Product Description
Bill Veeck marketed, promoted, and sold baseball like no one before him and like no one since. Influenced and inspired by the classic sports book Veeck: As in Wreck, veteran author and motivational speaker Pat Williams has penned his 19th book, Marketing Your Dreams: Business Lessons from Bill Veeck, Baseball’s Promotional Genius. Pat Williams, senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, insists that Marketing Your Dreams isn’t a Bill Veeck biography; instead, it’s a book about success, a book about one of the most relentless and fascinating personalities in the history of organized sports. It’s a book about extracting Veeck’s traits and concentrating them into their purest form so that the reader can pull the same kind of inspiration from the master that Williams did.Marketing Your Dreams is a book for the sports fan. It is for the businessman who sells and promotes, for the student who hopes to make his living that way. Marketing Your Dreams is a book as diverse as Veeck himself, a man who studied as voraciously as he promoted, who could talk about baseball or world politics or gardening or Civil War poetry. Says Williams, "Bill Veeck taught me. He can do the same for you." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Visionary Veeck in Inspirational Book
I was cleaning out the basement last week, weeding out the too many books, when I stumbled on "Marketing Your Dreams: Business and Life Lessons from Bill Veeck" that I bought new and originally read in 2001.
Wanting a distraction from cleaning, I sat down to scan the book again and could not put it down. What a great reminder of the character of Bill Veeck and his tenets of business and personal interaction. On virtually every page there is some nugget of wisdom, either from Veeck or someone else, that can provide inspiration in work or life in general.
So the basement cleaning will wait another day - re-reading this Pat Williams book was so worth it. Veeck was way ahead of his time and we can all learn something from this visionary man - thanks to Williams for compiling this.

Well Done
This book had an awesome message behind it.What a lot of people aren't doing these days is going for their dreams and what a lot of people are doing is giving up.This speech influenced me so much and probably other people too.I recomend this to pre teens and teens and adults as well because they can relate to Bill Veeck.

a MUST introduction to the fabulous life of Bill Veeck
When I was 10, I wrote Bill Veeck (then owner of the Chicago White Sox) a letter . . . I recall making suggestions as to the club's lineup . . . not only did he write me back, but his response marked the beginning of an occasional series of back-and-forth correspondence that continued until his death . . . . . . he even made my an honorary
White Sox scout and arranged for me to meet one of his real scouts when I attended a Mets game.

Veeck thus became my first guru . . . he was a baseball promoter, perhaps most famous for having sent a midget to bat in a major league game . . . but he was also an innovator, plus quite a guy.

I devoured his autobiography, VEECK AS IN WRECK, when
it was published in 1981 . . . since then, I have attempted to
read everything else I could about him . . . yet somehow I
had missed MARKETING YOUR DREAMS: BASEBALL AND
LIFE LESSONS FROM BILL VEECKs by Pat Willaims; i.e., until this past week.

My one word reaction: WOW! . . . what a great book . . . it
made me appreciate Veeck even more, along with Williams--quite
a sports promoter in his own right . . . I found myself taking
countless notes, always a sign that what I'm reading is
really making quite a dent on me.

There were many memorable passages; among them:
* Because there is a reason why Veeck went
to bed in the middle of the night. And a reason
why he woke up four hours later. And a reason
why he was never dulled by routine, why every
day became an opportunity, and every hour,
every moment of his 71 years, was gilded and
precious.

He did not sleep because he could not sleep.
He was afraid to sleep because sleeping
meant missing something. He was so caught
up in the basest virtues of each day that his
mind couldn't let go.

Said Washington writer Tom Boswell after
Veeck's passed away in 1986, "Cause of
death: Life."

"With the amount of sleep he didn't get," says
longtime Chicago White Sox organist Nancy
Faust, "Bill probably died at 85 instead of 71."

* Veeck once sent away for a mail-order toy. When
it arrived, he learned it had to be assembled. He
spent the entire night before Christmas attempting
to put that infernal toy together for one of his
children. When he sent his check to the manufacturer,
he tore it into tiny pieces, put them into an envelope
and wrote: "I put your toy together. You put my
check together."

No doubt he felt a burden lifted.

The manufacturer had no choice but to accept the
check.

* He called amputees in the hospital to console them.
("Look at it this way," he would say. "One pair of socks
will last you twice as long. And in the winter, only one
foot will get cold.") He told one fan whose leg was wrapped
in a heavy brace, "If I had another leg to give you, I would."
He demonstrated the leg to curious children. He consoled
an amateur softball player who had broken his leg,
slipping the wooden leg off and telling him, "Here. Use mine."

"I only fear two things," he'd say, brandishing the leg. "Fire
and termites."

And though I typically like to include only three passages,
I just had to include this one too:

* Soon after the funeral, Mary Frances was digging
through the house when she discovered a note. They'd
always written to each other for more than three decades;
notes of love and sentimentality and humor. Seems he'd
written this one while waiting to be taken to the hospital
for the last time.

