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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
Thoroughly fascinating. A must read for all real baseball fans
Wonderful book that gives readers a full view of Veeck beyond the "carnival huckster" vision that is the first-told tale of his time in baseball. It's wonderful to read about Veeck's friendship with and loyalty to Lawrence Doby and Leroy Paige, and it's heartbreaking to when the removal of the reserve clause (that he so rightly reviled) destroys his ability to afford competitive players. Through it all, we get to see how deeply Veeck loved baseball and worked tirelessly to promote it and support it. Dickson paints a picture of a caring, compassionate man who suffered indescribable physical setbacks in his life. And as a lifelong Phillies fan, I've wanted for decades to peek into the alternate universe where Veeck was able to execute his plan to purchase the Phillies in the early 40s and radically overhaul their roster (and, in the process, totally obliterate MLB's despicable color barrier).
Bill Veeck was a rarity among baseball owners. He espoused liberal politics, opposed the reserve clause, answered phone calls directly from fans, and generally thumbed his nose at the baseball establishment, sending midgets to bat, and generally being a pain in the ass toward the New York Yankees. For someone who lived not that long ago (passing away in 1985), historians already are trying to discern what is true and what is legendary about his life.
Paul Dickson, a prolific author, has tried to fill in more of what Veeck was able to write about himself in his THREE autobiographies. Dickson paints a picture of Veeck as a man who loved baseball, and, even more importantly, loved baseball fans. Whether or not Veeck was as close to perfect as Dickson portrays him to be is for the reader to decide. But Dickson has clearly come down on the side of Veeck.
For me, one of the most interesting parts of the book was in an appendix. It dealt with the debate about whether or not Veeck tried to buy the Phillies before the 1943 season with the sole purpose of trying to stock the roster with African-American players. The Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) ran an article in 1998 saying that the story was a myth because there was no contemporary reporting of it. However, Dickson, and many other baseball historians, have found supporting evidence for Veeck's claim.
Paul Dickson, a prolific author, has tried to fill in more of what Veeck was able to write about himself in his THREE autobiographies. Dickson paints a picture of Veeck as a man who loved baseball, and, even more importantly, loved baseball fans. Whether or not Veeck was as close to perfect as Dickson portrays him to be is for the reader to decide. But Dickson has clearly come down on the side of Veeck.
For me, one of the most interesting parts of the book was in an appendix. It dealt with the debate about whether or not Veeck tried to buy the Phillies before the 1943 season with the sole purpose of trying to stock the roster with African-American players. The Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) ran an article in 1998 saying that the story was a myth because there was no contemporary reporting of it. However, Dickson, and many other baseball historians, have found supporting evidence for Veeck's claim.