Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-04
THE BASEBALL
BEAT
BoseboIFs Solid Idea Man
BY BURTON HAWKINS


THERE'S A CITY WAITING for the man and there's
possibility the is waiting for the city The city is
Washington the Is Bill Week. the sport-shirted,
famboyant wryhared ex-Marine who breaks tradition
by design and on impulse
Week. it would appear would at into the picture
nicely here regardless of whether Cal Grih keeps
troll whether somebody else takes over whether Grh
and the National League nvadeS Into each scheme
Week would blend beautifully dynamic Snowman
and shrewd baseball operator who is loved by players
and heartily deested by many clubowners who place too
lofty premium dignity
In this world center Of social climbers, Week would
be the perfect antdote Into this atmosphere Of bitter
of accusations Of nepttude Of continual squabbng
of fans who want for attending games Veeck
would be the to restore fun to the while con-
structing more representative team.
49, 80
IT WAS vEEcK stealing an idea from an old James
Thurber story who used Eddie Gaede 3foot7 stunt
man. lead-of hitter when Bill was running the St.
Louis Browns.
Everybody must have specialized at one time what
would happen big league pitcher suddenly called
to face midget" Veeck explained later 1T occurred
to that I'd like to see it actually happen.
so hired the midget and put him under contract"
Veeck continued HE played only one game but 1t was
worth it, just the look the face of Bob CAIN the
Detroit pitcher when Gaede stepped to the plate Gaede
walked his trip to the plate, incidentally and
promptly legsated out of the league
II suppose got Of going coast-to-coast,
from that stunt than any other pulled veeck said
certainly needed laugh at the time.
People told me was running my dignity. So, what's
dignity? Is the whole country going to collapse just
because midget takes turn at bat for the Browns9
81 was criticized too about Max Patkn, the acrobatic
clown coach we had with the Browns Just because Max
sometimes felt like standing his head in the coaching
box they said it lowered the Browns dgny-that word
again. How much dignity club have that's 40 games
out of first place?
my idea about Patkin was that he'd give our fans
something to take their minds OF the team fan leaving
the park after got beat 1912 would be thinking how
funny Pakin was not how lousy the Browns were When
you're winning you don't need the Max Patkins."
BY SUCH STUNTS AS presenting a cake of ice to a
customer door prize, by giving another fan flock
of uncrated pigeons handing another spawned horse
Veeck built Milwaukee into baseball-loving CITY, When
he cellar club there when Milwaukee in
the minors in June 194 he rewarded with turnout
Of exactly % paid admissions Two years later Mlwaukees
attendance than 100000 Along with the fun,
he gave them pennant winner
He sold out in 1945 for tidy profit and settled down
with his family ranch Tucson, but 1t was too
tame TITS great country, the Southwest" Veeck said
But in section of it had nothing to do but watch
the cactus And cactus grows at the alarming rate
> of one inch per year"
He invested $17oOOO to get approximately 80 per cent
OF Cevelands stock No other stakeholder in the syndicate
owned than 10 per cent. When Bill took over the
Indians they languishng in sixth place and had
drawn only $4,000 fans.
attendance surged to 2S9 He had Just started The
team finished fourth in 1947 and the paid admissions
jumped another halfmion He hit the. jackpot in 1913
when the Indians the pennant and the World Series
total of 262O627 basebalPs atime attendance record
paid their way into Municipal Stadium that year.
UNDER Weeks PROMOTION Cleveland also put
new attendance records in the book at that time for
single games. double headers night games and World
Series games.
n He's addicted to fireworks displays rowing bands
anything to keep customer happy and wondering what's
going to happen next One of his first acts when assuming
Command of the Browns to step to the microphone
and invite everybody in the stands to have drnkbeer
or soft drink-on the house.
Personal problems forced him to sell out in Cleveland
He couldn't buck the entrenched Cardinals in ST. Louis,
but it didn't stamp him failure. Hc couldn't achieve
the impossible.
& Week is solid idea man who could be employed as
Grifhths general manager If Cal remains the
He also is solid baseball who loves to laugh
and who enjoys making others happy That type OF man
would be ideal around here right now.