O’Neil makes history as Cubs coach

Buck O’Neil was one of the greatest ambassadors the game of baseball has ever seen.

But O’Neil also made his share of history in uniform as well. On May 29, 1962, O’Neil would break a major barrier, being hired by the Chicago Cubs to become the first ever on-field Black coach in American or National league history.

O’Neil got his first start in the Negro American League after signing with the Memphis Red Sox in 1937 following stints in the minor leagues with the New York Tigers and Acme Giants. However, he would only play nine games for Memphis that season.

Following the 1937 season, O’Neil would earn a spot on the Kansas City Monarchs, the team with which he would spend the remainder of his career. Winning the team’s job at first base, he became an integral piece of a dominant run by the Monarchs which included four straight Negro American League pennants and a Negro League World Series title in 1942.

Becoming a player-manager for the club in 1948, O’Neil’s role with the team would continue to evolve, eventually taking on the duties of team scout to help bring in extra revenue for the Monarchs. He would play a vital role in the development and discovery of future talents such as Elston Howard and Ernie Banks.

“I was just so thrilled to have someone, like him [Buck O’Neil], to show that interest in me,” said Banks when asked about O'Neil’s role in his early career. “I just fell in love with the game of baseball and it was my whole life and it was because of this young man.”

The Chicago Cubs saw promise in O’Neil’s ability, deciding to sign him as an official scout for the team in 1955. During his time with the Cubs, he would help recruit players like Lou Brock, Lee Smith and Joe Carter.

After years of recruiting, the Cubs promoted O’Neil to the coaching staff in 1962. O’Neil would return to his scouting job two years later in 1964, where he would remain in the role until 1988 when he left the organization.

Buck O’Neil would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2008, the Museum debuted the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, with O’Neil honored as the first recipient.

Aidan Shephard was an intern in the Jim Murray Sports Communications Scholars Program at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum