Black Diamonds

You could call him the modern day Satchel Paige - A man who played three sports and pitched for 12 teams over 21 years, on his way to becoming one of just 16 men to ever pitch in over 1,000 games. And along the way, he enjoyed every minute of it.

LaTroy Hawkins sits down with Bob Kendrick at Play Ball Park in Seattle to discuss his admiration for Negro Leagues baseball, and how Buck O'Neil deserves credit for every ounce of greatness of the last 70 years of baseball. Hear about the rocky start to LaTroy's career, the keys to his historic longevity, the lessons he learned along the way about how to treat people with dignity and respect, the work he's doing today to bring baseball to every young Black kid who wants it, where the game is headed, how to protect where it's been, a few words about his Godson - reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes II - and so much more.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

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4x All-Star and 1968 World Series Champion Willie Horton joins Bob Kendrick in front of a live audience at Play Ball Park in Seattle, to discuss his experience of visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, having a breakout season while playing in Puerto Rico early in his career, and how his good friend Buck O’Neil tried to sign him to the Chicago Cubs when he was only thirteen years old as a Spanish player.

Hear how Willie dealt with being one of the early black players with the Tigers, plus his memories of the 1968 World Championship team, why he thinks Bob Gibson could have done what Shohei Ohtani is doing now, and so much more.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

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Lenny Wilkens scored 17,772 points as an NBA player, and won 1,332 regular season games as an NBA coach. He has two gold medals, and he's in the Basketball Hall of Fame three times. And still, he reminds you... his first love was baseball.

Hear the story of young Lenny Wilkens watching Jackie Robinson's rookie season from the Ebbets Field bleachers in 1947, and the firsthand accounts of how he changed America. Hear Lenny's accounts of playing stickball with Willie Mays, and what roles the first wave of Black stars in the Major Leagues had in the community. The Civil Rights movement, the Dream Team, the incredible stories of a 45-year Hall of Fame career and the man who lived it - all with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

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When they speak, we listen.

Former Negro Leaguers Sam Allen and Pedro Sierra join Bob Kendrick at All-Star Week in Seattle to tell their stories of triumph over adversity, in front of a live audience. Hear stories of long bus rides and hot beef stew while Sam Allen traveled with the Memphis Red Sox. Hear Pedro Sierra's first reactions to prejudice in the United States, after leaving his native Cuba to play in the Negro Leagues. Hear about former Negro-Leaguer-turned-Country-Music icon Charley Pride, Dapper Dizzy Dismukes, Ted Rasberry, and a skinny Indianapolis Clown named Henry Aaron. And hear firsthand, how Jackie Robinson changed two lives forever in 1947.

Do not miss this very special conversation, with two of the last remaining storytellers of an unforgettable generation.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"You need to know your past. You need to understand the trials and tribulations that, not only Jackie Robinson went through, but this is U.S. history. It's not just baseball history."  

Hall of Famer Derek Jeter sits down with Bob Kendrick for an exclusive one-on-one session, discussing everything from his first steps on a baseball field to the importance of Negro Leagues history, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Hear The Captain discuss his first meetings with Buck O'Neil, his first steps through the museum, his enshrinement in both the Hall of Fame and Monument Park, his reverence for Dave Winfield, and so much more throughout twenty years in the big leagues.

Hear why Derek is so proud of his post-playing career as an executive with the Marlins, and why the game NEEDS more disruptors in front offices. Hear all about Derek's work with his foundation, his lessons from his father, and his struggles on a basketball court. Plus, don't miss an in-depth discussion on bringing Black participation back to baseball at all levels. And so much more. 

Learn more about the Turn 2 Foundation - Turn 2

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

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How do you truly change the game? Through action. Action OFF the field, and action ON the field.

Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, directors of The Players Alliance, join Bob Kendrick in front of a live audience at Play Ball Park in Seattle, to discuss how they carry the spirit of the Negro Leagues into the next generation of baseball stars, and what The Players Alliance is doing to bring baseball to EVERYONE. Hear  their take on leadership in baseball, and the mentors that got them to All-Star heights, the lessons they learned from Buck O'Neil and the stars of the Negro Leagues, and how Major League Baseball's HBCU showcase at All-Star Week can light the way to what baseball needs to look like in the future. PLUS, one VERY special surprise (35:04) for Bob, courtesy of the Players Alliance.

To learn more about the work of The Players Alliance, visit PlayersAlliance.Org

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He's a former All-Star, a three-time Gold Glover, the father of a big leaguer, one of only 22 men in history with 250 homers and 250 steals, and now... he's officially a Game Changer.

Mike Cameron joins Bob Kendrick during All-Star Week in Seattle to talk about receiving 2023's prestigious "Game Changer" honors from The Players Alliance, the work of The Players Alliance in strengthening baseball in Black communities, winning the Pop Lloyd award from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, instilling the history of the Negro Leagues in his son, his lessons of mentorship, respect, and leadership, the lore of Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, and Buck O'Neil, the story of his four-home-run game, his career beside the one and only Ichiro, and so much more.

To learn more about the work of The Players Alliance, visit PlayersAlliance.Org

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The award-winning podcast of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum returns JULY 13, following Major League Baseball's All-Star break. And if you're in Seattle for the All-Star Game, come see Bob and Black Diamonds LIVE at Play Ball Park, Sunday JULY 9.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hall of Famer - and son of a Negro Leagues infielder - Reggie Jackson joins Bob Kendrick for a candid, in-depth conversation about race and baseball, and the question of whether we're truly any closer to diversity in the game than we were when Reggie retired.  

Hear Reggie's commentary on the lack of Black managers and executives in the game today, and how we need more than just one Dana Brown running player personnel before we can start celebrating. Hear Reggie's reaction to Glen Kuiper's racial slur and subsequent apology, and why he's having a much harder time forgiving than Bob is. And hear Reggie's wealth of stories, from growing up amidst our nation's civil unrest, and his father passing on the wisdom of the Negro Leaguers, to meeting Jackie Robinson, his conversations with Jim Brown, and a home run that nearly left Kansas City entirely.

Watch the new documentary "Reggie" on Prime Video

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How fast was Sam "The Jet" Jethroe? He was the fastest man in the Negro Leagues. He was the fastest man in the National League. And when you put him on the track with an Olympian? He was the fastest man on that track too. Bob Kendrick tells the story of the Jet's journey from a championship with the Cleveland Buckeyes, to becoming the first Black player to take the field for the Braves and capturing the NL Rookie of the Year in 1950. 

Plus, Bob sits down with a man who followed in the Jet's footsteps and didn't even realize it - from Montreal, to the Braves, with two NL stolen base titles along the way - the great Marquis Grissom. The two discuss the importance of telling these stories of Black baseball to future generations, Sam Jethroe's role in paving the way for Marquis in the Braves' organization, his relationship with Henry Aaron, his rise from rags to riches, the art of the stolen base and learning from Otis Nixon and Tim Raines in Montreal, why the city of Montreal remains so important in Black baseball history, stories on top of stories on top of stories, and a nod to this summer's Hall of Fame inductee, Fred McGriff.

Interviews with Sam Jethroe appear courtesy of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries 

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and preserve the legacy of Buck O'Neil, please visit ThanksAMillionBuck.com

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.