St. Louis will get a front‑row seat for an important conversation in sports and American history next Tuesday, Oct. 20. Award‑winning broadcaster Mike Claiborne sits down with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for “Beyond the Diamond.”
The program brings together two men who have spent their careers preserving stories that stretch far beyond the field. Claiborne is a veteran St. Louis journalist whose four decades in broadcasting include seven Cardinals World Series, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals, championship boxing and NFL playoff football. His recent inductions into both the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Missouri Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame cement his place as one of the region’s most respected voices.
Kendrick leads the Kansas City‑based Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where he has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on Black baseball and its impact on American culture. Since assuming the presidency in 2011, he has helped guide a more than $20 million turnaround — transforming the museum into a nationally recognized institution dedicated to preserving the stories of the players, teams and communities that shaped the Negro Leagues. He also hosts the “Black Diamonds” podcast and has earned numerous honors, including induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Their conversation will explore how Black baseball didn’t just change the game — it helped change America. With St. Louis and Kansas City as the backdrop, Claiborne and Kendrick will explore how Negro League teams built Black institutions that stood strong through segregation. They will also detail how players like Jackie Robinson helped move the nation forward long before history officially caught up.
Kendrick often reminds audiences that St. Louis played a leading role in that legacy. “St. Louis has tremendous Black baseball history,” he told Cardinals Insider in 2024. “They had one of the original eight Negro League franchises when Rube Foster established the Negro National League.” That team was the St. Louis Giants, who later became the better‑known St. Louis Stars.
The St. Louis Giants played as an independent team from 1906-1919. They became the St. Louis Stars in 1921 and played until the team became a casualty of The Great Depression in 1931.
“The St. Louis Stars — as the name implied — had a lot of star power,” Kendrick said. “They had some of the biggest names to ever play for the Negro Leagues.” Among them was James “Cool Papa” Bell, one of the fastest players the sport has ever seen.
Their style of play set them apart. “The pace of the game was far faster. It was daring. It was aggressive,” Kendrick said of Negro League games. “It had you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see what was going to happen.” In another interview, he noted that the Stars’ approach drew fans across racial lines. “Their style of play was faster, more daring, and aggressive compared to Major League Baseball. This unique style, which included bunting, stealing bases, and even home, attracted both Black and white fans.”
The players themselves became cultural icons. Kendrick recalled how St. Louis fans celebrated slugger Mule Suttles: “When he would come to the plate, the fans there in St. Louis would start the ‘Mule kick’ chant — they wanted to see him hit that ball out the ballpark.”
For Kendrick, the Negro Leagues offer lessons that reach far beyond baseball. “The Negro Leagues are a tremendous example of why diversity, inclusion, and equity are so important,” he told Enspire Magazine. “When Jackie Robinson, selected from the Kansas City Monarchs, broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, it opened the door for players of color to take the field, and the game instantly improved.”
Tuesday’s program invites audiences to see baseball not just as a pastime, but as a lens on justice, resilience and legacy.
The Eta Boule Foundation is the community presenting partner for “Beyond The Diamond.” The evening begins with a happy hour featuring DJ Nune, with food and drinks available for purchase from The Crooked Boot and Chillax. Tickets are $20, or $15 for Missouri Historical Society members and members of the Eta Boule. Doors open at 6 p.m. for first‑come, first‑served seating. The conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.mohistory.org for more information.