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Inside Spencer: The KSRL Blog

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Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.

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That’s Distinctive!: Opening Day

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Happy (day after) Opening Day, baseball fans! For those who don’t know, Opening Day is the day in which the regular baseball season begins for Major League Baseball (and most minor leagues). Opening Day marks new beginnings as players and fans alike start fresh and forget the past season. Yesterday (March 30) all thirty teams in Major League Baseball played games, which is the first time since 1968 that all teams played first games on the same day.

This week in honor of Opening Day we’re highlighting two yearbooks from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum from 1993 and 1994. African Americans began to play baseball in the late 1800s. That is, until racism and Jim Crow laws forced them from their teams by 1900. Afterwards, African Americans formed their own teams, playing anyone who would challenge them. In 1920 a meeting was held at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, Missouri. Andrew Foster and a few other Midwestern team owners joined to form an organized league, the Negro National League.

Central color sketch with a Kansas City Monarchs jersey, hat, and glove. Text includes the title and "Discover Greatness!"
The cover of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 1993 Yearbook. Call Number: RH Ser D1874. Click image to enlarge.
Collage of black-and-white postcards of Negro Leagues teams against a cream background. Text includes the title and "Discover Greatness."
The cover of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 1994 Yearbook. Call Number: RH Ser D1874. Click image to enlarge.

The photos below show pages highlighting the Kansas City Monarchs and Buck O’Neil. Founded in 1920, the Kansas City Monarchs was one of the Negro Leagues’ most famous and successful clubs. According to the MLB History website, the Monarchs took home ten league pennants and only faced one losing season during their association with the Negro Leagues. Kansas City produced more future Major League stars – including Jackie Robinson and Ernie Banks – than any other Negro League club, while also showcasing huge stars like Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, and Bullet Rogan in times when Black players were kept out of the all-white Majors. First baseman and manager Buck O’Neil also became the first Black coach in the big leagues and served as a scout and Negro Leagues ambassador for many years.

Two-page spread of narrative text (left) and statistics on three Monarchs players (right).
Information about the 1924 Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 1994 Yearbook. Call Number: RH Ser D1874. Click image to enlarge.
Black-and-white photograph of Buck O'Neil standing with a baseball bat on his left shoulder. He is also holding a photograph of himself as a young baseball player. There is a Monarchs pennant and a message from O'Neil.
Buck O’Neil featured in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 1993 Yearbook. Call Number: RH Ser D1874. Click image to enlarge.

In addition to the yearbooks, the library houses the papers of T. Y. Baird, an owner of the Kansas City Monarchs. The collection contains materials related to the team, including correspondence, game gate information, receipts and bills, payroll information, clippings, player information, magazine and newspaper clippings, and photographs. At Spencer you can also read The Negro Leagues Book edited by Dick Clark and Larry Lester. Published in 1994, the book includes information ranging from the Negro Leagues history, Hall of Fame players, rosters, organized baseball records, and more. The copy the library hold was signed by Larry Lester in 1994.

Color illustration of Negro League players standing in a baseball stadium. The cover's background is part of a uniform.
The cover of The Negro Leagues Book, edited by Dick Clark and Larry Lester, 1994. Call Number: RH D6815. Click image to enlarge.
Black-and-white photograph of a Negro Leagues baseball team bus in front of a house. Page signed by author Larry Lester in green ink.
The title page of The Negro Leagues Book, edited by Dick Clark and Larry Lester, 1994. Call Number: RH D6815. Click image to enlarge.

Interested in learning more? The Negro League Baseball Museum is located at 1616 East 18th Street in Kansas City, Missouri. More information on visiting can be found on their website.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 31st, 2023 at 9:17 am and is filed under Kansas Collection, That's Distinctive. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.