On one side he'd expressed the depth of his love for
Mary Frances. On the other, he'd written, "Tell everyone
it has been lots of fun."

You'll also find this book to be a lot of fun, as well as
inspirational.

What Dreams!!!!
At the beganing of the novel I couldn't really get into the read, but as I continued reading I found out some of the people that met Bill Veeck always had something good to say about him, as far as his work and some of his business partners our conserned.

A Book on Self Improvement--An Absolute Gem
The author, Pat Williams, an administrator with the Orlando Magic of the NBA, has chosen former baseball owner Bill Veeck as his example in what you can do to improve yourself.Veeck was a self-educated man who was a voracious reader of books and used promotions to sell his product, in his case tickets to his team's baseball games.Important tips are given for people to follow in expressing interest in another person and what they have to say along with steps to follow in being an effective public speaker. Veeck was a person who had time for everyone he came in contact with and enjoyed his life to the fullest.He was a very down-to-earth individual who enjoyed tweaking baseball's establishment of stuffed shirts.The book is filled with great quotations and stories of those who were befriended by Veeck during his ownership of major league teams in Cleveland, St. Louis, and Chicago.His training ground was with the Milwaukee Brewers, then a minor league team of which he was the owner.I have read and enjoyed all the Veeck books:Veeck As In Wreck, The Hustler's Handbook, Thirty Tons A Day, and Bill Veeck:A Baseball Legend in addition to this latest effort by Pat Williams.We continue to influence people after we die through those whose lives we touched when we were alive.Even though Bill Veeck is no longer with us, he can help you improve yourself by reading this book.It will be entertaining as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Solid and Concise
This insightful and concise biography of baseball maverick Bill Veeck (1914-1986) is worth a look.Veeck was a part of baseball for seven decades, and his innovations include the outfield vines in Wrigley Field, exploding scoreboards (the first in Old Comiskey Park), and a midget named Eddie Gaedel who walked on four pitches.The author describes Veeck's long career, beginning when his father ran the Chicago Cubs in the 1920's, and Veeck's purchase of the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers in 1941.After the war he bought and ran the Cleveland Indians (1946-1949), St. Louis Browns (today's Baltimore Orioles) from 1951-1953, and the Chicago White Sox from 1959-1961 and again from 1975-1981.Readers get an inside look at Veeck's popular ideas, offbeat personality, and opposition to baseball's power structure.Readers also see his partying lifestyle, famous peg leg, nine children, and family problems. Veeck wasn't always successful, and some say he was a bit anachronistic in his final stint as White Sox owner - where his rent-a-player strategy and Disco Demolition didn't cut it. Still, he increased baseball fun, put the fans first, and left many with smiles on their faces.When Veeck passed away the loss was felt by fans, players, even those stuffy owners that opposed him.

I enjoyed sportswriter Gerald Eskenazi's nicely readable style, but might have preferred a more indepth look. Still, this is an interesting book, as was his biography of Leo Durocher, and several of his other sports writings.

Fills In The Gaps
If you enjoyed reading Bill Veeck's Autobiography, Veeck As In Wreck, then this book is a must-read. The author does a great job of filling in the gaps that Veeck left in his own work because of modesty, embarassment or both. A very well researched work.

A Baseball Legend
Baseball fans loved Bill Veeck.The other baseball owners were not very fond of him.One must keep in mind that the fans pay the bills in baseball.As a result, Veeck is an important man in the history of baseball. Gerald Eskenazi takes on the task of documenting the life of the baseball legend.While his writing is redundant at times, he gives an effective overview of Veeck's life.

Veeck is known as the man who sent a midget up to bat for the St. Louis Browns.He is credited as the innovator of the exploding scoreboard that shoots fireworks after a homerun.It was during his second ownership of the White Sox that Disco Demolition Night occurred.Veeck also had several other promotions for the common man.All of these incidents are documented in the book.In addition, the book discusses Veeck bringing in the second African-American baseball player, Lary Doby.Doby would also become the second black manager in baseball for Veeck.He also brought in the first African-American pitcher, the aging Satchell Paige for several tenures.Eskenazi discusses these and other incidents during his successful tenures as the owner of the Indians, Browns, and White Sox.Other little known facts are discussed such as how Veeck almost had a hand in moving the White Sox to Denver.

