I finished reading Joe Posnanski's book The Soul of Baseball/A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America. The book is an account of a year that that he spent on the road with Buck O'Neil, who for many years worked hard to keep alive the memory of the Negro Leagues, where he played and managed the great Kansas City Monarchs.
Buck O'Neil had many of the attributes of a saint or a great soul. He always preached love. His favorite question to ask people was "What was your best day in baseball?" He was happiest when people remembered playing with their fathers.
The book covers a period, the last year of O'Neil's life, when he was working to get more Negro Leaguers into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A special committee selected 17 people, executives and players, but not O'Neil himself. I can't imagine their reasons for excluding him.
The book is short, but offers nice insights into a truly good man. Along with some good Satchel Paige stories.
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