The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-13
(Registered U. 8. Patent ofilce)
By OSCAR TRALEY Limited prees Sports Writer)

New York, oct. lS = (UP) = Bill Veeck, whose Milwaukee Brewers are one of the very few independent clubs in minor league baseball, let one go from the floor today as he opened new campaign to have the Shaughnessy playoffs abolished.
 Bill, who owns the American As- sociation pehnant winner lock, stock and barrel and has absolutely no connection or working agreement with any major league outfit, be- lieves that the playoffs which inc volve the first four flnishers in Q post-season windup are ridiculous"
 You play Q whole year, i64 games to win a pennant and then you have to whip three other clubs from whom you have taken the pennant for the right to play in the little world series against the champion of the International League" Bill explained. Tt just doesn't make sense. NM
 Tt has cheapened the Little World series and made lt simply an exhibition" he added, "just imagine if the major leagues did that-with the National and American League first division teams playing Q series for the right to meet each other in the world series."
 Bill, 1t would seem, has Q point. And he is emphatic about the fact that 1t Is all c cheap money-making scheme which makes 6 farce of the pennant race. C
 No Cubs
 A hearty advocate of night base. ball as the salvation oh the minor leagues, Veeck also is irate against continual reports that the Chicago Cubs have an interest in, his ball club. The fact of the matter is that neither the Cubs nor anyone else has any interest or agreement with Bills team and the guy with the rough-hewn features is getting awfully tired of explaining it.
 Bill has done quite Q Job at Mil- waukec and he's rightfully proud. His dad, William L. Veeck, was pres- ident of the Chicago Cubs from 1918 to 1883 and Bill entered baseball on the ground floor. Starting at the age Of l2 he hustled soda pop ct Wrig- Icy Field and progressed to oifice boy assistant secretary in i836 and treasurer in le40. That was after he had played quite a bit Of football and baseball at Kenyon College in Ohio. .
 But Bill had Ideas. So on June 26, i94i, Bill took over the Brewers. The day before. the club had drawn 22 twenty-two) paid admissions. The first night under. the Veeck regime it drew 4,e00. Bill promised the peo- pie 9 ball club and the fellow with the close-Cropped blond hair carac through. For the past three years the team has won the American As- sociation fag-and been eliminated in the first round of the Shaugh- messy playoffs. a
 In Pacific
 Bill, meanwhile, had enlisted in the Marines in November, i043, which Is why he's on crutches now. At Bougainville he contractea juns gle ulcers, ghastly leg sore, and in May Of io44 his anti-aircraft gun wrecked his ankle with m unex. pected coil. Sincve then 1t has been operation after operation, with more ahead.
 But Weeks mind still Is on base. ball, despite those other troubles. And 1t breaks his heart that his baby. the ball club, should be shut out of the Little World Series aRlnst the International League champion. after winning the American Asso- cihtion pennaiit. That has happened three years In row now, and Bill veeck. ex-Marine, is getting set to do something about 1t. From the set Of his jaw, it promlses trouble in the minor leagues. i7 setfps saf4 l1