NLBM president inspires generations at Reds Community Fund event

The Reds Community Fund continued February’s Black History Month celebration by hosting Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) President Bob Kendrick at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy on Friday.

Kendrick spoke to a group of about 120 kids from Walnut Hills High School baseball, Oyler High School softball and five local Boys and Girls Clubs at the Reds Youth Academy. After showing an NLBM video, Kendrick discussed the history of the Negro Leagues, shared stories of the many Negro Leagues legends and conducted a Q&A with the audience.

“This game mirrors life more than you realize,” he told them. “You’re going to fail more times than you succeed. There are not many things in life that a 30 percent success rate will get you applauded as it does with baseball. That’s how challenging this game is. So you learn how to handle failure because you know you have to get back in the batter’s box, dust yourself off and figure out how you’re going to get it done. And that’s what I love about our game.”

The beauty of Kendrick’s message and stories is that they translate to and resonate with all ages and backgrounds. Earlier that day, Kendrick visited Great American Ball Park to speak with the Reds’ front office as part of the organization’s Black History Month speaker series. And after his stop at the Reds Youth Academy, Kendrick returned downtown to appear as the special guest at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum’s Wright Society event. In a day’s time, Kendrick addressed an audience that spanned at least three generations.

“When we talk about love of the game, pouring yourself into something and believing in yourself, those are all core themes from the Negro Leagues that resonate with everyone, no matter what walk of life you’re from,” Kendrick said. “It’s universal. And I think they can all take that with them. Hopefully, it helps build a level of confidence just knowing that others have walked in those same shoes and were able to achieve great things. That’s the message I’m trying to convey.”

Kendrick has become one of the leading authorities on the topic of Negro Leagues Baseball history. After becoming the NLBM's first Director of Marketing in 1998, he worked his way up and by 2011 was named the museum's president. Since that time, he has helped spearhead the ongoing efforts to bring Negro Leagues Baseball to the forefront of the conversation surrounding our national pastime. As NLBM president, Kendrick has been responsible for the creation of several signature museum educational programs and events, including the Hall of Game which annually honors former Major League Baseball greats who played in the spirit and signature style of the Negro Leagues.

In 2023, for the first time, the popular video game MLB The Show introduced Negro Leagues players. Now more than ever, youth around the world are becoming aware of and gaining an appreciation for some of baseball’s previously unknown pioneers and legends.

“That’s what I enjoy is the enlightenment that comes along with it,” Kendrick said. “I don’t think there was ever a time when people didn’t want to know about the Negro Leagues; they just had no way to learn about the Negro Leagues. Then our museum emerged, and now we’re seeing this incredible focus on the history of the Negro Leagues. They are as popular today as ever before thanks to some innovative ways we’ve helped grow awareness and also Major League Baseball embracing it and helping its fanbase understand the importance of the heritage of our game.”