Buck O'Neil's legacy comes to life in new mural
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Buck O'Neil Bridge mural progress. Photo: Courtesy of Phil "Sike Style" Shafer
A new mural on the Buck O'Neil Bridge doesn't just honor a baseball legend. It brings together two Kansas City icons — one with a bat and one with a brush.
Why it matters: Buck O'Neil wasn't just part of the Negro Leagues — he helped build them. And Kansas City artist Phil "Sike Style" Shafer, known for bold, community-driven public art, just painted his story into the city's daily commute.
Driving the news: Shafer and his team began painting in early April. The mural was unveiled Tuesday during a public ceremony on the south end of the bridge.
Catch up quick: O'Neil played for and managed the Kansas City Monarchs, became Major League Baseball's first Black coach with the Chicago Cubs in 1962, and helped co-found the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City's 18th & Vine District.
- The bridge, originally known as the Broadway Bridge, was renamed for O'Neil in 2016.
- The new structure, completed in 2024, replaced the original as part of MoDOT's $220 million rebuild.
- Art in the Loop ran the artist selection process last year. Shafer was selected from a pool of 23 local artists.
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Between the lines: Shafer met O'Neil as a kid. "My dad walked me down to the K and said, 'You need to meet this man,'" he told Axios. "It stuck with me."
- Now, that memory is literally part of the mural; Shafer's father, Pete, is painted into one of the scenes. "He's going to cry," Shafer said. "It's always tears, happy tears."
Zoom in: "This bridge talks about Buck's legacy, but also allows people to engage with his story on a broad and personal level," he said.
- The design opens with a gospel lyric O'Neil loved: "The greatest thing in all my life is loving you." From there, it reads like a love letter to KC baseball with Monarchs logos old and new, Buck's No. 22, the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat from Kauffman Stadium, and portraits of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick, Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, and others tipping their caps.
"There's a lot of little stories in each section," Shafer said. "You can get your picture taken, learn something, or just enjoy the color. It's built for all of that."
What's next: The sidewalk beside the mural opens later this spring. Once it does, Kansas Citians can walk O'Neil's story one vignette at a time.
- "It's the top of the eighth right now," Shafer said ahead of the unveiling. "We're close."