On MLB Network Radio, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick shared heartfelt insight into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s passion for baseball and the deep, lasting relationship he formed with Jackie Robinson during the civil rights movement.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered primarily as one of the most influential leaders in American history, but as Bob Kendrick reminded listeners on MLB Network Radio, King was also a devoted baseball fan whose love for the game connected him to some of its most iconic figures.
Kendrick, who is president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, painted a vivid picture of how baseball fit into King’s life and how it helped strengthen his bond with Jackie Robinson.
Kendrick recalled cherished images of King playing baseball in the yard with his children in Atlanta, moments that reflected both joy and normalcy amid the weight of history surrounding him.
King’s enthusiasm for the game was genuine, the kind shared by much of American society during that era, when baseball sat at the center of the cultural landscape. According to Kendrick, nearly everyone at the time was a baseball fan, and King was no exception.
One of Kendrick’s favorite photographs captures King meeting Willie Mays, a moment that reveals just how deeply he admired the game’s heroes.
Kendrick described the unmistakable look of awe on King’s face, comparing it to the same expression he himself had when meeting Hank Aaron. In that instant, King was not the global icon or Nobel Peace Prize winner.
He was simply a fan, standing face to face with greatness.
That shared love of baseball became a foundation for King’s relationship with Robinson, whose impact extended far beyond the diamond. Kendrick emphasized that Robinson did not step away from the fight for equality after breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
Instead, Robinson remained fully engaged in the civil rights movement, marching alongside King and lending his voice and presence to the cause.
Kendrick noted that Robinson’s continued activism came at a cost. The emotional and physical toll of enduring constant hostility while remaining committed to social justice weighed heavily on him.
Yet Robinson never retreated. His resolve only deepened his connection with King, as both men understood that progress required persistence, sacrifice, and courage long after headlines faded.
The relationship between King and Robinson symbolized the powerful intersection of sports and social change.
Baseball was not just a pastime or a diversion for them. It was a shared language, a cultural force, and a platform that helped unite people during one of the most turbulent periods in American history.
Through Kendrick’s reflections, King emerges not only as a civil rights giant but also as a passionate baseball fan whose admiration for players like Mays and unwavering respect for Robinson revealed another deeply human side of his legacy.