The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum ReduxBy David Marasco Many years ago I visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. I wrote a review that contrasted that experience with a trip to Cooperstown. The NLBM was great if you were a novice, but it didn't have much for a person who had done their homework. Whereas in-depth knowledge of the game enhanced a Cooperstown experience, turning each small artifact into a reminder of a great story, a good grasp of Negro Leagues history left the viewer bored with the exhibits in Kansas City. More than a few Negro Leagues aficionados chimed in with disappointed agreement. In the intervening years the NLBM enjoyed increased funding and moved across the street to its current location, a building shared with the American Jazz Museum. I removed my less-than-enthusiastic review from my website, feeling that it wouldn't be in the spirit of fair play to continue to publicize my view on an institution that had gone under enough revision to deserve another look. This week I took that look.
They've done an excellent job in Kansas City. A timeline traces out the history of black baseball. From Fleet Walker to Cap Anson to Rube Foster to Satchel Paige to Jackie Robinson, the entire story is on the walls. Well-written explanations are interlaced with small objects, photographs and newsprint reproductions. It has a good sense of depth, and is enjoyable and educational to both people like my wife, who asked me when the Dodgers moved to Milwaukee, to myself, who has spent many an hour researching the Negro Leagues. Perhaps the timeline was there on my last visit, but I don't remember it being as detailed or decorated. It's not just a history of baseball though. Running on a parallel track is a timeline of race relations in the country, putting baseball in context with the rest of American society. One of the big improvements I saw was the incorporation of motion pictures from the Negro Leagues. For years we got by on a few seconds worth of Satchel Paige warming up in Wrigley and a few other shorts. Now thanks to some people who searched through their attics we have a much larger selection. It has often been claimed that one of the barriers to "respectability" for the Negro Leagues has been the lack of good stats. I'd argue that in today's multi-media obsessed culture the lack of film footage also has slowed down the Negro Leagues. It's nice to know that this is less a problem now than it was ten years ago.
One of the exhibits I enjoyed the most had little to do with the history of the Negro Leagues. It was a large collection of signed baseballs (and a Lisa Fernandez softball). The signers covered a wide ranged of society, from Presidents to actors to ballplayers of course. One wonders why Clinton's ball was marked "President" and why W's was marked "Texas Governor". Did the younger Bush make an unpopular decision while owner of the Texas Rangers? Is a member of the staff a die-hard liberal who still hasn't accepted the Florida balloting results? Or have they simply forgotten to update the little piece of paper next to the baseball? Editor's note: Curator Raymond Doswell gives a simple explanation - Bush was Governor of Texas when he visited; the titles on the cards reflect the person's position when they visted. What is impressive about this exhibit is the range of people who have been drawn to the NLBM, showing baseball's draw across our society. Also, it isn't just African-Americans who had stopped in to learn history, many others had seen the light. More than a couple people went over and above scribbling their name on hide. Messages of thanks to the men who cleared the path touched my heart. Returning to my comparison between the NLBM and "The Hall", some things haven't changed. Part of Coopertown's draw is that it has so many artifacts. Popular interest in the Negro Leagues didn't hit critical mass until after sports collecting also moved into the mainstream, and high quality Negro Leagues memorabilia pieces are hard to find regardless. While the museum has a few great items (such as the flag that flew over the Captiol in honor of Satchel Paige), the NLBM will never be able to match Cooperstown in that aspect. Secondly, the NLBM has wisely decided to not induct players, feeling that if Negro Leaguers have "a hall of their own," Cooperstown will be less inclined to induct worthy players; instead there is a nice section highlighting players who have been honored. The displays end with a ballpark with statues of ten of the greatest Negro League players. I'm of mixed mind on this segment. It seems like a poor use of space, and some of the position assignments are off (Cool Papa Bell in left?). Also due to the Museum's no camera policy, people can't do the natural thing, which is to take a photo of junior standing next to Josh Gibson. On the other hand, the statues are well crafted, and perhaps I just don't know enough about art and how to plan a museum to understand how to use empty space well. Currently sharing space with the NLBM and the American Jazz Museum is the "Shades of Greatness" exhibit, a collection of art inspired by the Negro Leagues. There is some stunning work on display. I think I would go to art museums more often if they would display paintings and sculptures like this, rather than "the monkey threw yellow paint on the wall." Reading through the artists' biographies, I was absolutely shocked to learn that one of my favorite pieces was created by a young woman just out of high school. After an afternoon of me shaking my head at our country's sad prejudices, I was slapped in the face by some of my own. Museums are about exploration. Some can delve into history, culture or science. The best help individuals explore their own hearts and minds. This time around the Negro League Baseball Museum passes with high honors. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is located at 1616 18th Street in the historic 18th and Vine area of Kansas City. The Negro National League was founded a block away in the Paseo YMCA building in 1920. Their phone number is (816) 221-1920.
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