Behind The Scoreboard – Celebrating Buck Lai During Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Garden City NY

16 May, 2022

3:20 PM

Description

My philosophy is "Everything I ever needed to know about business I learned on the sports field." From Behind The Scoreboard, I feature the sports stories that tell us much more than simply who won or lost. These personal and inspiring experiences of grade school, high school, college, other amateur and even pro athletes allow all of us to reflect a little more on what is important in life. ~ James C. Metzger, Chairman and CEO, The Whitmore Agency _______ The Interesting Career Of Buck Lai New York City and Long Island, along with many other communities, are celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month during May. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the current New York Yankees shortstop, is among the many contemporary sports success stories for Asians and Pacific Americans. Isiah is part Samoan, Hawaiian (where he was born and raised), Japanese and Caucasian. For one of the earliest Asian/Pacific sports success stories, we must reach back 100 years when another native of Hawaii played locally at shortstop and third base. William Tin "Buck" Lai is not well-known today. He missed a couple of opportunities to play in the major leagues. Then, he turned to coaching and significantly influenced local college baseball and basketball.  Buck was born to Chinese immigrants. Beginning during 1912, his sports career included playing for and then organizing Hawaiian teams, the near misses with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, playing shortstop and third base with the semi-pro Brooklyn Bushwicks that played home games at Dexter Park in Woodhaven, Queens, serving as a scout with the Brooklyn Dodgers and then a long tenure as athletic director and baseball/basketball coach at Long Island University in Brooklyn. On top of all this, he wrote a couple of books that remain popular with many coaches of both sports. Buck enjoyed a long and interesting sports life. Let us forever celebrate his special contributions by learning more about him in my latest blog.