Buck O’Neil, 94, to become oldest professional baseball player
The grandson of a man brought to this continent as a slave, O’Neil moved to Kansas City to avoid racial persecution in the Deep South and played baseball during an era of segregation.
It figures that on Tuesday night, when the 94-year-old steps into the batter’s box during a minor league all-star game, nobody will quibble over an intentional walk.
Except maybe O’Neil.
“I just might take a swing at one,” he said before Tuesday night’s Northern League event.
A publicity stunt? Sure. O’Neil would set the record for oldest professional baseball player, a record set by 83-year old Jim Eriotes just a couple weeks ago.
As we mentioned when Eriotes set the mark, this has all the makings for a tragic disaster, but the ironic thing is that as long as he doesn’t keel over and die, his brief minor-league career can’t go any worse than Jose Canseco’s did.
Buck O’Neil, 94, to play in minor league all-star game (ESPN)
