Finding a piece of my history

KANSAS CITY, Mo._ My mother has long wanted to come to Kansas City.

A part of my grandfather's history resides here in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. I toured the museum with 10 other SJI students and learned more about myself, America and baseball.

Though I didn’t see a statue of my grandfather Henry Dennis, I felt closer to my history after learning about some of the struggles and triumphs he likely faced during his career with the Philadelphia Stars during the late 1930s and early 1940s.

I never got the chance to meet my granddad before he passed _ the pictures my mother has shown me and the personalities of his 13 children are all I know _ so Sunday was a rewarding experience. I soaked in as much knowledge as I could about Josh Gibson, Buck O’Neil and Cool Papa Bell.

I’ll always remember the hotel beds that were too tiny for my six-foot-four frame, the media members who helped push integration forward even though they weren’t allowed in a MLB press box and Satchel Page’s unique delivery to the plate.

My mother has already let me know she's jealous.

-- Chris Shelton