Episode 324 - We Just Let Bob Kendrick Talk, That’s the Title

Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, joins Two Strike Noise to talk about the museum's $50+ million capital campaign to build a new 30,000-square-foot facility and Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center in Kansas City. From there the conversation covers the story of Branch Rickey's real first choice to break the color line, why Kansas City Monarchs owner J.L. Wilkinson never saw a dime for Jackie Robinson's contract, the deliberate showmanship of players like Willie Wells and Goose Tatum, the case for Negro Leagues legends most fans have never heard of, and the connection between Banana Ball's Indianapolis Clowns revival and the original barnstorming era. Also in this episode: Mark and Jeff open with a Family Ties rerun packed with unexpected Yogi Berra trivia, the surprise return of the Baseball Beyond Batting Average podcast, MLB reportedly floating a rain delay to protect World Series primetime ratings, and a ranking of MLB broadcast booths by their color commentators' combined career WAR. Then it's another round of Wax Pack Heroes with a run of vintage 1987 Topps cards. Topics: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Bob Kendrick, Buck O'Neil, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, Monte Irvin, Effa Manley, J.L. Wilkinson, Kansas City Monarchs, Bill Veeck, Clark Griffith, Willie Wells, Goose Tatum, Martin Dihigo, Mule Suttles, Bullet Rogan, Biz Mackey, Roy Campanella, Josh Gibson, Shohei Ohtani, Negro Leagues Japan tour, Philadelphia Royal Giants, Banana Ball, Indianapolis Clowns, shadow ball, NLBM capital campaign, Wax Pack Heroes, 1987 Topps 00:00 Welcome to Two Strike Noise 02:10 BP Pop Culture Baseball 04:45 Podcast Shoutout Return 06:02 World Series Rain Delay 08:35 Booth WAR Rankings 12:12 Movie Takes and Tease 13:02 Introducing Bob Kendrick 13:56 Museum Expansion Vision 16:53 Who Broke the Barrier 22:36 Showmanship and Shadow Ball 25:59 Unsung Greats Dihigo 29:29 Modern Players Fit Today 31:55 Negro Leagues in Japan 37:06 Josh Gibson Legends 41:25 Banana Ball and Atmosphere 46:34 How to Support the Museum 48:34 Museum Support Links 48:45 Fundraiser Plans 49:31 Wax Pack Heroes 01:15:38 Wrap Up and Ways to Follow Connect With Us: YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twostrikenoise Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/twostrikenoise BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/twostrikenoise.bsky.social Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com Support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Bob Kendrick and the NLBM are raising funds for a new 30,000-square-foot museum and the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center in Kansas City. Learn more and donate at www.nlbm.com. Commons4Kids: We pull a lot of commons in Wax Pack Heroes. Donate your unwanted cards to help spark a kid's interest in the game: https://commons4kids.org/C4K Hashtags: #podernfamily #podnation #baseball #mlb #history #podcast #baseballcards