WEBVTT - Bob Kendrick (4-15-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talking, Well,

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<v Speaker 1>it's an extra special Jackie Robinsonde at Dodgers Stadium. Not

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<v Speaker 1>only the Mets are in town, but we have the

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<v Speaker 1>president of the Negro League Museum in town and he

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<v Speaker 1>addressed the Dodgers and Mets earlier today. And that's my guy,

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<v Speaker 1>Bob Kendrick. Bob, thank you so much. And man, it's

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<v Speaker 1>great to be in LA with you instead of Kansas City.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Now, it's great to be back here at Dodger Stadium,

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<v Speaker 2>to be here in the great city of LA. And

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<v Speaker 2>what an incredible celebration this is every year, but for me,

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<v Speaker 2>it means so much more to actually be here as

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<v Speaker 2>part of this celebration.

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<v Speaker 1>What did it mean to you when the Dodgers asked

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<v Speaker 1>you to come to La, come to Dodgers Stadium and

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<v Speaker 1>in the shadow of this statue speak to the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 1>and Mets.

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<v Speaker 3>It was it was special. It was special.

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<v Speaker 2>So you feel a very strong sense of pride that

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<v Speaker 2>they think enough of the work that we do there

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<v Speaker 2>in Kansas City that it would be meaningful for me

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<v Speaker 2>to be here to deliver the address to the two

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<v Speaker 2>ball clubs. And so that means a great deal to

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<v Speaker 2>all of us at the Negro League Baseball Museum.

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<v Speaker 1>Those of us that have visited several times. I remember

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<v Speaker 1>my first time was with Andre Ethier. And you give

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<v Speaker 1>us not only a history lesson in baseball, but a

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<v Speaker 1>history lesson in American history. Is that what you were

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<v Speaker 1>trying to convey to these ballplayers that may not know you.

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<v Speaker 2>Know, because with each generation we move further and further away.

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<v Speaker 2>Because I have to remind myself not to take for

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<v Speaker 2>granted that everyone knows Jackie's incredible story, because the byproduct

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<v Speaker 2>of progress is that we have a tendency to forget,

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<v Speaker 2>and we cannot forget what Jackie was able to do.

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<v Speaker 3>And you're right, Jackie's story.

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<v Speaker 2>The story of the Negro Leagues in general, is much

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<v Speaker 2>bigger than the game of baseball. Yet it's still just

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<v Speaker 2>a tiny part of the great story of a game

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<v Speaker 2>of baseball. And anytime that we get the opportunity to

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<v Speaker 2>elevate the awareness, hopefully the interest, and remind people of

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<v Speaker 2>just how courageous Jackie Robinson was, we want to make

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<v Speaker 2>sure that we take full advantage of that and for

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<v Speaker 2>me to be able to make the connectivity to his

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<v Speaker 2>incredible story back to the negro leagues, because this does

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<v Speaker 2>not happen without the negro Leagues. Now, you've got to

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<v Speaker 2>think that baseball would have integrated at some point in time,

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<v Speaker 2>but who knows how long? And then where were those

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<v Speaker 2>players going to come from if you did not have

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<v Speaker 2>the negro leagues? And so the stories cannot be separated.

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<v Speaker 2>But a lot of people don't know that side of

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<v Speaker 2>his story as it relates to his time in Kansas

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<v Speaker 2>City with the great Kansas City monarchs.

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<v Speaker 1>I love how Bob Kendrick reminded everybody what Jackie Robinson

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<v Speaker 1>did was before Rosa Parks, was before doctor Martin Luther

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<v Speaker 1>King Junior. He is at the forefront of the civil

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<v Speaker 1>rights movement.

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<v Speaker 2>So you can effect divide the twentieth century into two pieces, before.

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<v Speaker 3>Jackie and after Jackie.

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<v Speaker 2>That's the profound impact that he had, and he was

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<v Speaker 2>the spark that ignited the civil rights movement in this country.

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<v Speaker 3>Now.

