John “Buck” O’Neil was a longtime player and manager in the Negro Leagues, and became the first Black coach in Major League Baseball in 1962, when the Cubs added him to the College of Coaches. Sadly, he was never allowed to be “head coach” — that would have been revolutionary for the time. He had previously been a scout for the Cubs and signed Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, George Altman and others.
O’Neil always made the best of things and his sunny personality promoted baseball for decades after his retirement from the game.
When 17 Negro Leaguers were given induction into the Hall of Fame in 2006, O’Neil was left out.