Baseball Guru
02-14-2002, 05:50 AM
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Back when he was barnstorming with Satchel Paige's Kansas City Monarchs, Jesse Rogers put up with lots of abuse -- racial insults, low pay, restaurants that wouldn't serve him -- to name a few.
Now he's an old man and suffering one more indignity. He has been nearly forgotten by succeeding generations of black players who enjoy megabuck-contracts thanks to the trails he helped blaze.
"I think it's wrong. You should never forget where you come from,'' said Rogers, who spent most of his life working for the U.S. Post Office. "You should never forget that. I guess guys just don't want to be disturbed.''
Modern players' lack of appreciation for their athletic ancestral roots was a frequent topic of conversation at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Wednesday night as people gathered for the second annual Legacy Awards.
Presented by the museum, the awards honor both current and past players and administrators for their achievements and contributions to baseball. But for the second straight year, almost no current major league players bothered to show up to get their awards.
Museum officials said they were unable, despite months of trying, to even get an acknowledgment from home run king Barry Bonds, who was voted winner of the Oscar Charleston Award. Also missing was St. Louis third baseman Albert Pujols, who was voted the rookie of the year but did not attend the ceremony even though he lives in Independence, Mo., about a half-hour away.
"That's the one that was really disappointing,'' said Bob Kendrick, a museum official. "That's the one that really hurts.''
Former sportscaster Roy Firestone, the night's master of ceremonies, took the major leaguers to task for not being at the dinner.
"We need every major league award winner here,'' he said. "Those who are not should be ashamed.''
The only current players who appeared in person were Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies outfielder Juan Pierre. The pair shared the Cool Papa Bell Award for most stolen bases in the National League and got a standing ovation.
"I know some of the Negro League history, but coming here, I realize there's a lot that I have to learn about the struggles of the men who paved the way,'' Rollins said.
In a tour of the museum, Rollins was reminded of how hard the Negro League players worked to drum up fans.
"In the Negro Leagues, they weren't just athletes. They were characters, they were entertainers,'' he said. "Everybody had a nickname and a story behind them. When I leave this game maybe in about 20 years, I hope I'm the same way.''
Seattle general manager Pat Gillick accepted his award for executive of the year, one for Mariners manager Lou Piniella and three for Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Suzuki won for his stolen bases, batting average and as American League rookie of the year.
Gillick agreed that an overall lack of historic knowledge is pervasive among major leaguers.
"It would be nice if they knew what the history of the game was and who came before them,'' Gillick said.
Pellom McDaniels, an author, historian and former NFL player, said athletes generally do not have the same attachments to their community that Negro League players had.
"We now have this wonderful opportunity to have an integrated society,'' McDaniels said. "But in talking to these old gentlemen, you learn that once integration happened, because it happened so quickly, some of that was lost.
"No longer is a player so responsible to his community, like the players were in the Negro Leagues. That feeling of responsibility to the community was not transferred to this generation.''
Other award winners included Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Larry Walker, Ichiro Suzuki, Jason Giambi, Larry Bowa, Lou Piniella, Hank Aaron and Louis Smith, a Kansas City businessman and longtime supporter of major league baseball in Kansas City.
Rogers, now retired from the post office, walks with difficulty these days but wastes little time brooding over the way young players snub their legacy.
"I don't pay them no mind. You aren't going to change them,'' he said. "The heck with them.''
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Back when he was barnstorming with Satchel Paige's Kansas City Monarchs, Jesse Rogers put up with lots of abuse -- racial insults, low pay, restaurants that wouldn't serve him -- to name a few.
Now he's an old man and suffering one more indignity. He has been nearly forgotten by succeeding generations of black players who enjoy megabuck-contracts thanks to the trails he helped blaze.
"I think it's wrong. You should never forget where you come from,'' said Rogers, who spent most of his life working for the U.S. Post Office. "You should never forget that. I guess guys just don't want to be disturbed.''
Modern players' lack of appreciation for their athletic ancestral roots was a frequent topic of conversation at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Wednesday night as people gathered for the second annual Legacy Awards.
Presented by the museum, the awards honor both current and past players and administrators for their achievements and contributions to baseball. But for the second straight year, almost no current major league players bothered to show up to get their awards.
Museum officials said they were unable, despite months of trying, to even get an acknowledgment from home run king Barry Bonds, who was voted winner of the Oscar Charleston Award. Also missing was St. Louis third baseman Albert Pujols, who was voted the rookie of the year but did not attend the ceremony even though he lives in Independence, Mo., about a half-hour away.
"That's the one that was really disappointing,'' said Bob Kendrick, a museum official. "That's the one that really hurts.''
Former sportscaster Roy Firestone, the night's master of ceremonies, took the major leaguers to task for not being at the dinner.
"We need every major league award winner here,'' he said. "Those who are not should be ashamed.''
The only current players who appeared in person were Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies outfielder Juan Pierre. The pair shared the Cool Papa Bell Award for most stolen bases in the National League and got a standing ovation.
"I know some of the Negro League history, but coming here, I realize there's a lot that I have to learn about the struggles of the men who paved the way,'' Rollins said.
In a tour of the museum, Rollins was reminded of how hard the Negro League players worked to drum up fans.
"In the Negro Leagues, they weren't just athletes. They were characters, they were entertainers,'' he said. "Everybody had a nickname and a story behind them. When I leave this game maybe in about 20 years, I hope I'm the same way.''
Seattle general manager Pat Gillick accepted his award for executive of the year, one for Mariners manager Lou Piniella and three for Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Suzuki won for his stolen bases, batting average and as American League rookie of the year.
Gillick agreed that an overall lack of historic knowledge is pervasive among major leaguers.
"It would be nice if they knew what the history of the game was and who came before them,'' Gillick said.
Pellom McDaniels, an author, historian and former NFL player, said athletes generally do not have the same attachments to their community that Negro League players had.
"We now have this wonderful opportunity to have an integrated society,'' McDaniels said. "But in talking to these old gentlemen, you learn that once integration happened, because it happened so quickly, some of that was lost.
"No longer is a player so responsible to his community, like the players were in the Negro Leagues. That feeling of responsibility to the community was not transferred to this generation.''
Other award winners included Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Larry Walker, Ichiro Suzuki, Jason Giambi, Larry Bowa, Lou Piniella, Hank Aaron and Louis Smith, a Kansas City businessman and longtime supporter of major league baseball in Kansas City.
Rogers, now retired from the post office, walks with difficulty these days but wastes little time brooding over the way young players snub their legacy.
"I don't pay them no mind. You aren't going to change them,'' he said. "The heck with them.''