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Veeck, Bill

William Louis Veeck Jr.
Born: February 9, 1914, Chicago, Illinois
Died: January 2, 1986, Chicago, Illinois
Elected to the Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee: 1991
Biography: 

As owner of the Indians, Browns and White Sox, Bill Veeck consistently broke attendance records with pennant-winning teams, outrageous door prizes, enthusiastic fan participation and ingenious promotional schemes. An inveterate hustler and energetic maverick, he introduced the concept of honoring fans, a midget player (Eddie Gaedel), Bat Day, fireworks, exploding scoreboards and player names on backs of uniforms. He signed the American League's first black player - Larry Doby in 1947 - and its oldest rookie - 42-year-old Satchel Paige in 1948.

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Did You Know: 
that while employed in various capacities by the Chicago Cubs, Bill Veeck Jr. was responsible for the planting of ivy on Wrigley Field's outfield wall in September 1937?
Baseball is a game to be savored rather than in big gulps.