I found this book to be informative and not nearly as over the top as some of the stories Veeck would like us to believe about him.For example, he failed as a father to the children of his first marriage.Obviously, this is something he did not talk about a lot.Because Eskanazi has little reason to exaggerate or obscure the story, it has a level of authenticity.This out of print book is worth reading for old school baseball fans. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hustler's Handbook is a rich, hilarious, flagrantly outspoken lesson on how to operate as a hustler in the corporate jungle of modern baseball. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

ONE OF THE BEST PROMOTIONS GUYS EVER
BILL VEECK WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST PROMOTORS OF BASEBALL EVER. HE AND HAS FATHER WERE THE ONES WHO PUT THE IVY AT WRIGLEY FIELD. HE CAME UP WITH THE MIDGET BATTING IN A REGULAR SEASON GAME. HE CAME UP WITH LADIES DAY, IMPORTED EXOTIC FLOWERS FROM HAWAII, GAVE AWAY NYLONS, STARTED GRANDSTAND MANAGERS NIGHT AND MANY MANY MORE IDEAS TO BRING FANS TO THE BALLPARK BESIDES TO SEE THE GAME. IN THE START OF THIS BOOK, BILL GIVES US SOME OF HIS IDEAS AND TACTICS HE USED TO LURE FANS. HE THEN GOES ON TO WRITE ABOUT THE DECLINE OF THE YANKEES, LEO DUROCER, BLACK SOX AND HISPANIC AND NEGROES IN BASEBALL. BILL WILL ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN FOR A MAJOR INNOVATOR WHO HELP THE INDIANS WIN THE WORLD SERIES IN 1948. HE ALSO HELPED THE WHITE SOX WIN THE 1959 PENNANT. BILL WAS A BLUE COLLAR GUY WHO THE FANS COULD IDENTIFY WITH. HE WOULD ACTUALLY SIT IN THE STANDS WITH FANS AND GET THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND IDEAS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE TEAM AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BRING THEM BACK TO THE BALLPARK. HE IS A LEGEND IN CLEVELAND AND IN MANY OTHER CITIES. THIS BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR HISTORIANS AND FANS WHO CAN RELATE TO 1940'S 50'S AND 60'S BASEBALL.

Solid, dated look at Business of Baseball
Baseball's Bill Veeck covers many bases in this dated (1965) but superb inside look at the business of baseball.This former (and future) maverick owner examines player trades, ballpark promotions, owner politics, and other aspects learned from his years in the business.Among the highlights (or lowlights) are Branch Rickey's shrewd trading tactics, unwarranted franchise shifts (Dongers, Giants, Braves), and the ongoing corporatization of baseball with its attendant staid, colorless players.Veeck is at his best uncovering the often-sordid baseball politics and inequities - or did you think the NY Yankees won all those pennants (1940's-1960's) on a completely level playing field? He is also humble enough to confess his flaws - his trades of young prospects Johnny Callison, Earl Battey, Don Mincher, etc., ended up costing the White Sox franchise.Veeck examines baseball's declining popularity in a TV-age where NFL pro football was gaining fast, and the ultimately-successful attempty by carpet-bagging owners to move the Braves from Milwaukee (where it was well-supported) to Atlanta.Using the diary of his late friend Harry Grabiner (secretary to White Sox owner Charles Comiskey), Veeck provides a surprisingly insightful inside look at the 1919 Black Sox scandal when several under-paid team members participated in a fixed World Series, plus that scandal's sordid aftermath of owner power struggles.In short, this book provides a dated but still-relevant look at baseball politics.

Bill Veeck (1914-1986) owned several baseball teams (Indians, St. Louis Browns, White Sox, plus minor-league Brewers), employing a maverick approach with exploding scoreboards, post-game fireworks, a midget batter (he walked), and other fan-friendly innovations.Here he gives us a rare inside look at baseball politics and controversies circa 1965 - before such later events as free agency, arbitration, strikes, lockouts, steroids, drug abuse, etc.Veeck jumps around a bit as he covers the bases, but provides a superbly readable inside look for fans, sports writers, and other aficionados.

An outstanding addition to any sports library strong in baseball memoirs
THE HUSTLER'S HANDBOOK offers a hilarious account from one of baseball's long-time characters and blends stories, anecdotes and theories into a book rich with lessons on how to operate as a hustler in modern baseball. The blend of memoir, insider savvy and business insight makes for an outstanding addition to any sports library strong in baseball memoirs.

Playing Every Angle on the Diamond
Bill Veeck had been out of baseball for four years when The Hustler's Handbook was originally published in 1965 and it appeared to many pundits that he was out of the game for good. "Sport Shirt Bill" had sold his ownership interest in the Chicago White Sox in 1961 due to illness and had been thwarted by the "Lords of the Realm" in pursuing an American League franchise for Los Angeles, though he would return in 1975 as owner of the ChiSox.

And with one book already published - Veeck as in Wreck: The Autobiography of Bill Veeck - the impresario of sports promotion, with co-author Ed Linn, appeared to be giving his farewell to the game through wit, wisdom and a number of brushback pitches on his critics in Major League Baseball. This edition is a September 2009 softcover reprint from Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher.

