BOTTOM LINE: In a highly personal and heartfelt column on the Kansas City Star Web site, Star sports columnist Joe Posnanski says he plans on never setting foot in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum again. This comes on the heels of a highly critical column by co-worker Jason Whitlock over the appointment of a new director.
Posnanski's statement is particulary stunning because he was a long-time friend of Museum founder and KC icon Buck O'Neil and even wrote a book about the Negro Leagues legend. 12-16-2008
THE MUSEUM
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.
Link to rest of column: http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/12/15/the-museum/
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