My brother brought up Bill Veeck up one night while discussing the attendance at the cell.

It brought back a memory of going to a game at Comiskey Park was a kid and they where doing a promo for" HERBY GOES BANANAS".<yeah where talking a long time ago>

With these Volkswagen bugs riding around the field and the hood would open up and shoot a ball out to the crowd,I guess if you won a prize if you where able to get one,and would come out so fast that people just ducked out of the way of it.

Just wondering if anyone remembers that or any other weirdness from the Veek era.

Veeck was never one to pass up on a promotional idea. He signed a midget when he owned the Indians, I think he walked in his only plate appearance. Disco Demolition, he brought the exploding scoreboard and the shower to Old Comiskey Park and were so popular they where brought over to the Cell. He's also the one that kept signing Minnie Minoso to short contracts to keep his decade served record going. I think he played a game in 1976 and 1980 so he played in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's.

That peg-legged drunk nearly drove this franchise into the ground and caused some great embarrassment. Couldn't stand him, never will. Flippin' bush.

As a youngster that was a baseball fanatic, "bat day" was a big deal.
And I can still remember how awesome those fireworks were as a kid. Never saw/heard anything like em' since.

so whats wrong with being a drunk? he didn't nearly run this team into the groud. If he did, please tell me how? Veck's son was the one reponsible for disco Demo. he is the one that approved it. Not Bill. That 1977 team that he built brought fans into the park for years. And he did it with no money. attendance was alomost nothing when he built that team. He called them.. his bargain basement babies. They won 99 games that year and to this day, it is the most exciting season in my lifetime at old Comiskey park.

Veeck had a lot of innovative ideas eg exploding scoreboard and first sports team with names on their backs. In Bill's mind the circus and a ballgame were the same concept- not always so. Some times the promos would get in the way of the integrity of the game. Some of his early 60's trades were a disaster, but his trade gambles were not unlike our present GM. The fact that he got people's attention and publicity was all good. Imagine if some of those trendoids to the north got a message on their I-phone that Armour Square was the only kool place to hang out--

I think it was Bill's idea in Cleveland in that big old stadium- move the fences out when the Yanx come to town, move them in when KC is the visiting team. The league added a hasty rule- cannot change field dimensions during the season. He loved to tweak some of the stodgy old gentry that ran the game back then.

Yeah I had tears in my eyes on the finale home game that year . Just sitting in the stands sad to see the season end .
Wasn't there talk of moving the Sox when Veeck took over the team ? I believe he saved the Sox for Chicago .

I remember in my younger days of listening to Mary Francis and friend. It was the early version of the Bill Veeck talk show. Who can ever forget the South Side Hit Men of 1977. Loved his bio "Veeck As In Wreck. " Here are some names he brought to the South Side. Oscar Gamble, D*ick Allen, Richie Zisk. Opening day lineup 1977 consisted of:
Alan Bannister, Shortstop
Jorge Orta, Second base
Richie Zisk, Right field
Jim Spencer, First base
Oscar Gamble, Designated hitter
Eric Soderholm, Third base
Chet Lemon, Center field
Brian Downing, Catcher
Ralph Garr, Left field
I beleive the Sox first DH ever was Ron Blomberg. I also remember a great fielding second baseman. Jack Brohamer. Couldn't hit though. Radio team cosisted of Bob Elston and Milo Hamilton
Early Sox games were broadcast on WCFL "The voice of Labor in Chicago"

"Wasn't there talk of moving the Sox when Veeck took over the team ? I believe he saved the Sox for Chicago ."

That was his second term. There was also talk of him selling the team to Marvin Davis and the team would move to Denver. Charlie Finley wanted to move his A's to Chicago. Jerry and Eddie bought the team instead of Davis.

He had an ashtray built into his peg-leg.

One of my favorite "dad" moments came when we were standing next to the dugout. Bill Veeck walked by, and my dad says, "There's Bill Veeck. He's got a bum leg." Mortified, we whispered, daaaaad, he's RIGHT THERE, he can hear you." To which he replied, "So what? He knows he's got a bum leg."

many positives and negatives of Bill's two stints as owner. However, it really disappointed me in his late years his alienation with the sox. Watching him go to cubs games and sitting in the bleachers was sad to see to me.

Bloomberg and Bobby Bonds were acquired in '78 hoping to replace Zisk and Gamble and they were not a success. Bloomberg did hit a late HR in the home opener to seal the game, Steve Stone might have started. Bonds was traded mid-season for Claudell Washington, who inspired the infamous 'Washington Slept Here' signs in RF after his departure. The DH started in 1973- maybe Rick Reichardt?

I DO miss those huge banners: Pitch at risk to Rich Zisk, Send it flyin' to the Ryan, and OH for the long one...

"Bloomberg did hit a late HR in the home opener to seal the game, Steve Stone might have started."

It was a walk off before there were walk off's. I think that was Bloomie's last postive contribution.

It was Veeck who planted the ivy on wrigleys walls . I do believe .

His dad was GM at the time.

Would explain why he felt at home in Wrigley .

Yep, it was Veeck who planted the ivy at the urinal. I too hated to see both he and Harry Caray up there.

Despite those who thought of him as a sideshow, he was an original who was great for the Sox and great for baseball. I remember the 76 opener when he played the fife (I think) as part of the pre-game bicentennial stuff in one of his tamer stunts. And then there was 77. That season stands out just as much as the 05 championship for me.

Re: Banners. Don't forget "Oakland Who?" and "D.ck Allen will turn Vida Blue" from the early 70s, and the "Sox Supporters".

Ashtray in the leg? Sure, I'll give him points for being "creative", but, what bothered me most?

His insensitivity toward midgets!