KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown last month, the journeys of each of the seven honorees reverberated in their own unique ways.
Subtly and organically enough, though, through the afternoon a compelling broader dynamic and narrative emerged that will forever bind together the Class of ‘22.
And that through line is embodied and animated by one in particular. The “linchpin,” Hall of Fame executive Jon Shestakofsky said, was Buck O’Neil, whose Hall of Fame plaque he was preparing on Wednesday to handle with care en route to Kansas City for public display on Friday at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.