Negro Leagues Baseball Museum gets a big boost from the ‘Big Piece’

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It was a big donation from "The Big Piece." On Friday, Phillies legend Ryan Howard donated $20,000 to Kansas City's Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for its planned expansion.

The gift, presented at a ceremony at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, was a surprise to Museum President Bob Kendrick.

"I had no idea what I was walking into today. But I knew they were doing something to honor the Negro Leagues," Kendrick said. "Anytime people want to talk about the Negro Leagues, help us raise awareness, hopefully heighten interest, I'm in. The check was an added bonus."

Kendrick said the Museum is currently housed at a 10,000-square-foot facility in Kansas City, but organizers hope to break ground on a new 30,000-square-foot building next year. A $50 million fundraising campaign is underway, Kendrick said.

Howard said in his playing days, he would visit the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City before heading to spring training. Howard, the 2006 National League MVP, said he would touch each player's statue at the museum to take a part of them to the major leagues they couldn't play in.

"It was kind of like my preseason ritual," Howard told reporters. "I would always go before I would drive down for spring training, and I always went and made sure that I would go through and pay homage."

Howard also gave Kendrick a signed bat to display at the museum.

"This is just another great example of his extended generosity and his support, and I think understanding of his place in this game," Kendrick said. "It is just so typical of who Ryan Howard is as a person. Forget the great baseball player he was. As great as he was as a baseball player, he's an even better human being."