Tony, for my 2000 road compilation “Ticket to Everywhere.” He titled the book.
In early 1992, I took a road trip with artist-writer-friend Tony Fitzpatrick to Kansas City, Mo.
The weekend was covered by a grainy mist, but it did not compromise the light we discovered. Tony was making birch wood baseball cards .I wanted him to meet Buck O’Neil, the Negro League legend who in 1962 became the first on-field Black coach in MLB history when he was hired by the Cubs.
One evening, Tony and I went out for dinner in the Westport neighborhood. I knew of a good dive bar, but Tony did not drink. [...]
The late Buck O’Neil visits his Monarchs with a rainbow on opening day 2021 (Courtesy of Kansas City Monarchs.)
KANSAS CITY, KS.—The Kansas City Monarchs were the royalty of baseball’s Negro Leagues. They played in Kansas City, Mo. between 1920 and 1961 and their graduates included Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson (1945), Ernie Banks (1950-53), and Satchel Paige (1934 and 1940-47). The team produced more major league players than any other Negro League franchise.
The Monarchs have taken a new flight as a member of the American Association.
These Monarchs play at Legends Field in Kansas [...]
