As in wreck, veteran author and motivational speaker pat williams has penned his 19th book, marketing your dreams. Veeck was by any standard a unique sports figure, someone who mixed intelligence, a sense of fun, occasional indignation, and a common touch. Veeck wrote three autobiographical works, each a collaboration with journalist ed linn. William louis veeck jr also known as sport shirt, was an american major league baseball. Influenced and inspired by the classic sports book veeck. Bill veeck marketed, promoted, and sold baseball like no one before him and like no one since. Rebecca veeck, daughter of charleston riverdogs owner mike veeck, passed away at the age of 27. Baseballs greatest maverick is a deeply insightful, powerful biography of a fascinating figure. This book is full of the many anecdotes that made veeck a household name in the mid20th century. The autobiography of bill veeck or the hustlers handbook to fully appreciate the passionate creativity of this baseballloving maverick. Its been 50 years since bill veeck unleashed his autobiography veeckas in wreck on the literary world. Business and life lessons from bill veeck, baseballs marketing genius.
Bill veeck, american professional baseball club executive and owner, who introduced many innovations in promotion. 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 1979, mike veeck was the white soxs assistant business manager and promotion director. Mike s most infamous stunt was vasectomy day a fan would get a free one on fathers day but that was aborted by religious opposition. The younger veeck and coowner actor bill murray emulated many of bill veeck s promotional stunts with the saints. As owner of the indians in 1947, veeck signed larry doby, thus beginning the integration of the american league.
Forty years later, disagreement about disco demolition. 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. Although bill veeck took much of the public criticism for the fiasco, his son mike suffered repercussions as the frontoffice promoter. While veeck was growing up in hinsdale, illinois, his father, william veeck sr. 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. Bill veecks life and times are covered in detail in his extraordinary. What else does mike remember about the veeck and veeck days of the 1970s white sox. What mike veeck learned about himself from his daughter.
Bill veeck was born on february 9, 1914, in chicago, illinois. 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. Mike veeck, the wizard of the minor leagues, has passed on his love of. Mike veeck had a promising career in major league baseball until the night of the promotion. Its the people on the corner playing pickup ball, thats what gives the game its beauty, bill veeck told mike veeck. Mike veeck became owner of the independent minorleague st. 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. Another boring, derivative, piece of crap, business book.
Make the first basic leap in work in 100 years, laughing all the way allen fahden and his coauthor, mike veeck have built their careers on being crazy. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive. Carl mays, ray chapman and the pennant race of mike sowell 4. What mike veeck learned about himself from his daughter sports. Bill veeck project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. A guy recently told me, your father used to say, im in the phone book, call me up. New book by mike veeck covers all the innovative bases the professional baseball impresario mike veeck wrote what he called a sports book with.
Todays deals your gift cards help whole foods registry sell disability customer support. He is the author of the book, fun is good how to create joy and passion in your workplace. An advertising professional, coveted public speaker, founder of the veeck promotional seminar, and all around idea man, mike recently released a corporate training video based on his fun is good philosophy. Hes also close friends with bill murray, who might be described as the patron saint of the saint paul saints, making frequent appearances at their beautiful new downtown stadium. Mike veeck remained with the white sox until late 1980, when he resigned. Mike veeck, the funniest man in baseball, is partowner of the st. Ran three franchises over the course of four decades and eventually made the hall of fame as the games greatest promoter. The unforgettable tale of indie baseball madness, starring mike veeck, bill murray, darryl strawberry, steve howe, a massagegiving nun, and much, much more. He was married to mary frances ackerman and eleanor raymond. And his son, william night train veeck, is now with the white sox. This spring, he will publish a book about his business mantra, fun is good rodale press. Veeck family baseball creativity dates to mike s grandfather william veeck, who planted the outfield vines at wrigley field, and to his father bill veeck jr. Mike veecks boring, derivative book about business and baseball.
