Q&A with Bob Kendrick
Goat Jerseys sits down with Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Bob has done so much to preserve the great history of the Negro Leagues. His stories on some of the greatest ballplayers that ever lived are endless, I truly wanted to ask him 50 more lol. But, here’s my 10, lets get to know him…
Where did you grow up? Crawfordville, Georgia. Small, rural town 80 miles east of Atlanta and 50 miles west of Augusta.
Were you a big sports fan growing up? If so, what was the first athlete and team you fell in love with? Yes. Lifelong Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, and Atlanta Hawks fan. Also, a Georgia Bulldogs fan. Henry Aaron is my all-time favorite baseball player and the Braves were the team that I first fell in love with.
What was life like as a teenager, what did Bob Kendrick dream of becoming? Life was pretty carefree growing up in a town of about 500 people where you knew virtually everyone. Like most kids, I dreamed of being a professional athlete but thought the sport would be the NBA.
You’re known to dress and stay fresh with the best of ’em. In saying that, what athlete, past or present do you think was the best dresser? Satchel Paige. Satchel had mad swag and was always stylish. I partisan to the dress of the 30s and 40s when Negro Leagues Baseball was at its height.
All-time favorite uniform in sports? 1942 Kansas City Monarchs. The cap is one of the most iconic baseball caps ever.
What’s the one piece of memorabilia in the museum that you cherish the most? My favorite piece of memorabilia is our 1924 Eastern Colored League (ECL) sweater donated by former San Diego Padres owner, John Moores. It’s one of the oldest known garments from the Negro Leagues.
Best Negro Leagues uniform? 1942 Kansas City Monarchs.
One person in the world living or deceased that you could have 15 minutes to sit down with and pick their brain, who would it be? Former President, Barack Obama.
Favorite Food, favorite city, and all-time favorite sports movie? Cheeseburger, San Diego, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings.
Where do you see the NLBM in the next five years? Is there anything new we should know regarding the museum? Completion of the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center at the site of the Paseo YMCA, the birthplace of the Negro Leagues. The center will be an expansion of the NLBM in memory of the late, great Buck O’Neil and will become the headquarters for the NLBM. As we prepare the reopen on June 16, 2020, there will be two new exhibits that we’re excited to showcase:
Black Baseball in Living Color: The Art of Graig Kreindler: The amazing exhibit features over 200 hand-painted portraits of Black and Hispanic players dating back to the 19th century and is accentuated with rare memorabilia from the collection of collector, Jay Caldwell.
Barrier Breakers: The exhibit chronicles all the players who broke their respective Major League Baseball team’s color barrier, from Jackie Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 through Pumpsie Green signing with the Boston Red Sox in 1959.
Thanks so much Bob for the time and insight. The museum is on my bucket list and can’t wait to visit one day soon. Thanks for all you do to keep the great Negro Leagues history alive!
Check out NLBM.com and give Bob a follow on Twitter: @nlbmprez