CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago White Sox threw a party that would have made Bill Veeck proud.
The club celebrated its quirky former owner with Bill Veeck Night on Saturday by bringing back some of the stunts, tricks and exhibitions that added to the lore of the legendary showman and Hall of Famer.
There was a pregame petting zoo and a roving circus with what else? a clown to entertain fans entering Rate Field. There was ice sculpting on the concourse in the outfield and a chance to get a photo taken with a 50-foot hot dog, along with an offer of free haircuts. The first 15,000 fans received a Veeck bobblehead, and postgame fireworks were planned.
Another highlight was what the team described as a “married in a minute” event, with two White Sox fans tying the knot in a 60-second ceremony officiated by 1983 American League Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle.
(Original Caption) Chicago: A return to the good earth, Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck watches as sod is laid on infield at Sox Park, 3/26. After purchasing the Sox, Veeck ordered the artificial turf infield ripped out and replaced by grass. Veeck, never one to follow the leader, feels he may be one of the first to return to grass while many parks are going to artificial turf. Bill Veeck Owner, Chicago White Sox. at Comiskey Park office. March 1959 (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) Circa 1960, American baseball executive Bill Veeck (1914 – 1986), owner of the Chicago White Sox, sitting at a desk and smiling. He was known as the ‘P T Barnum of Baseball.’ (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images) ST. LOUIS, MO – AUGUST 18: Eddie Gaedel, little person hired by St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck, takes a ball as he bats during a game on August 18, 1951 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo Reproduction by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) (Original Caption) Hollywood, Florida: Bill Veeck, the head of a group that now owns the Chicago White Sox, manages a smile as he peers over his glasses while meeting the press, December 10. American League owners spent hours delivering the Veeck plea and finally votes to give the Veeck group the franchise. December 10, 1975. (Original Caption) Chicago, Illinois: Opening day ceremonies with a Bicentennial theme finds White Sox owner Bill Veeck (right) staging the first of many stunts, April 9. Veeck got his field manager, Paul Richards (center) and his business manager Rudie Schaffer (left) to join him in a pre-game “Spirit of ’76” march. The White Sox beat Kansas City, 4-0. April 9, 1976.
Mike Veeck, Bill’s son, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday before the White Sox took on Cleveland, a team the elder Veeck owned from 1946-1949.
The fun wasn’t limited to fans in the stands. White Sox players turned back the clock by wearing pinstriped shorts during pregame warmups and batting practice. The team wore those unusual shorts along with collared uniform tops for some games during the 1976 season.
Bill Veeck was a two-time owner of the White Sox, first from 1959-61 and again from 1975-81. His tenure was marked by memorable and forgettable stunts to enhance the fans’ game-day experience through entertainment.
His stunts included an exploding scoreboard in 1960 and a disastrous disco demolition night in 1979, when a crate of disco records was blown up between games of a doubleheader. The playing surface at Comiskey Field was so damaged by the blast and fans who rushed the field after the stunt that Chicago was forced to forfeit the second game to Detroit.
Another of his famous acts was signing 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel to be a pinch hitter in 1951, when Veeck owned the St. Louis Browns. Gaedel, who had a miniscule strike zone, walked on four pitches.
Veeck died in 1986 at 71 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
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