William Louis Veeck Jr. ( ; 9 February 1914 - January 2, 1986), also known as " Sports Clothes ", is an American Owner and promoter of Major League Baseball franchises. Veeck is on various occasions the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and Chicago White Sox. As the owner and head of the Indian team in 1947, Veeck signed Larry Doby, thus starting the integration of the American League. Veeck is the last owner to buy a baseball franchise without independent wealth, and is responsible for many innovations and contributions to baseball.
Due to the difficulty of competing financially, Veeck retired after the 1980 Chicago White Sox season. He was sworn in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
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Bill Veeck was born on February 9, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois. While Veeck grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois, his father, William Veeck Sr., became president of the Chicago Cubs. Veeck Sr. is a local sports writer who writes several columns about how he will run Cubs differently, and team owner, William Wrigley Jr., took him there. When growing up, the younger Veeck works as a popcorn seller for Cubs. Then, in 1937, he came up with the idea of ​​planting ivy on the wall of Wrigley Field. Veeck attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. In 1933, when his father died, Veeck left Kenyon College and eventually became the club's treasurer for the Cubs. In 1935, he married his first wife, Eleanor.
Maps Bill Veeck
Franchise owner
Minor League Baseball
Milwaukee Brewers
In 1942, Veeck left Chicago and, in partnership with former Cubs star and manager Charlie Grimm, purchased the American Association Triple-A Milwaukee Brewers. After winning three banners in five years, Veeck sold his Milwaukee franchise in 1945 for a profit of $ 275,000.
According to his autobiography Veeck - As in Wreck , Veeck claims to have installed the screen to make the right field target slightly more difficult for the hitters faced with the left hand of the opposing team. The screen is on wheels, so every day may be in place or not, depending on the power of the opposing team's punch. There are no rules against the activity, but Veeck then takes it to extremes, launches it when its opponents fight, and pulls it back when the Brewers fight. Veeck reported that the league passed the rules against him the next day. However, extensive research by two members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) suggests that this story was made by Veeck. Both researchers could not find a reference to a moving fence or reference to the equipment needed for the moving fence to work.
While co-owner of the Brewers, Veeck served for almost three years in the United States Marine Corps during World War II in the artillery unit. During this time a broken piece of artillery showered his legs, requiring the first amputation of the foot, and immediately after the legs above the knee. During his life he had 36 surgeries on his legs. He has a series of wooden legs and, as a common smoker, cuts a hole in it to use as an ashtray.
Major League Baseball
Philadelphia Phillies
Veeck has been a fan of the Negro League since the early teens. He also admired the Abe Saperstein, Chicago-based Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. Saperstein rescued Veeck from an early financial disaster in Milwaukee by giving him the right to promote Globetrotters in the upper Midwest in the winter of 1941-42.
In the fall of 1942, Veeck met with Gerry Nugent, president of Phillies Phillies, to discuss the possibility of buying a struggling National League team. He then wrote in his memoirs that he intended to buy Phillies and keep a list of teams with stars from the Negro League. Veeck quickly got financing to buy Phillies, and in principle agreed to buy a team from Nugent. While en route to Philadelphia to close the purchase, Veeck decided to remind MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis of his intentions. Although Veeck knew Landis was a diligent segregationist, he did not believe Landis dared to say that black players were disliked when blacks fought in World War II. By the time he arrived in Philadelphia, Veeck discovered that the Phillies had been officially taken over by the National League and that new owners were being sought (the Phillies were eventually sold to William D. Cox wood barons).
The controversial article writers in the 1998 edition of SABR The National Pastime have argued that Veeck found the story of buying Phillies and filling their list with Negroes, claiming the Philadelphia black press did not mention the would-be sold to Veeck. Furthermore, the article was strongly challenged by historian Jules Tygiel, who denied it point by point in an article in the 2006 edition of SABR's The Baseball Research Journal, and in the appendix, entitled "Will Bill Veeck Lying About His Plans to Buy '43 Phillies ?, Published in the biography of Paul Dickson, Bill Veeck: Baseball's Greatest Maverick Joseph Thomas Moore wrote in his Doby biography, "Bill Veeck plans to buy Phillies Phillies with undeclared intent to break the line that color. "
Indian Cleveland
In 1946, Veeck became the owner of a major league team, Indian Cleveland. He immediately put the team play on the radio. He also moved the team to the Cleveland City Stadium permanently in 1947. The team has divided their game between the larger Municipal Stadium and smaller League Park since the 1930s, but Veeck concludes that League Park is too small to survive.
In July of that year he signed Larry Doby, the first black player to play in the American League. Doby's first game was on July 5th and before the game, Doby was introduced to his teammates by manager-player Lou Boudreau. "One by one, Lou introduced me to every player. 'This is Joe Gordon,' and Gordon reached out his hand. 'This is Bob Lemon,' and Lemon stretched out his hand. 'This is Jim Hegan,' and Hegan puts her hand out. Everyone put their hands, all but three. Quickly, Bill Veeck got rid of the three, "Doby said.The next year Veeck signed Satchel Paige to a contract, making the oldest comers throw in the history of the premier league.
