Bill buys the first Falstaff at the Falstaff 50th Birthday Party in St. Louis at a St. Louis Browns game.Please forgive my ramblings about this man.....but what started as a Tuesday Trivia photo...turned into a web searching obsession.
"Veeck as in Wreck" is one of about 8 books that I have read in my lifetime. It was named one of the "Top 100 Sports Books of All Time" by Sports Illustrated....and although it has been several years since I have read it....I just reordered it from Amazon to reread and then will give it to Danny so maybe he can have a better understanding as to what baseball was like before...
- ESPN Baseball Tonight
- $1,000,000 starting salaries
- Free Agency
- Baseball Mascots
- Skybox Suites
- Connie's Pizza Races on the Scoreboard
- $20 Sox Parking
- T-shirt Cannons
- Stub-Hub
- Ad's behind HomePlate
- Additonal color uniforms for ....whatever?
- Goalie Catcher Masks
- Steroids
- The Wave
- Stadium Clubs
- Bud Selig
- Middle Releivers
- Closing pitchers
- Designated hitters
- Jerry Reinsdorf
Before being the owner of the White Sox.....Bill started as a runner for the Chicago Cubs back when his dad was the President of the club. He grew up in baseball and understood both the game and the promotional angle of it. He was part owner of the Milwaukee Brewers...the Cleveland Indians...the St. Louis Browns (now the Orioles) and the Chicago White Sox twice.
Some tidbits about Bill below....
--Planted the Ivy on the outfield walls of Wrigley as a kid.
--Was the first to put players names on the back of their uniform.
--The exploding scoreboard was his idea.....
--Started Harry Caray singing during the 7th inning stretch
--Signed the first African American player to the AL (Larry Doby)
--Signed the oldest rookie in the AL (Satchel Page - 42)
--Started Fan Appreciation Day
--Started Bat Day
--Approved Disco Demolition.....really his son Mike's promotion.
--Shower in the Center Field stands of old Comiskey for fans...
one of my favorite youth memories.
--Invited all embarrased Sox fans to a game for free....
the night after the Sox were walloped by Toronto Blue Jays in 1979.
--Had his phone number in the Chicago phone book.....
that way if you had a "beef" about the team.....he would welcome your call.
(His wife's number is still in the book)
WW II interrupted Bill's baseball plans after Milwaukee....he spent 3 years as a Marine and lost his foot in action....several surgeries and complications led him to losing part of his leg.
Bill celebrates with his 1948 Cleveland Indians after they won the World Series.
This year the beat the Boston Red Sox in the AL playoffs and beat the Boston Braves for the WS title......MLB attendance record with over 80,000+ attending single games in Cleveland. I guess that there wasn't much to do in Cleveland in 1948.
When it became clear that the 1949 Cleveland Indians would not repeat their successes of 1948.....Bill buried the 1948 AL pennant in Center Field in front of 35,000 fans.
My favorite....(First Photo)
Falstaff's 50th Birthday Celebration....where the fans first drink was on Bill. Bill tried to tie this in with the 50th Anniversary of Baseball.....and even though no one (including Falstaff) actually knew when Falstaff started....it was "decided" that they were now 50!!
Grandstand Manager Day.....allowed fans to vote on changes during the game. Fans could vote on if the pitcher stays in or not....if a player would steal or not.....and others.
3' 7" Eddie Gaedel was hired by Veeck for $100 as a promotion to bring people in to see the St. Louis Browns. He sent Eddie's paperwork to the MLB offices on a Friday and had Eddie play over the weekend before the paperwork was read by MLB on Monday. Browns manager had a copy of the contract in his pocket in case the umpires had any issues.
Eddie was told to crouch down leaving only a couple of inches for a strike zone.....and NOT to swing. Veeck told Eddie that there was a sniper on the roof who would "take him out" if he swung. Eddie was the pinch-hitter for the lead-off batter in the 2nd game of a double header.
After 4 balls.....Eddie walked to first base and was quickly replaced by a pinch-runner. Veeck called Eddie the Greatest Midget ever to play the game of baseball.
- Bill was hired by P.K. Wrigley to explore expansion options in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- Bill's loss of his leg never slowed him down or deterred him.....he even had an ashtray built into his first wooden leg.
- Bill and his other promotion directors taking part in Opening Day festivities for the 1976 Chicago Opening Day.
Sad Day......end of an era.....Bill hands over the keys to Jerry Reinsdorf.
Thanks for indulging.....
I'm off with Danny to today's Sox game against Minnesota......
to cheer for Joe Crede and the Pepperoni Pizza.
I think more Joliet Jackhammer games will be in store for this year.
Marty