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<v Speaker 2>Oftentimes people don't necessarily connect the two, but we do,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think it is eye opening for people when

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<v Speaker 2>they do learn how at the forefront of this movement

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<v Speaker 2>he really was.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, we love having Bob Kendrick in Los Angeles, But

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<v Speaker 1>you have to get to Kansas City to the Negro

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<v Speaker 1>League Baseball Museum. That is one of the more special places.

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<v Speaker 1>And my favorite piece in that museum is the painting

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<v Speaker 1>of the Dinner that we've heard Don nucom tell many

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<v Speaker 1>times before.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, the painting is called Grace, and Nuke told the

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<v Speaker 2>story with great clarity, and he was so inspired when

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<v Speaker 2>he would tell that story, and it was captivating, and

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<v Speaker 2>he would oftentimes tell the story of how they had dinner.

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<v Speaker 2>He Jackie, Roy Campanella, and Doctor King sitting down having

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<v Speaker 2>dinner when Doctor King conveyed to them that he could

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<v Speaker 2>not have done what they did because they were out

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<v Speaker 2>there moving the needle for progress. Now here is the

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<v Speaker 2>greatest civil rights leader of all time acknowledging what Jackie

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<v Speaker 2>did as an individual because he was playing a team

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<v Speaker 2>sport when he took that field with the Brooklyn Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 2>he was individualized, and that he could not have done it,

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<v Speaker 2>and that they helped make his job easier. That alone

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<v Speaker 2>should help us understand the impact of what Jackie was

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<v Speaker 2>able to do. And then those other integration pioneers who

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<v Speaker 2>followed Jackie, Yeah, the Don Newcombs, the Roy Campanella's, the

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<v Speaker 2>Junior Gilliams, the Joe Blacks, who are all tied to

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers organization, all played a significant role in helping

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<v Speaker 2>move the needle of progress forward. And I think that's

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<v Speaker 2>what doctor King was relating, and that painting so beautifully

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<v Speaker 2>depicts them. They're sitting at the dinner table holding hands

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<v Speaker 2>while they're saying grace.

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<v Speaker 1>Very powerful certainly is so is Bob Kendrick. There are

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<v Speaker 1>so many ways to describe you. Your genuine love for

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<v Speaker 1>the stories that you tell and the meaning behind them

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<v Speaker 1>come across, whether it's to the Dodgers or Mets, or

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<v Speaker 1>to anybody that comes to visit the Negro League Hall

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<v Speaker 1>of Fame the museum. So man awesome to have you

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<v Speaker 1>out here. Glad your knee is doing good and you

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<v Speaker 1>still got the best style in America hands down.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. The news doing much better than that when I

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<v Speaker 2>saw you last and I was trying to fake it.

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<v Speaker 2>I was trying to move around without my brace on.

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<v Speaker 2>But the news much much much better. The thing that

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<v Speaker 2>I've learned, the older I get, the slur the healing processes.

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<v Speaker 3>But what or not?

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<v Speaker 2>And to be part of this celebration and to be

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<v Speaker 2>back here at Dodger Stadium.

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<v Speaker 3>So thanks so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll never forget this Jackie Robinson Day. Thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>stopping by and awesome to do this with you in

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<v Speaker 1>front of this statue.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah no, this made it even special.

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<v Speaker 2>And they have the two clubs gathered around this amazing

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<v Speaker 2>piece of art that really is alive.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and it.

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<v Speaker 2>Lives through all of them who played his game, and

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<v Speaker 2>we wanted to remind them that they do carry that

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<v Speaker 2>level of civic and social responsibility with them.

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<v Speaker 1>We all do, we all do. Thank you, Bob there.

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<v Speaker 1>He is my guy, Bob Kendrick, more than just the

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<v Speaker 1>president of the Negro League Baseball Museum. He's one one

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<v Speaker 1>of a kind, all class, great person and we love

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<v Speaker 1>having you here. So I know you're in demand today.

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<v Speaker 1>You better get that.

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<v Speaker 3>Me moving