Former BJ Coach Treated as Royalty

Liberal Bee Jays fans who happened to watch the Royals game Monday night may have seen a familiar face. Former Bee Jays manager Bob Cerv was given the Royal treatment and sat in the Buck O’Neil Legacy seat during the Royals game against the Yankees. O’Neill, the former player in the Negro Leagues Buck O’Neill had an enormous impact on the world of baseball and the lives of the everyday people he touched. Buck spent many days and nights supporting the Royals from the same seat behind home plate at Kauffman Stadium, both as a scout and a fan. To honor Buck, the Buck O’Neill Legacy Seat contest fills "Buck’s Seat" for every home game with a member of the community who, on a large or small scale, embodies an aspect of Buck’s spirit.

Bob Cerv managed the BJ’s off and on from 1970-1982. He led the BJ’s the the 1979 NBC title. He coached players in Liberal like current coaches Galen McSpadden and Mike Hargrove, Ron Guidry, Doug Drabek, Phil Garner, Mike Moore, Rick Honeycutt, and Steve Bartkowski. He had a record of 364-100 at Liberal. Cerv played in the Major Leagues from 1951-1962 for the Yankees, A’s Astros, and Angels. He his .276 with 105 homers and 374 RBI’s. He was an all star in 1958 when he blasted 38 homers for the Kansas City A’s. He currently lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. He returned to Liberal during the summer of 2009 for Bob Cerv Day.