I Was Right On Time

Very interesting read. It's like listening to Buck talk about the glory days. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to know more about the Negro Leagues.

A joyous experience to relive Buck's early barnstorming days, his Kansas City Monarchs years as player and later as manager, and finally as a coach and scout for the Cubs. Buck's attitude that one should count one's blessing and love what you do permeate his life story. Buck is an excellent story teller, who brings out the personalities of the eclectic group of interesting folks who made up his life. Satchel Paige playing no small part. One discovers how Buck earns the nickname "Nancy" while trying to cover for his friends amorous escapade.Buck describes his first and second team Negro League All Star selections justifying his selections by describing their specific attributes and weaknesses. He notes that players left for a third team could be the best yet: Willard Brown, Judy Johnson, Roy Campanella, Larry Doby and Ernie Banks. Quite the bench wouldn't you say?Buck missed playing in MLB but coached and scouted for the Cubs and later Royals. However, Buck was denied the opportunity to manage the Cubs. He was denied these opportunities because of ignorance and prejudice. Yet he counted his blessings noting the great experiences he had playing in Negro League World Series or East West All Star games. The game situations and varied personalities are vividly brought to life. The game is brought out of the shadows and it is a joy to experience.The book is very well written. One gets the experience of getting to truly know Buck and his contemporaries.A must read for Buck O'Neil or Negro League ball fans.

I knew about Buck O'Neil from Ken Burns, Baseball series. Unfortunately, I did not see much of it. The past month I heard an interview with Buck O'Neil on the radio. He was such a gracious man and kind. I knew I wanted to read his book.His book is wonderful. It is great to get insights and details of the negro leagues of the past. Like all of us, past memories tend to change and brighten over the passage of time. I see this book as an uplift. His attitude is wonderful and is an inspiration to everyone. No matter where we are or when we are born, we are "right on time". We all are serving a purpose for a greater good.The book does read like you are sitting right next to Buck and he is talking with you. I highly recommend this book to all baseball fans as it gives a glimpse into the baseball history. The negro leagues are such a big part of this history. I do believe some of the greatest players were in the negro leagues. As a baseball fan, I plan to read other books on the negro leagues to learn more about it. I became a member of the Negro League Baseball Museum because of this book. I hope to get a chance to see it someday. You can't help getting touched by this book and the simple message of graciousness and love it has throughout.

This book will truly inspire the reader to be more optimistic about life and to be a better person. The author was subjected to horribly unfair societal rules and yet he managed to do his best and keep a positive attitude the whole time. He tells great baseball stories of men that even some serious students of baseball don't know very well (or at all) because coverage of the Negro Leagues was not done by any major media. These players worked hard and were extremely talented. Sadly, some of their great stories will never be told, but we should appreciate those that are. This book is a great place to start. I only wish my grandfather, who played in the American League at the time, could have played with and against some of these terrific athletes.

This book is a wonderful story about a real sports gentleman. His integrity and sincerity as he played, managed and coached black and white baseball teams, and his role in creating the Black Baseball Hall of Fame in Kansas City need to be better known. This book, titled by his own words, is well worth reading!

This is not simply an autobiography, but an oral-history on where we have been and where we are going. It was written from the heart, and - if you read closely - it will open yours to live life in a different, better way.I read the book when it was initially published and recently purchased the soft-cover edition. Rarely do I re-read a book, but I felt the need after hearing Buck O'Neil's moving and uplifting speech this summer at the Baseball Hall of Fame and listening to a rebroadcast of an interview conducted several years ago by radio sports-talker Jim Rome.The road to racial equality remains long and steep, but by gazing upward you may view what appears to be a finish-line tape rippling in the breeze at the top of the mountain. But look ahead and you see the harsh reality that the road remains unfortunately rugged, with many twists & turns.Buck O'Neil is an American hero and if your eyes are dry after reading the last page of I Was Right On Time (no matter how many times you read the book), then your heart may not have opened up wide enough to tackle the journey ahead.

Buck O'Neil's autobiography, is an amazing journey through the past, and also a wonderful account of a very rich and involved life. Buck, tells his story from childhood through his late 80's, while also detailing the players and others involved with the Negro leagues, and he does it in just such a wonderful way, that you feel the dirt, and the heat, and can hear the crack of the bat. I "discovered" Mr. O'Neil as many did, through Ken Burns Baseball documentary, and wanted to know more about him, and hear more stories from him. That is what this book is, it is Bucks chance to tell more people his story, and the story of the negro leagues. If you enjoyed him in the documentary, or are interested in learning about the Negro leagues, this book is a Can't miss! I feel that I should also mention just how much Buck loved Baseball, it is not a love I share, but his passion for the game is infectious, and his joy in recounting his stories makes them that much more enjoyable for the reader.

Nobody tells a better story than buck.