Black Diamonds

Latest Episodes:

The Geddy Lee Collection Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

Bob Kendrick sits down with Rush’s lead singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Geddy Lee. Learn the story of how a “White, Canadian Rocker” fell in love with the history of the Negro Leagues, what the museum means to him and his donation of 400 Negro Leagues baseballs autographed by legends including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Josh Gibson.

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To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

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Hall of Game 2025 | Dusty Baker, Willie Randolph, Cito Gaston, Jerry Manuel, Tony Reagins Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Bob Kendrick sits down with Dusty Baker, Cito Gaston, Willie Randolph and Jerry Manuel to discuss how they got their opportunity to lead a baseball team and share their advice for the next generation as they are inducted into the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s “Hall of Game.” Recorded at the Sheraton Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City and co-hosted by Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg, you’ll also hear former MLB General Manager, Tony Reagins receive the inaugural J.L. Wilkinson “Innovator” Award, given for moving the game of baseball forward while embracing the greats of Black baseball’s past.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

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To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

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BONUS | Don Newcombe: In His Own Words Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Hear Don Newcombe’s full length conversation with former Negro Leaguer and Dodgers teammate Lou Johnson. From growing up in New Jersey to experiences in the Negro Leagues and his bond with Jackie Robinson and Roy Campenella as they trailblazed baseball, Newcombe describes in vivid detail the challenges, obstacles and the overt racism he experienced on and off the field. Newcombe also discusses his battle with alcoholism and how his journey enabled him to help teammates with their own struggles. You’ll also hear Newcombe reflect on his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., and the impact the Negro League pioneers had on the Civil Rights Movement.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Don Newcombe | Trailblazer, Pioneer and The First Black Ace Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

Bob Kendrick tells the pioneering story of Don Newcombe. In a turbulent time in America, Newcombe exhibited the resilience and determination that were hallmarks of the Negro Leagues. In an interview at the NLBM with former Negro Leaguer and Dodgers OF Lou Johnson, you’ll hear Newcombe in his own words: From his humble beginnings growing up in New Jersey, to joining the Negro Leagues as a teen, to winning Rookie of the Year and multiple MVP awards with the Dodgers, to his role in the Civil Rights Movement. Don Newcombe was a trailblazer and along with Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, endured racial animus to play baseball and reshape American society.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Vision of Bill Veeck Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Bill Veeck was a baseball visionary and pioneer with an important connection to the Negro Leagues - He was the man responsible for integrating the American League.Veeck respected the talent of the Negro Leagues and the business of the Negro Leagues - purchasing the contract of Larry Doby from Newark Eagles owner, Effa Manley. Later, Veeck brought an aging yet ageless Satchel Paige to the Major Leagues with the Indians and the Browns. Former Red Sox All-Star Rico Petrocelli joins Bob to discuss facing Satchel in 1965 when Satchel returned to baseball with the Kansas City Athletics.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kerrick Jackson | College Baseball's Trailblazer Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

Following in the footsteps of such trailblazers as Buck O’Neil and Frank Robinson, Kerrick Jackson made history when he was hired as the first black baseball head coach in SEC history.

After his success with Southern University and the University of Memphis, Kerrick accepted the Missouri Tigers job prior to the 2024 season. Kerrick joins Bob Kendrick to discuss his vision for the program and his role as a pioneer of diversity in college baseball.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ken Burns | "There's Nobody Better than Buck" Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

Ken Burns joins Bob Kendrick to discuss the making of his 1994 landmark documentary “Baseball” and the episode “Shadow Ball” which highlighted the stars of the Negro Leagues and revealed Buck O’Neil to a worldwide audience for the first time. Bob and Ken discuss the influence of the Negro Leagues on Civil Rights, the pivotal roles Jackie Robinson, Buck O’Neil and Henry Aaron played in that progress, how the public’s understanding and appreciation of the Negro Leagues continues to grow and how Ken’s friendship with Buck O’Neil enriched his life. Bob also discusses Ken Burns’s latest project, “Leonardo da Vinci.”

And, for the first time publicly released, hear Ken’s moving eulogy at Buck O’Neil’s memorial service in 2006.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hall of Game 2024 | Frank White, John Mayberry, Amos Otis, Willie Wilson, Diego Seguí, Joel Goldberg Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Join Bob Kendrick and Royals Broadcaster Joel Goldberg at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, as they induct five Royals legends - Amos Otis, John Mayberry, Frank White, Willie Wilson and Hal McRae - into the Negro League Baseball Museum's "Hall of Game."

The NLBM's 2024 class commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first Negro League World Series, won by the 1924 Kansas City Monarchs.

In addition, Diego Seguí receives the José Méndez Beisbol Legend Award given for Lifetime Achievement and to celebrate the historical connection between the Negro Leagues and Spanish-speaking countries around the globe.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dave Sims | The Black Press Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

The Black Press played an integral role in elevating the stature of the Negro Leagues and helping preserve its history. With newspapers like the Chicago Defender, Pittsburgh Courier and New York Amsterdam News at the forefront of social consciousness and the push for Civil Rights, their platforms were essential to the integration of baseball. 2025 Ford C. Frick Award nominee Dave Sims joins Bob Kendrick to discuss his path from sportswriter to renowned play-by-play broadcaster.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ron Washington | Six Decades Inside Black Baseball Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

One of Jackie Robinson's last wishes was to one day see a black manager in Major League Baseball. Among those carrying on Jackie's wish and legacy is Angels Manager Ron Washington. A self-described baseball lifer and generational giant, Ron joins Bob Kendrick to discuss the tremendous impact he's had on the game of baseball.

Follow Bob Kendrick on Twitter/X - @nlbmprez

Follow Bob Kendrick on Instagram - @nlbmprez

To support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit Donate | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City - NLBM.com

See and Support the Dream of the NEW Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Pitch for the Future

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.