Hear Don Newcombe’s full length conversation with former Negro Leaguer and Dodgers teammate Lou Johnson. From growing up in New Jersey to experiences in the Negro Leagues and his bond with Jackie Robinson and Roy Campenella as they trailblazed baseball, Newcombe describes in vivid detail the challenges, obstacles and the overt racism he experienced on and off the field. Newcombe also discusses his battle with alcoholism and how his journey enabled him to help teammates with their own struggles. You’ll also hear Newcombe reflect on his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., and the impact the Negro League pioneers had on the Civil Rights Movement.

Bob Kendrick tells the pioneering story of Don Newcombe. In a turbulent time in America, Newcombe exhibited the resilience and determination that were hallmarks of the Negro Leagues. In an interview at the NLBM with former Negro Leaguer and Dodgers OF Lou Johnson, you’ll hear Newcombe in his own words: From his humble beginnings growing up in New Jersey, to joining the Negro Leagues as a teen, to winning Rookie of the Year and multiple MVP awards with the Dodgers, to his role in the Civil Rights Movement. Don Newcombe was a trailblazer and along with Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, endured racial animus to play baseball and reshape American society.

Bill Veeck was a baseball visionary and pioneer with an important connection to the Negro Leagues - He was the man responsible for integrating the American League. Veeck respected the talent of the Negro Leagues and the business of the Negro Leagues - purchasing the contract of Larry Doby from Newark Eagles owner, Effa Manley. Later, Veeck brought an aging yet ageless Satchel Paige to the Major Leagues with the Indians and the Browns. Former Red Sox All-Star Rico Petrocelli joins Bob to discuss facing Satchel in 1965 when Satchel returned to baseball with the Kansas City Athletics.

Following in the footsteps of such trailblazers as Buck O’Neil and Frank Robinson, Kerrick Jackson made history when he was hired as the first black baseball head coach in SEC history. After his success with Southern University and the University of Memphis, Kerrick accepted the Missouri Tigers job prior to the 2024 season. Kerrick joins Bob Kendrick to discuss his vision for the program and his role as a pioneer of diversity in college baseball.

Ken Burns joins Bob Kendrick to discuss the making of his 1994 landmark documentary “Baseball” and the episode “Shadow Ball” which highlighted the stars of the Negro Leagues and revealed Buck O’Neil to a worldwide audience for the first time. Bob and Ken discuss the influence of the Negro Leagues on Civil Rights, the pivotal roles Jackie Robinson, Buck O’Neil and Henry Aaron played in that progress, how the public’s understanding and appreciation of the Negro Leagues continues to grow and how Ken’s friendship with Buck O’Neil enriched his life. Bob also discusses Ken Burns’s latest project, “Leonardo da Vinci.” And, for the first time publicly released, hear Ken’s moving eulogy at Buck O’Neil’s memorial service in 2006.

Join Bob Kendrick and Royals Broadcaster Joel Goldberg at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, as they induct five Royals legends - Amos Otis, John Mayberry, Frank White, Willie Wilson and Hal McRae - into the Negro League Baseball Museum's "Hall of Game." The NLBM's 2024 class commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first Negro League World Series, won by the 1924 Kansas City Monarchs. In addition, Diego Seguí receives the José Méndez Beisbol Legend Award given for Lifetime Achievement and to celebrate the historical connection between the Negro Leagues and Spanish-speaking countries around the globe.

The Black Press played an integral role in elevating the stature of the Negro Leagues and helping preserve its history. With newspapers like the Chicago Defender, Pittsburgh Courier and New York Amsterdam News at the forefront of social consciousness and the push for Civil Rights, their platforms were essential to the integration of baseball. 2025 Ford C. Frick Award nominee Dave Sims joins Bob Kendrick to discuss his path from sportswriter to renowned play-by-play broadcaster.

One of Jackie Robinson's last wishes was to one day see a black manager in Major League Baseball. Among those carrying on Jackie's wish and legacy is Angels Manager Ron Washington. A self-described baseball lifer and generational giant, Ron joins Bob Kendrick to discuss the tremendous impact he's had on the game of baseball.

Bob Kendrick is joined by Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins. They discuss his upbringing in Ontario as a multi-sport star, the influence of his father who once played for the semi-pro Chatham Coloured All-Stars, getting discovered by the Phillies at the age of 15, and becoming a dominant pitcher with the Cubs en route to 284 wins and a Hall of Fame career.

Chasing a record once thought to be unbreakable, Henry Aaron battled through discrimination and death threats to become the all-time home run king. As the man who threw the fateful pitch that resulted in #715, Al Downing joins Bob Kendrick to discuss that historic night on April 8, 1974. And hear reflections from Dusty Baker – the man who was in the on-deck circle as history was made.