Buck O'Neil by Joe Posnanski

[G-Fafif]

We were in Houston, at a ballgame, and I saw a man steal a foul ball from a boy. It was flagrant � the man just took the ball right away from the boy, and he held it up high like it was the head of Medusa, and I said: �Would you look at this jerk?� �What�s that?� Buck said. �That guy down there, he just took that ball away from that kid.� Buck considered the situation. He said: �Don�t be so hard on him. He might have a kid of his own at home.� Yes, that was Buck O�Neil � he just saw the best in people, even people who took foul balls away from little kids. Maybe he�s got a kid at home. That was a good one; I had to give Buck credit, only then something occurred to me. �Wait a minute,� I said to Buck. �If he�s got a kid, why didn�t he bring him to ballgame?� I smiled triumphantly. But Buck did not hesitate. �Maybe,� he said, �the kid is sick.�

Read "Buck" by Joe Posnanski.

[Edgy MD]

Don't think I didn't read this. I certainly did. Great stuff.

Who is the closest thing to Buck O'Neil baseball has left?

[stevejrogers]

Edgy MD wrote: Don't think I didn't read this. I certainly did. Great stuff. Who is the closest thing to Buck O'Neil baseball has left?

Yogi Berra? Ernie Banks?

[Edgy MD]

I was thinking Tommy LaSorda. Great and willing ambassador for baseball. But it's hard to see in him the genuineness and good will that O'Neil represented. Banks certainly has buckets of these last two, and is a natural successor to O'Neil, but isn't the type to tap into the endless reserve of baseball lore that O'Neil had.

I guess Vin Scully is something akin.