O'Neil's legacy of bucking the odds.

• Position: Sportscene - Buck O'Neil

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The charismatic Buck O'Neil truly was an American hero, enthuses Raymond Doswell, vice president of curatorial services at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, Mo. Doswell explains how O'Neil's eloquence, grace, and genuine love for people captured the hearts and imaginations of kindred spirits worldwide. His illustrious baseball career spanned seven decades and helped make him a foremost authority and one of the game's greatest ambassadors.

John Jordan O'Neil Jr. was born Nov. 13, 1911, in Carrabelle, Fla. He was introduced to baseball at an early age by his father, who played for local teams. He was nicknamed "Buck" after the co-owner of the Miami Giants, Buck O'Neal. A segregated America denied O'Neil the chance to play major league baseball, so he showcased his skills with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. He joined the Monarchs in 1938, was named player-manager for the club in 1948, and continued his association with the team through the end of the 1955 season, Doswell relates.

O'Neil had a career batting average of .288, including four .300-plus seasons at the plate. In 1946, the talented first baseman led the league in hitting with a .353 average and followed that in 1947 with a career best .358 mark. He posted averages of .345 and .330 in 1940 and 1949, respectively, and played in three Negro American League All-Star games and in two Negro American League World Series. In addition to his career with the Monarchs, O'Neil teamed with the legendary Satchel Paige during the height of the Negro Leagues barnstorming tours in the 1930s and 1940s to play countless exhibition games, relates Doswell.

Following his Monarchs career, Doswell adds, O'Neil became a scout with the Chicago Cubs, and was named the majors' first black coach by the club in 1962. He is...