Baseball team owner mike veeck rose to infamy with his historical disco demolition promotion for his father bill veeck s. It is all about putting the fun back in the work place. When veeck along with actorcomedian bill murray and lawyer marv goldklang started the independent minor league st. This is a book about embracing failure, laughing, trying something new, and of course having fun. We were not doing well, says bill s son, mike veeck. Discover book depositorys huge selection of veeck books online. Container bar a collaboration of bill murray, brad creger, and mike veeck is now open on mount pleasant street, near the i26 exit between king and rutledge. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Veeck was the last owner to purchase a baseball franchise. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Very interesting book revolving around mike veecks owner of the st paul saints business philosophy fun is good. The whole ball of creative marketing, target audience and humor fits perfectly into a veeckian mold for an organization that counts bill murray as a coowner.
Moneyball by michael lewis ball four by jim bouton the boys of summer by roger. Mike veeck is president and part owner of six wildly successful minor league baseball teams. Bill veeck was inducted into baseballs hall of fame the same year, rebecca was. On thursday, veeck basked in the start of the saints 24th season in st.
If theres one thing mike veeck learned from his father and from. The younger veeck and coowner actor bill murray emulated many of bill veecks promotional stunts with the saints. Paul saints won the american association championship, the baseball club is mourning the loss of team owner mike veeck s daughter. Its a fun book that those who are a little disgruntled or inspired with their workplace should read. Bill veeck, signed abebooks abebooks shop for 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. Mike veeck, the funniest man in baseball, on making ballpark magic. He was an actor, known for the kid from cleveland 1949, the way it was 1974 and person to person 1953. Bill veeck was born on february 9, 1914 in chicago, illinois, usa as william louis veeck jr. Besides wrigley fields ivy, bill veeck s baseball legacy is his son mike, partowner and flamboyant promoter of several minorleague teams.
When veeck along with actorcomedian bill murray and lawyer. And theres always a bit of bill veeck in everything. The book largely follows mike veeck and his fathers philosophies and antics with baseball and a few other businesses they tried. Sports illustrated june 7 1965 cassius clay 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. Veeck as in wreck the autobiography of bill veeck, sports classics by bill veeck and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Former baseball executive bill veeck wrote one of the greatest sports books ever written, veeck as in wreck, about 50 years ago.
Rebecca often came to games when she was in town and was well known at the ballpark. 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. Veeck 19141986 was a famous baseball innovator and owner of three professional ball clubs, who was elected to the baseball hall of fame in 1991. His autobiography, written with the talented sportswriter ed linn, is an uproarious book packed with baseball history and some of the most entertaining stories in all of sports literature. Mike veeck s boring, derivative book about business and baseball share this. Veecks father, bill, spent about 40 years tweaking major league. Celebrated twin cities chef to overhaul bill murrays. Son of the late hall of fame baseball owner bill veeck, he has followed his. Winner of the prestigious casey award for best book of 1999.
Bill veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, and one of the greatest baseball men ever involved in the game. Veeck promoting his dad and his genius ideas with past baseball teams they have run. A former owner of several minor league teams, mike veeck is now an. This excerpt from bill veeck s autobiography veeck as in wreck is the february free e book from the university of chicago press, which consists of two chapters from that book. Mexico fiesta nightall while bills polishing off five books a week. The team was drawing fewer than 10,000 fans per game. Paul saints in the thennorthern league now the american association in 1993, it looked as if the joke might be on them.
Mike veeck has been called the funniest man in baseball. Longtime charleston riverdogs owner and executive mike veeck and his daughter rebecca attend a riverdogs game at riley park in 2006. His father, a chicago sportswriter, became president of the national league chicago cubs 191933, and young veeck himself sold peanuts and. Mike veeck brings families to baseball and makes friends. New book by mike veeck covers all the innovative bases. Mike veeck, the comic maestro of the minor leagues, tells jim caple. Veeck was at various times the owner of the cleveland indians, the st. Bill veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, an. Sports illustrated june 7 1965 cassius clay 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.
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