The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-06-23

While admitting victory is the best entertainment, he
noted this always couldn't be achieved.
To fill the gap, therefore, Veeck staged clrcuses
and brought in tightrope walkers, flagpole Sltters,
iugglers and the Harlem Globetrotters to perform be-
tween games of doubleheaders. He has given fans,
live Holsters, s~way-back horses, pigeons and thousands
and thousands of orchids, roses and cigars.
In Milwaukee during World War II, he introduced
breakfast baseball for night workers in war plants.
At the games, he had ushers in nightshirts serve cof-
fee and rolls.
AT CLEVELAND, HE PEELED OFF $4,000 to
build a Kiddie Koup for small children whose mothers
wanted to come to the ball park.
In st. Louis, he held a "Grandstand Managers
Day" At the game, fans decided strategy with boos
or cheers when cards were held up that asked Sin
field back" or "bunt?" or "relief %pltcher?", etc. The
Browns won the game, So.
In Chicago, he built that famous half-million-
dollar scoreboard which %eXplodes, lights up, whistles,
screams and does just about everything except pre-
pare a pizza when a White Sox player clouts a home
run.
HE HELD A BURIAL CEREMONY - complete
with casket, flowers, tombstone and pallbearers-to
bury Cleveland's 1913 pennant after the Indians fail
ed to repeat in 1949 the Yankees Won.
Then there was the time he installed a midget as
a pinch hitter in a St. Louis Browns game. When the
midget went to bat, the opposing team protested say
he wasn't a member of the team. Veeck promptly
produced a bona fide contract showing the midget
had been signed by the club.
Many of his antics were pure corn but the fans
loved it - and they showed their appreciation by
tanning the ball parks. And all the while, he COM
manded acres of valuable publicity in the newspapers.
WHILE PROVIDING FUN, VEEcK ALSO FIRED
off plenty of cash to improve his ball parks. While talk
ing about Improvements in Comiskey Park last fall, he
asked his interviewer Ibid ever tell you the MllWau-
kee Braves sent a man down to scout our rest roomS?"
There's also a serious side to Veeck. He has an
inquisitiye mind and reads a book a day. When he
took instructions to become a Catholic II years ago,
he severely tested the ability of Father George Halpin
Of Chicago. In fact, the priest said of Veeck "he had
the toughest mind I've ever encountered
Week followed his fathers footsteps into base
ball. His dad, a former sports writer for the Chicago
American, served as president Of the Chicago Cubs
for many years.
AFTER WORKING HIS OWN Way to treasurer
of the Cubs after his fathers death, Veeck quit, and
in 1941, talked his way into ownership of the MilWau-
kee Brewers. The Brewers, then a member of the
American Association las was %Columbusl was near
bankruptcy. The day Week took over, the Brewers
drew % fans to the park.
-Four years, three remnants and one revolution
later, the Milwaukee club was the strongest in the
minors.
Veeck took over the ailing Cleveland club in 1916;
by 1948, Cleveland had its first pennant in % years
and the club set an all-time attendance record of q
620,627. Bill took over the st. Louis Browns in 1851
and attendance shot up so percent.
GoRcED TO GIVE UP THE CLUB by old fashion
ed pressure applied by American League c~lubs-parti-
cularly the Yankees-Veeck sold the Browns who we're
then moved to Baltimore. He tried to buy the Indians
aa6 the Detroit Tigers-but failed.
In 1858, he got controlling interest of the Chicago
White ,SoX and a year later, the ChiSox had their first
pennant in 40 years and twice the attendance of the
previous year.
Unable to continue his whirwind type of leader
snip because of nagging illness the 47-yearold Veeck
closed his exciting baseball career last Week-tempor-
sriy, he says. We hope it is only temporary because
frankly, we enjoy Weeks fun.