As in Milwaukee, Veeck took a unique approach to promotion, employing Max Patkin, "Clown Prince of Baseball", as coach. Patkin's appearance in the training box pleases fans and upset the front office of the American League.
Although Veeck has become very popular, an attempt in 1947 to trade Boudreau to St. Louis Browns caused mass protests and petitions in favor of Boudreau. Veeck, in response, said he would listen to fans, and sign Boudreau back to a new two-year contract.
In 1948, led by Boudreau.355 batting average, Cleveland won its first bundle and World Series since 1920. Famously, the following season Veeck buried the 1948 flag, after it became clear the team could not repeat the championship in 1949. Later that year, the first Wife Veeck divorced her. Most of his money was tied up in India, so he was forced to sell the team to fund the settlement of the divorce. One year later, Veeck married his second wife Mary Frances Ackerman in 1950. She had met him the year before while in Cleveland.
Louis Browns
After marrying Mary Frances Ackerman, Veeck bought 80% stake in St. Louis. Louis Browns in 1951. Hoping to force NL St. Louis Cardinals out of town, Veeck hired the great Cardinal Rogers Hornsby and Marty Marion as managers, and Dizzy Dean as a broadcaster; and he decorates their home garden, Sportsman's Park, exclusively with Browns memorabilia. Ironically the Cardinals have been Brown's tenants since 1920, though they have long passed Browns as St.'s favorite team. Louis. Nevertheless, Veeck made a concerted effort to drive the Cardinals out of town.
Some of Veeck's most memorable publicity stunts occurred during his tenure with Browns, including an appearance on 19 August 1951, by Eddie Gaedel, who stood 3 feet 7 inches high and was the shortest man to appear in Major League Baseball. Veeck sent Gaedel to pinch at the bottom of the first game. Wearing "1/8" as his uniform number, Gaedel walked with four straight throws and then withdrawn for the pinch runner.
Not long after that "Grandstand Manager's Day" - involving Veeck, Connie Mack, and thousands of regular fans, allowing viewers to choose strategic decisions in the game by holding placards: Browns win, 5-3, snapping four successive defeats.
After the 1952 season, Veeck suggested that American League clubs share radio and television revenues by visiting clubs. Lost to vote, he refused to let Browns opponent to broadcast a game play against his team on the road. League responded by eliminating favorable Friday night games at St. Louis. A year later, Cardinal Fred Saigh was convicted of tax evasion. Faced with certain expulsions from baseball, he was forced to place Cardinals for sale. Most of the offer comes from out-of-town interests, and it seems that Veeck will get rid of the Cardinals out of town. However, just as Saigh was about to sell Cardinals for the benefit of those who would move them to Houston, Texas, he instead received a much lower offer from the St. Louis-based brewery giant. Louis, Anheuser-Busch, who entered the picture with a certain intention. keeping the Cardinals in town. Veeck quickly realized that the Cardinals now had more resources than he could begin to match, especially since he had no other source of income. Reluctantly, he decided to leave St. Louis and looking for another place to play. As a first step, he sold Sportsman's Park to Cardinals.
Veeck initially considered moving Brown to Milwaukee (where they played their inaugural season in 1901). Milwaukee uses the recently constructed Milwaukee County Stadium in an effort to attract the Browns. However, the decision was in the hands of Boston Braves, the parent team of Brewers. Under the current major league rules, Braves holds a major league title to Milwaukee. The Braves want another team with the same talent if Brewers is closed, and the deal is not made on time for the opening day. Ironically, a few weeks later, Braves himself moved to Milwaukee. Louis is known to want the team to stay, so some people at St. Louis campaigned to get rid of Veeck.
He is associated with a group that wants to bring the Major League franchise to Baltimore, Maryland. After the 1953 season, Veeck agreed in principle to sell half of his shares to Baltimore lawyer Clarence Miles, leader of the Baltimore group, and other colleagues. He will remain the main owner, with about 40% interest. Although league president Will Harridge told him the deal was certain, only four owners - two of the six needed for the part - supported him. Realizing the other owners just wanted him out of the picture (indeed, he faced the threat of having the franchise canceled), Veeck agreed to sell all of his shares to the Miles group, who then moved to Baltimore Browns, where they were replaced as Orioles, who had been their names since at that time.
Chicago White Sox
In 1959, Veeck became head of the group who bought a controlling stake in the Chicago White Sox, which then won their first banner in 40 years. That year the White Sox broke the team's attendance record for a home game with 1.4 million. The following year the team broke the same record with 1.6 million visitors to Comiskey Park with the addition of the first major "exploding boards" in the major leagues - generating electric and sound effects, and firing fireworks every time the White Sox hit home runs, and also started adding the names of the players behind their uniforms, the training is now standardized by 25 of the 30 clubs on all T-shirts, and by three more clubs in the jerseys. The "scoreboard" exploded on its own since it was taken to the Guaranteed Rate Ground, which opened in 1991 as New Comiskey Park.
