Negro Leagues’ celebration resonates with this pair of Kansas City Royals coaches
The sense of place certainly didn’t escape Kansas City Royals hitting coach Terry Bradshaw when the team arrived in Minneapolis for its weekend series with the division rival Minnesota Twins.
The catalyst for months of widespread public unrest and protest in the name of social justice and an increased push for racial equality began with the public death of George Floyd, an African-American man, in police custody on a Minneapolis street.
Bradshaw, one of two African-American coaches on the Royals major-league staff along with first base coach Damon Hollins, thought about the circumstances surrounding Floyd’s death as the team traveled from the airport to its hotel. When he walked around the city, he described a different feeling than in past trips.
Yet the overall message he wanted to convey after walking the streets of Minneapolis was the need to continue to move forward, pull together and make things better. He expressed a belief that things in American society are “headed in the right direction.”
From a baseball perspective, the theme of moving forward and making progress coincides fittingly with Sunday’s celebration across Major League Baseball of the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues’ founding in Kansas City.
“For me, it’s everything,” Bradshaw said of the celebration. “When you do your research and look back on the days of the Negro Leagues baseball, the challenges that they faced, what they had to go through, it just shows you how courageous, how disciplined those guys were to deal with all of the challenges that they had to go through as far as playing baseball games and leaving, jumping on the bus and traveling, not knowing would they be able to stop somewhere and eat or even have a place to stay after they’d played baseball or sleeping on a bus.”
All players, managers, coaches and umpires will wear a symbolic Negro Leagues 100th anniversary patch during Sunday’s games. The patch, based on the official logo created by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, also will be displayed on bases and lineup cards.
The Royals plan to hold a Negro Leagues tribute game with throwback uniforms at a yet-to-be-determined date in September.
“The beauty of it all is through all those challenges, it never stopped those guys from continuing to play the game that they loved even though those off the field challenges,” Bradshaw said. “They paved the way for guys like myself and Damon and all the other African American players that are involved in the game to be able to hold some of the positions that we have today.”
While the number of African-American players in the game at the highest level has declined markedly in recent years — 7.7 percent of MLB players on opening day 2019 compared to 18 percent in 1991 — this year has featured some of the most vocal and visible displays from African-American players in the game.
Current and former star players such as Mookie Betts, Andrew McCutchen, Aaron Judge, Tim Anderson, David Price, Marcus Stroman and CC Sabathia, among others collaborated on a video proclaiming “Black Lives Matter!”
Players shared the video on social media and MLB featured the it in pre-game ceremonies around the majors on opening day. Ceremonies also included players and coaches kneeling and holding a long black ribbon in unison.
“I just think it was fitting for everything that’s been going on, it was time for guys to take the platform and voice their opinions,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw reiterated that he believed things are headed in a good direction. He said he’s felt particularly strong support within the Royals organization from people like general manager Dayton Moore.
Hollins played four seasons in the majors, including two in the American League with the Tampa Bay Rays. He credited former teammate Chris Singleton for making it a point to bring him to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.
Hollins said it’s important for players, fans and anyone wishing to understand the history of the game to educate themselves on the people associated with the Negro Leagues. People like Baseball Hall of Famer Rube Foster, a former player who founded the Negro National League, and legendary former player, manager, scout, storyteller and KC ambassador Buck O’Neil.
Hollins said it was “empowering” to learn about such figures. He’s hoping to take his family to the museum on the team’s next day off in Kansas City.
“I think that’s why the museum is so important. It’s one of the first things I did as a big-leaguer when I came through Kansas City. There’s a lot of things that guys don’t really understand, how hard it was for those guys back in the day. That’s why on a day like today and this weekend, it’s such an appreciation for those guys.
“Just the mindset and all the obstacles those guys faced on a day-to-day basis, to have the character to push forward and keep going, it just shows the character of those guys. It’s important to continue to have days and weekends like this weekend, where we continue to shed light and educate and shed light on those players.”
This story was originally published August 15, 2020 at 12:32 PM.
