but I didn’t realize until I was back in Atlanta that it was right where I drove through.
It sounds awful fishy to me the way that this guy came into power. I don’t know if it was necessarily prudent to hire someone from within Kansas City to not follow what Buck O’Neil wanted for the museum. It sounds like to me that the typical Missouri/KC politics are still in force, and it’s more who you know and who you both happen to dislike more than what’s best for the institution.
Good luck with the museum. I hope that it’s there by the time I get back to KC.
The recent act on the part of the NLBM to elect a person who is NOT in step with the whole of the true purpose of the museum is in my opinion a very gross and blatant travesty of justice,and the lack of concern the sole purpose of the NLBM. There are only FIVE persons living today that shared a brief but thorough discussion to establish a museum in Kansas City. The exclusive meeting hosted and led by no other than Buck O’Neil.This was an reunion of the living Monarchs who made their way to Kansas city on their own expenses,as we were asked to attend by Buck,Skip as his Monarchs called him “all”the time.The Monarchs who attended the weekend gathering were: Bob Mitchell,George Altman,Louis”Sweet Lou”Johnson,Sam Taylor,and Dewey Alexander(Monarch batboy),Lou Brock was there also and showed concern about the creation of a museum in Kansas City,Missouri and during a conversation between me and him,he said the players who lived in Kansas City can help Buck move on his(Buck’s) dream. He said that he could get American Airlines to fly in as many players for the support of this very important venture. My biggest problem,maybe i should accurately say that there is a gross lack of concern for those players who have’nt received meaningful recognition for the NLBM that they helped created…The Board’s problem was that the search committee only carefully selected a few resumes’,while NOT insisting in SEEING,at least 5 to 8 of the application/resumes’ that were turned in and in MY OPINION,were blatantly and systematically kept from the SCRUTINY of the board members;at least those that were present.I feel very strongly as the National Coordinator of the Communication Network of Negro League Players,as well as “ALL” of the remaining Living Legends of the Negro Leagues,that the Board SERIOUSLY needs to go back to the drawing board,so to speak,and EXAMINE THE RESUMES’ of the number as mentioned above. The big surprise of how they were “HOOD-WINKED into a rush to hire an Executive Director…an with a job-threatening 8 to 7 vote,in itself shows that them as a board could eventually be the everlasting laughing stock,as national as the designation the NLBM itself. Board members,SHOULD BY “ANY CHANCE”,you get to read this response to their recent actions…I urge the Board to move SWIFTLY to re-visit what they did to the entire Sport’s World,concerning the future of the NLBM!! Dare to respond to this reply!!! Bob Mitchell,Sr.(K.C.Monarch-1954-’57)
Personally,as a former K.C.Monarch,and one who played under the manager of Buck O’Neil,I’m very concerned aout how the Board of Directors of the NLBM voted extremely blind and hired a most NON-PASSIONATE person who,in my strong opinion cannot train on the job and acquire great passion for the late and present former Negro League Legends,as it definitely should be. In my serious opinion,the hiring of an executive director with an 8-7 vote shows that the wrong person was hired! It very well seems that a coverted conspiracy of politics steered some rather innocent Board members in the wrong direction,ESPECIALLY whe the EFI firm who supposingly scoured the nation for the BEST POSSIBLE person to carry out the day-to-day operationof the museum me and the other Negro league legends help to create! The bottom line for those possible conspirators was to assure that the Board of Directors WOULD NOT BE GIVEN/SHOWN the application(s) of the most qualified and passionate person(s),thus stopping DELIBERATELY,ALL of the applications that overshadowed the new NLBM hire. I also can say this,why in the hell did the Board of directors DID NOT CLEAN HOUSE COMPLETELY?? The out going executive director SHOULD NOT be on the Board of Directors,as to leave way for the retired Executive Director to be on hand to MICRO DIRECT the un-qualified person recently hired by the Board! It is VERY INCUMBENT,that,in my opinion and that of the most casual observer,that A GREAT DEAL OF THE DELIBERATE MIS-GUIDANCE of the so-called search committee SHOULD BE MEN OF “SOME”honor and integrity and for the sake of our so-called”NATIONAL MUSEUM” IMMEDIATELY turn in their RESIGNATIONS…as per the economic state of our country and the Museum,the very long time attorney needs to be let go,and there are A GREAT NUMBER of well experienced Attorneys that will serve our great cause PRO BONO!!! So,to remove the cancer that is still serving as Board members,etc. ESPECIALLY the Search Committee…you WILL see a great difference to the vast benefit of the NLBM…The Board of Directors MUST BE PERSONS OF HONESTY AND INTEGRITY AND PASSION FOR THOSE NEGRO LEAGUE LEGENDS WHO HAVE PASSED,AND THE APPROXIMATELY 80-85 THAT ARE STILL LIVING! GREAT INTESTINAL FORTITUDE IS BADLY NEEDED!!!!!!!!