Ceremonial Draft?

They have sections for players, managers, umpires and some others, but nothing to cover Buck’s real contribution to the game. I think they should open a section for some special people like Buck who have made unconventional contributions to baseball after their official baseball careers were over. But under the current HOF setup, there’s no place for him.

First, her biological parents were white, but she grew up with a white mother and black father. She lived essentially as an African American in an African American community and was treated as such by both blacks and whites. She was also the chief executive of the team. She ran the team. Her main contribution was being one of the driving forces behind the Negro Leagues. She was one of the most important owners/executives/front office personnel in the history of the Negro Leagues. She very much deserved induction into the HOF. Anyone interested in the history of the Negro Leagues as an institution and how the teams and leagues were run shoud read the book, “Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution” by Neil Lanctot

The unfortunate fact is that Buck O’Neill was not a major figure in Negro League baseball. He became important to the game of baseball long after his career was over. He has definitely contributed to the game, but not in any way that the HOF currently recognizes.