Bob Kendrick is the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. He also hosts “Black Diamonds” on MLB Network Radio and as a podcast.
Why I wanted to meet him
When I was researching baseball and integration for my thesis, one name kept coming up. I already knew him in a way. I first heard Mr. Kendrick on his show on MLB Network Radio. We would be driving to baseball tournaments or practice and I remember his voice. I wasn’t doing research then, but I enjoyed the history.
Being the reason we planned this trip in the first place, I was quite excited to finally visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. During my AP African American Studies research project on Hank Aaron and the integration of Major League Baseball, I had frequently encountered Bob Kendrick through interviews, presentations and articles, which made meeting him one of my primary goals for the trip. Although I had reached out before leaving Atlanta and never received a response, I was still hopeful that I might have an opportunity to speak with him while visiting the museum.
The conversation
Shortly after we entered the museum, we noticed Kendrick speaking to a group of visitors near the entrance and decided to stop and listen. Once the presentation ended and the rest of the group dispersed, we introduced ourselves and explained my research project, the purpose of the trip and the various sites we had visited on our way to Kansas City. What I expected to be a brief conversation turned into a discussion that lasted nearly thirty minutes and covered many of the topics that had inspired the trip in the first place.
"Mr. Kendrick sounded exactly the same in person as he did on the radio and interviews I've watched. I had heard his voice many times, from Saturday morning drives to baseball tournaments listening to his show on MLB Network Radio, to research for my project. He is the best storyteller I've ever heard."
Going through the museum
After speaking with Kendrick, we began making our way through the museum. One of the first exhibits was a film narrated by James Earl Jones that provided an overview of the Negro Leagues and the circumstances that led to their creation. As we continued through the exhibits, I was struck by how much attention was given not only to the challenges that Negro League players faced, but also to the accomplishments of the players, teams and communities that built the leagues into a successful institution. Rather than focusing entirely on discrimination and segregation, the museum also highlighted the talent, innovation and perseverance that allowed the Negro Leagues to thrive for decades.
"The single best part of touring the museum and listening to Mr. Kendrick was how he focuses on the positive, celebrating the excellence and memories rather than the loss that you will naturally feel. I'm a big believer in balance, and his positivity leaves me with good memories of my visit. I hope to return in the future."
One line of his that I keep coming back to: “We asked for integration. What we wanted was equality. The two are not the same.”
Photos from the museum
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, Missouri · May 28 and May 30, 2026.
Go see the museum yourself
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is at 18th and Vine in Kansas City. If you like baseball even a little, go. It is worth planning a trip around, and it was worth 2,020 miles for me.
Ted Lasso visits the museum
The museum is in Season 4, Episode 1 of Ted Lasso, where Leslie Higgins walks in by accident and gets a tour of Black baseball history. Once you visit, you will realize how well they captured what you learn and feel there.
Tom Cruise stopped in too
In September 2026, Tom Cruise toured the museum the day after a Chiefs game and posed with the statue of Hall of Famer Martín Dihigo, holding a 1942 Kansas City Monarchs cap.
The Baseball and Integration Expedition
The museum was the reason for the trip. Getting there took 5 days, 11 states and 2,020 miles, with stops at Rickwood Field, the Lorraine Motel, Little Rock Central High and more.
See the Baseball and Integration Expedition →