Bill Veeck

William Louis Veeck Jr. (February 9, 1914 – January 2, 1986), sometimes nicknamed "Sport Shirt", was a native of Chicago who became a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. Known best for his flamboyant publicity stunts, and the innovations he brought to the major leagues during his ownership of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and Chicago White Sox, Veeck was the last owner to purchase a baseball franchise without an independent fortune, and is responsible for many significant contributions to baseball.

Chicago White Sox

In 1959, Veeck became head of a group that purchased a controlling interest in the Chicago White Sox, who went on to win their first pennant in 40 years, and broke a team attendance record for home games with 1.4 million, and in the next year broke the same record with 1.6 million visitors to Comiskey Park with the addition of the first "exploding scoreboard" in the major leagues - producing electrical and sound effects, and shooting fireworks whenever the White Sox hit a home run. In 1961, due to poor health, Veeck sold his share of the team, only to return in 1975 as the full owner.

Related Topics:
1959 - Comiskey Park - Scoreboard - Sound effects - Fireworks - Home run - 1961 - 1975

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Almost immediately after taking control of the Sox for a second time, Veeck unleashed another publicity stunt designed to irritate his fellow owners. He and general manager Roland Hemond conducted four trades in a hotel lobby, in full view of the public. Two weeks later, however, Peter Seitz ruled in favor of free agency, and Veeck's power as an owner began to wane in opposition to richer owners. Likely his most famous stunt with the White Sox, Veeck presented a Bicentennial-themed Spirit of '76 parade on opening day in 1976, casting himself as the peg-legged fifer bringing up the rear. The same year, he reactivated Minnie Miñoso for eight at-bats, in order to give Miñoso a claim towards playing in four decades; and he did so again in 1980, to expand the claim to five. In an attempt to adapt to free agency, his rent-a-player model, centering on the acquisition of other clubs' stars in their option years, was moderately successful: in 1977, the White Sox won 90 games, and finished third behind Oscar Gamble and Richie Zisk. During this last run, Veeck decided to have announcer Harry Caray sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch. Finding himself no longer able to financially compete in the free agent era, Veeck sold the White Sox in January 1981. He retired to his home in St. Michaels, Maryland, where he had discovered White Sox star Harold Baines while Baines was in high school there.

Related Topics:
Publicity stunt - Roland Hemond - Peter Seitz - Free agency - Bicentennial - 1976 - Minnie Miñoso - 1980 - 1977 - Oscar Gamble - Richie Zisk - Harry Caray - Take Me Out to the Ball Game - 1981 - St. Michaels, Maryland - Harold Baines

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Veeck died of cancer at age 71, and was elected five years later to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
Cancer - Baseball Hall of Fame

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~