One year later in 1960, Veeck and former Detroit big tiger Hank Greenberg, his colleagues with Indian and White Sox, reportedly made a strong bid for the expansion of the American League franchise in Los Angeles. Greenberg will become the main owner, with Veeck as a minority partner. But Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley does not want to compete with Veeck's team, although he will only be a minority partner. When O'Malley heard about the deal, he asked for his exclusive franchise rights for Southern California. Any potential owner of an American League team in the area should get O'Malley's blessing, and it is clear that O'Malley will not allow any team to open a store with Veeck as its major shareholder. Rather than trying to persuade his friend to step down, Greenberg abandoned his offer for what became the Los Angeles Angel.
In 1961, due to his poor health, Veeck sold his share to John and Arthur Allyn for $ 2.5 million. After selling the White Sox, Veeck spent a short time working as a television commentator.
When his health improved, Veeck made an unsuccessful attempt to buy Senator Washington, then operate the Suffolk Downs racing track in Boston in 1969-1970. Veeck was no longer heard in baseball until 1975, when he bought back the White Sox from John Allyn (sole owner since 1969). Retaliating to the rank of the Veeck baseball owner, most of the older guard saw him as a pariah after exposing most of his colleagues in his 1961 book Veeck As In Wreck. However, he is the only potential buyer willing to keep the White Sox in Chicago after an offer was made to buy the team and move it to Seattle, Washington.
Almost immediately after taking control of the Sox for the second time Veeck releases another publicity action designed to irritate his fellow owners. He and general manager Roland Hemond conduct four trades in the hotel lobby, in public. However, two weeks later, the arbitral ruling of Peter Seitz struck the reserve clause and ushered in an era of free institutions. Veeck's strength as owner began to wane relative to the richer owner. Ironically Veeck was the sole owner of the baseball who testified to support Curt Flood during his famous court case, in which Flood had been trying to get a free agent after being trafficked to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Veeck presented the Bicentennial "Spirit of '76" parade on Opening Day in 1976, establishing himself as a foothold with a footing foot that carried the back. In the same year he activated Minnie MiÃÆ' Â ± oso for eight at-bats, to give MiÃÆ' Â ± oso claims against playing in four decades; he did it again in 1980, to expand his fifth claim. He also launched a radically changed uniform for the players, including clamdigger pants and even shorts, which the Sox used for the first time against the Kansas City Royals on August 8, 1976.
In an effort to adapt to free agents, he developed a "rent-player" model, centered on acquiring other club stars in their chosen years. The first step was quite successful: in 1977, White Sox won 90 games, and finished in third place with additions like Oscar Gamble and Richie Zisk.
During this last run, Veeck decided to have the broadcaster Harry Caray sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seven-inning battle. Veeck asks Caray to sing for the whole park, but she refuses. Veeck replies that he already has a recording, so Caray will sound good. Caray reluctantly sang it directly, accompanied by White Sox organist Nancy Faust, and later became famous for singing the song, continuing to do it at Wrigley Field after becoming a Chicago Cubs broadcaster.
The 1979 season was filled with more promotions. On April 10th it offers free admission for fans a day after the opening 10-2 defeat by Toronto Blue Jays. On July 12, Veeck, with help from Mike's son and radio personality Steve Dahl, held one of his most famous promotions, Disco Demolition Night, between games from a scheduled doubleheader, resulting in riots at Comiskey Park and the loss of a Detroit Tigers visit.
Life after baseball
Finding himself no longer able to compete financially in the era of free agents, Veeck sold the White Sox in January 1981. He retired to his home in Chicago.
Bad health/death
Veeck has been a heavy smoker and drinker until 1980. In 1984 Veeck underwent two surgeries for lung cancer. Two years later, in 1986, he died at the age of 71 years due to cancer. He was elected five years later to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
When he died at the age of 71, he survived by his wife, Mary Frances, and eight children. Her two children, Peter and Ellen, came from her first marriage, and the others (Mike, Marya, Greg, Lisa, Julie and Chris) came from her second marriage. Mike Veeck became the owner of the independent minor league St. Paul Saints and still a partner in the team. Young Veeck and actor owner Bill Murray imitate Bill Veeck's many promotional campaigns with the Saints.
Book by Veeck
Veeck wrote three autobiographical works, each in collaboration with reporter Ed Linn:
- Veeck As In Wreck (1962) - a straightforward autobiography
- The Hustler's Handbook (1965) - recounts his experience in operating as an outsider in the major leagues
- Thirty-Tons a Day (1972) - records the time he spent running the Suffolk Downs horse race in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The title refers to the daily amount of waste (horse manure, hay and hay used, etc.) that should be discarded.
See also
- List of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Note
References
External links
- In Bill Veeck Praise - slideshow by Life magazine
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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