Baseballs greatest maverick is a deeply insightful, powerful biography of a fascinating figure. The younger veeck and coowner actor bill murray emulated many of bill veeck s promotional stunts with the saints. Opening with the answer to a trivia questioneddie gaedel was the 37 player who took exactly one atbat for the st. Praise mcguiggan has painstakingly researched the cultural and historical times from which the beloved song emerged and has given baseball fans her own picturesque playbyplay of the. Moneyball by michael lewis ball four by jim bouton the boys of summer by roger. Veeck wrote three autobiographical works, each a collaboration with journalist ed linn. When bill veeck was inducted into the mlb hall of fame in 1991 his widow, maryfrances veeck, offered some interesting comments about how he conducted himself, offering twelve commandments of professional life. Mikes most infamous stunt was vasectomy day a fan would get a free one on fathers day but that was aborted by religious opposition. Disco demolition night according to its ringmaster, steve. Veecks father, bill, spent about 40 years tweaking major league baseballs stuffed shirts with his legendary promotions including sending a midget up to bat and bequeathed to mike an.
Forty years later, disagreement about disco demolition night. The roughriding education of a neophyte racetrack operator by bill veeck, edward linn and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Id take it a step further, bill veeck was a champion of life. The autobiography of bill veeck from the worlds largest community of readers. As owner of the indians in 1947, veeck signed larry doby, thus beginning the integration of the american league. May 2005 an approach to having fun on the job is offered by mike veeck, son of late hall of fame baseball club owner bill veeck, and president and partowner of six successful minor league baseball teams. Mike veeck, the funniest man in baseball, on making ballpark magic. The result is a biography that newcomers to the veeck legend are likely to find immensely appealing, but one that also makes him new again for those.
While veeck was growing up in hinsdale, illinois, his father, william veeck sr. I have heard roland hemond speak about working for bill in st louis and what a class act he was. Besides wrigley fields ivy, bill veecks baseball legacy is his son mike, partowner and flamboyant promoter of several minorleague teams. You might say baseball, and business, are in mike veecks dna. Pat williams amazing book about veeck, marketing your dreams. His classic autobiography, written with the talented sportswriter ed linn, is an uproarious book packed with information about the history of baseball and tales of players and owners, including some of the most entertaining stories in all of sports literature. The younger veeck and coowner actor bill murray emulated many of bill veecks promotional stunts with the saints. Clayton kershaw, mike trout, mookie betts, jacob degrom, miguel cabrera, zack greinke. Bill veecks life and times are covered in detail in his extraordinary. Bill veeck was born on february 9, 1914, in chicago, illinois. He was, as the last line on his baseball hall of fame plaque reads a champion of the little guy.
Bill veecks rules of etiquette for baseball owners. One of baseballs most colorful characters, bill veeck was an. Bill veecks spirit lives with minors miracle orlando. You will find out about mike veeck and his baseball halloffame father, bill veeck, and how they changed the game of baseball for the better. Baseballs greatest maverick incorporates the picaresque anecdotes and populist charm of veecks memoirs into a narrative marked by mr.
As popular with readers as it was reviled by baseball executives, the book climbed best seller lists in the summer of 1962 and has never faded from sight. When veeck along with actorcomedian bill murray and lawyer. While bill veecks life is headed for the big screen, son mike veecks baseball teamthe st. William louis veeck jr also known as sport shirt, was an american major league baseball. Bill veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, and one of the greatest baseball men ever involved in the game. This book is full of the many anecdotes that made veeck a household name in the mid20th century.
Carl mays, ray chapman and the pennant race of mike sowell 4. Tradition is the albatross around the neck of progress. Mike veeck, the funniest man in baseball, on making. Theres time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings. His father, a chicago sportswriter, became president of the national league chicago cubs 191933, and young veeck himself sold peanuts and. And his son, william night train veeck, is now with the white sox.
