Buck O'Neil - Jacksonville, FL
N 30° 20.752 W 081° 40.529
17R E 435077 N 3357304
This life-size bronze statue of Buck O’Neil is located in front of the historic J.P. Small Memorial Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WMJKZA
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2013
Views: 1
ABOUT THE STATUE:
The statue of Buck O'Neil was installed in 2006, in recognition of the historical significance of the J.P. Small Park to the history of Negro League baseball. The bronze statue sitting on a granite base depicts O'Neil at bat in his baseball uniform. He appears to have just completed swinging the bat.
On the front of the granite base is the following text:
"Heading for Home"
J. P. Small Memorial Park
Rededicated June 3, 2006
On the right side of the granite base is the following text:
Honorable John Peyton
Mayor, City of Jacksonville
Honorable Gwen Yates
Councilwoman, District 8
On the left side of the granite base is the following text:
Dedicated to Buck O'Neil, the first African American Major League Baseball Coach and the Negro Baseball League Teams that played here, including Jacksonville Red Caps, Kansas City Monarchs, Buckingham Black Barons, Indianapolis Clowns, Detroit Stars, Atlanta Black Crackers and others....
1920-1960
ABOUT THE MAN:
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil (November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout, and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball. In his later years he became a popular and renowned speaker and interview subject, helping to renew widespread interest in the Negro leagues, and played a major role in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
O'Neil's life was documented in Joe Posnanski's award-winning 2007 book The Soul of Baseball.
Playing career
Born in rural Carrabelle, Florida, O'Neil was initially denied the opportunity to attend high school due to racial segregation; at the time, Florida had only four high schools specifically for African Americans. However, after working a summer in a celery field with his father, O'Neil left home to live with relatives and attend Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, where he completed high school and two years of college courses. He left Florida in 1934 for several years of semi-professional "barnstorming" experiences (playing interracial exhibition games). The effort paid off, and in 1937, O'Neil signed with the Memphis Red Sox for their first year of play in the newly formed Negro American League. His contract was sold to the Monarchs the following year.
O'Neil had a career batting average of .288 between 1937 and 1950, including five .300-plus seasons at the plate, as well as five seasons in which he did not top .260. In 1946, the first baseman led the NAL with a .350 batting average and followed that in 1947 with a .305 mark in 16 games. He also posted averages of .344 in 1940 and .330 in 1949. He played in four East-West All-Star Games in three different seasons and two Negro World Series.
A World War II tour in the U.S. Navy from 1943–1945 briefly interrupted his playing career.
O'Neil was named manager of the Monarchs in 1948 after Frank Duncan's retirement, and continued to play first base as well as a regular through 1951, dropping to part-time status afterward. He managed the Monarchs for eight seasons from 1948 through 1955 during the declining years of the Negro leagues, winning two league titles and a shared title in which no playoff was held during that period. His two undisputed pennants were won in 1953 and 1955, when the league had shrunk to fewer than six teams."
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