NLBM set for Negro Leagues 101 celebration

NEW YORK -- Last year was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Leagues. The celebration continues, according to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick, with Negro Leagues 101, which coincides with the 101st anniversary of the leagues.

With renewed interest in the Negro Leagues following the addition of its stats to those of Major League Baseball, Kendrick is looking for different avenues to educate the newly engaged public. Starting Feb. 13, which is the day the Negro Leagues was born, the NLBM will roll out a national curriculum around the history of the leagues.

“It’s important that we just don’t stop at 100 and that we find meaningful and significant ways every year to celebrate the Negro Leagues,” Kendrick said. “NLBM becomes more meaningful with the news of what Major League Baseball did recently by acknowledging the Negro Leagues [stats becoming part of Major League history]. I think it becomes pertinent now that we help baseball fans understand the significance of the Negro Leagues by conveying these facts and figures. … The digital world gives us an opportunity to do that.”

There will be a series on the women who made an impact on the Negro Leagues, such as Effa Manley, who was part owner of the Newark Eagles from 1935-48. Manley did more than own the Eagles; she was in charge of the team’s business operations. It was her show.

There will be a “Hall Of Game” ceremony, which honors former Major League Baseball greats who competed with the same passion as the stars of the Negro Leagues. In 2019, the NLBM honored Dave Parker, Dave Stewart, Eric Davis and Fred McGriff. Last year’s event was cancelled because of COVID-19, and if the pandemic is not contained by the summer, the Hall of Game ceremony will be virtual.

Kendrick excels at telling stories about great Negro Leagues players such as Rube Foster, Josh Gibson and Monte Irvin and the founder of the museum, Buck O’Neil, and he certainly will continue to do so. The museum hopes to have much more in store for fans before the season ends.

Fans can visit the NLBM on East 18th Street, between Vine and Highland, just across from the Gem Theater in Kansas City. There will be limited hours (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday) and increased sanitizing every day, and occupancy will be limited to 150 to 200 people at a time.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a privately funded, non-profit organization; annually renewing memberships to support the museum are available ranging from $25 to $1,000. Membership includes free admission for the year, a 10% discount on merchandise from the NLBM Extra Inning Store and advance information on special events. Members also receive a gift and additional benefits at each level of support.