ATLANTA — Larry Lester grew up watching the Kansas City Monarchs at the ballpark near his home in late 1950s and early ‘60s. The Negro leagues had declined by then because of MLB’s racial integration, but their legends were part of his community. Buck O’Neil’s wife, Ora, was one of Lester’s grade-school teachers, and his classmates included Satchel Paige’s children.
“This is a part of my DNA,” said Lester, co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in his hometown.
Lester’s upbringing and love of numbers ended up combining to spark a pursuit that became central to his life. Lester said his ah-ha moment came when he discovered Robert Peterson’s 1970 book, “Only the Ball Was White: A History of Legendary Black Players and All-Black Professional Teams.” Reading it sent Lester “down a rabbit hole” looking for information about legendary players he’d heard about from his neighbors.
