Veeck, << vehk, >> Bill (1914-1986), was one of the most successful and creative owners in baseball history. Veeck became famous for his imaginative promotions designed to increase attendance for his teams. These promotions included fireworks, unusual free prizes for fans, and the first exploding scoreboard.
Veeck was an innovator. He originated the now-common practice of putting the last names of players on the backs of their uniforms. Veeck was sometimes attacked by critics who complained that he was making a joke out of the sport. But Veeck was knowledgeable about baseball, and his teams won two pennants.
Veeck owned three major league teams, beginning with the Cleveland Indians (now called the Cleveland Guardians) from 1946 to 1949. In 1948, he signed Larry Doby, the first African American player in the American League, to play for the Indians. The Indians won the American League pennant that year. Veeck then bought the St. Louis Browns, which he owned until 1953. He also owned the Chicago White Sox from 1959 to 1961 and again from 1975 to 1981. The team won the 1959 American League pennant, its first since 1919.
William Louis Veeck, Jr., was born on Feb. 9, 1914, in Chicago. He left Kenyon College in 1933 to work for the Chicago Cubs in a variety of positions, starting with office boy, until 1941. That year, he bought the nearly bankrupt minor league Milwaukee Brewers. In a few years, he turned the Brewers into a success and sold the team in 1945 for a large profit. Veeck was wounded while fighting in World War II (1939-1945) as a United States Marine. He eventually had to have his leg amputated, but his health problems never interfered with his active baseball career. Veeck wrote several books, including his autobiography, Veeck As in Wreck (1962). Veeck died on Jan. 2, 1986. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
