December 15, 2006
O'Neil Honored
Buck O'Neil posthumously received the Medal of Freedom:
In a 40-minute ceremony under the glittering chandeliers of the East Room, Bush lauded O'Neil for helping break down the barriers of racial prejudice.
Jackie Robinson broke the major league color barrier in 1947, but by then it was too late for O'Neil.
"Buck O'Neil lived long enough to see baseball and America change for the better," Bush told the assembled audience. "He's one of the people we can thank for that. Buck O'Neil was a legend and a beautiful human being and we honor the memory of Buck O'Neil."
It's too bad this didn't happen sooner, so Buck could enjoy the award.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:47 PM
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He might have traded all the honors, posthumous and otherwise, for a few shots at Bob Feller in a regulation game.
The Buck O'Neil and Mark McGwire stories tell me that the Hall of Fame voters are a bunch of douche bags. Going by the numbers, Buck probably doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame, and the voters used this as an excuse to keep him out, ignoring all the great things he did for the game off the field. However, they say they will not ignore off the field issues with Big Mac, keeping him out because of his off the field activities while his numbers clearly warrant enterance. While Mark's extracariculars did influence his performance, he never broke any laws or baseball rules. Self-Righteousness at it's best!
If McGwire used steroids he did break laws; and it is an on field matter, regardless of where he stood when Jose injected him.