Photo: Unknown Public Domain / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Buck O'Neil is one of those figures I think everyone should know better. A first baseman and manager with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American League, he later became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball, then spent his final decades as the sport's most eloquent storyteller and keeper of its hidden history. The 2006 Presidential Medal of Freedom feels like belated recognition for a man who carried so much memory. What moves me is that he chose grace over bitterness, and I think baseball owes a lasting debt to his generosity and warmth.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Buck O'Neil
- Name (Japanese)
- バック・オニール
- Reading
- ばっく・おにーる
- Born
- November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Boar
- Origin
- Carrabelle, Florida, United States
- Occupation
- baseball player / baseball manager
2. Background
- University
- Edward Waters University
Awards & achievements
- Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2006 Presidential Medal of Freedom
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Buck O'Neil born?
November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006.
Where is Buck O'Neil from?
Buck O'Neil is from Carrabelle, Florida, United States.
What does Buck O'Neil do?
Buck O'Neil works as baseball player, baseball manager.
Baseball player — see all → · Baseball manager — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.