Mike veeck became owner of the independent minorleague st. You might say baseball, and business, are in mike veeck s dna. Veecks father, bill, spent about 40 years tweaking major league. Veeck was the last owner to purchase a baseball franchise. Mike veeck is president and part owner of six wildly successful minor league baseball teams. They were, in essence, veecks rules of etiquette for baseball owners. If theres one thing mike veeck learned from his father and from. Mike veeck, the comic maestro of the minor leagues, tells jim caple. There are very few owners who practice all of these, no doubt. Veeck was just four years old when his father, sportswriter william veeck, sr. Son of the late hall of fame club owner bill veeck, he has followed his fathers lead, with innovative promotions that have been profiled by 60 minutes, usa today, sports illustrated, fortune, people, and countless other media outlets. He was the man who brought a midget to home plate and explosives to the outfield of comiskey park. Forty years later, disagreement about disco demolition. A former owner of several minor league teams, mike veeck is now an.
Its been 50 years since bill veeck unleashed his autobiography veeckas in wreck on the literary world. Bill veeck this is a game to be savored, not gulped. Bill veeck, who owned the white sox twice 19591961 and 19761981 and got his start in the cubs front office, was one of the baseballs greatest innovators. Bill veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, an. Rebecca veeck passed away yesterday in charleston, south carolina at. Louis browns in the second game of a 1951 doubleheader against the detroit tigers the pitcher, unable to locate the strike zone, gave up a base on ballsthis sports classic finds the subject providing color commentary to his own colorful career as a daring, innovative. By nick acocella special to just as he predicted, bill veeck, for all his accomplishments, is best remembered as the guy who sent a midget to the plate. Cofounder of the employee engagement consulting firm. We were not doing well, says bills son, mike veeck. Muhammed ali vs sonny liston on cover, jimmy clark wins indy indianapolis 500, chicago white sox vs new york yankees, bill veeck on moving milwaukee braves to atlanta, jack nicklaus. Son of the late hall of fame baseball owner bill veeck, he has followed his fathers lead, with innovative promotions that have captured national attention. In this one he refers to a d iary he found from his uncle harry who was the gm of the. The problem facing veeck, president of the miracle of.
Son of the late hall of fame baseball owner bill veeck, he has followed his. Mike veeck is president and coowner of six minor league baseball teams and the author of fun is good. Mike veeck, the comic maestro of the minor leagues, tells jim caple how thinking outside the batters box like his father and his friend bill murray has helped him make ballpark magic. Mike veeck keynote presenter with bonus 60 minutes footage. Veeck s father, bill, spent about 40 years tweaking major league baseballs stuffed shirts with his legendary promotions including sending a midget up to bat and bequeathed to mike an. Todays deals your gift cards help whole foods registry sell disability customer support. Every person who is interested in making workplaces fun should read this book. Bill veeck is still a well respected man in the game of baseball.
We were not doing well, says bill s son, mike veeck. Bill veeck, american professional baseball club executive and owner, who introduced many innovations in promotion. Mike veeck is president and part owner of six wildly successful minorleague baseball teams. Fun is good mike veeck believes anything is possible and that passion drives performance.
Disco demolition night according to its ringmaster, steve dahl. The public viewed the eventorganized with the help of mike veeck, son of sox owner bill veeckas. Minnesotas baseball community is mourning the death of the daughter of st. This spring, he will publish a book about his business mantra, fun is good rodale press. When mike veeck heard the news, he was at his desk and true to his fathers enduring spirit racking his brain over a ballpark promotion. Business and life lessons from bill veeck, baseballs promotional genius tells story after story that serve as. Mike veeck had a promising career in major league baseball until the night of the promotion. In 1979, mike veeck was the white soxs assistant business manager and promotion director. But beyond the flash, legendary owner bill veecks openminded approach brought positive changes to the game of baseball. Veeck as in wreck the autobiography of bill veeck, sports classics by bill veeck and a great selection of related books. It will take its place beside the recent bestselling biographies of satchel paige and mickey mantle, and will be the baseball book of the season in spring 2012.