"As the first assignment, class, we will now all burn our dictionaries and get on to the real definitions, complete with illustrations, gesticulation and grimaces....," writes Veeck, as he tackles the fine art of marketing. "Department stores, automobile agencies and other sportsmen and philanthropists are more than willing to donate gifts in return for the advertising and goodwill."

There is a sailboat presented to Nellie Fox of the White Sox on "Nellie Fox Night" and a grand plan for honoring southpaw fans due to the Milwaukee Braves non-use of left-handed pitching great Warren Spahn, along with mainstays in the Veeck repertoire; Christmas in July, Name's the Same, the Money-Back Guarantee and a gala Mother's Day celebration. One of his ideas became a major winner in ballparks: "Bat Day has become the biggest promotion of late. We started it in St. Louis (the Browns) back in 1952 when a guy who dealt in bankrupt firms came around with a shipload of homeless bats.

"It is a surefire promotion, and it will remain surefire so long as they don't get greedy and try to repeat it on alternate weeks.

"They probably will."

Legends come to life, but oftentimes in ways that could have never been predicted. "Wake up the echoes at the Hall of Fame and you will find that baseball's immortals were a rowdy and raucous group of men who would climb down off their plaques and go rampaging through Cooperstown (New York), taking spoils, like the Third Army busting through Germany," writes Veeck. "Horace Stoneham has only two occupations in life. He owns the (San Francisco) Giants and he drinks.

"Some of the most wicked people I know have taken advantage of him."

The explosive revelations on the 1919 Black Sox Scandal from a journal of a White Sox secretary, an intriguing take on the battle in the Big Apple between the hapless Mets and juggernaut Yankees and insight on how deals are cut in the proverbial smoke-filled room make for a refreshing read, no matter the season.

"Baseball, like loan-sharking, is a humanitarian enterprise," Veeck writes. "When the Supreme Court says baseball isn't run like a business, everybody jumps up and down with joy. When I say the same thing, everybody throws pointy objects at me."

Hustlers Handbook
A hustler gets a free ride and makes it seem as if he's doing you a favor. - Bill Veeck

Hey, you can have your Babe Ruths and Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.Give me Bill Veeck.Veeck's the guy who introduced Bat Day, had the one and only midget pinch-hitter in the history of baseball, put players' names on the back of uniforms, had the first exploding scoreboard and signed the first African-American to play in the American League - Larry Doby.Oh, yeah, and he planted the ivy around the outfield fences at Wrigley Field.
The Hustler's Handbook was written in 1965 with sportswriter Ed Linn.Somehow or other I got the feeling it was written to help pay off a creditor or two.Don't know where I got that idea, but I'll stick with it for now.The book is a product of the time and often deals with what were then current issues - the behind-the-scene story of the '64 World Series, the purchase of the New York Yankees by CBS, a couple of then fresh chapters on baseball executives Horace Stoneman and Branch Rickey.All things considered, we can forgive him his chapter on the cute widdle Metsies.I've been sick of the stories about these "lovable losers" since before Roger Clemens was born, but Veeck doesn't let too much treacle ruin his observations.
This volume of Veeck's observations on the state of the game is a flat out delight.Veeck's observations are pungent and direct.
This is what he had to say about Yogi Berra: "Yogi is a completely manufactured product.He is a case study of this country's unlimited ability to gull itself and be gulled.... It pleased the public to think that this odd-looking little man with the great natural ability had a knack for mouthing humorous truth with the sort of primitive peasant wisdom we rather expect from our sports heroes."
On Leo Durocher and racism: "Leo himself is without any racial consciousness - or even unconsciousness.Leo looks on each human being with the purest of motives; i.e., what can this guy do to make Leo Durocher's passage through life easier, more fun and more profitable?"
Veeck has another chapter on the minor leagues in which he heaps praise on the glorious Mike Kelly, owner of the St. Paul team in the American Association who Veeck credits with delivering "a priceless education in operations, trading, larceny and such other of the applied sciences as came to his nimble mind."
Veeck has a sharp eye and a soft place in his heart for the sharper and the con man.The only character in this book who Veeck treats with anything approaching harshness is Branch Rickey, who Veeck apparently felt was a little too much the pious charlatan for his tastes.
It's a shame that as I write this (June 2004) The Hustler's Handbook is out of print.If I was building a sports library this one would be on the first shelf.
The Fireside Edition was published in 1989, and contains an epilogue (which, oddly enough, is subtitled "Moneyball") written sometime before Veeck's death in 1986.If you think Veeck is a dinosaur, passe and irrelevant to today, consider this from the Epilogue:
"There is... one source of talent that has never been tapped: the female of the species.In 1980, I had a promotion worked out, secretly, with Coca-Cola to conduct a national hunt for the best of the female players, with the winners to be placed in the minor leagues and brought along like anybody else.It was not a stunt.Although the female of the species lacks the upper-body strength to stand much of a chance in the competition for the power positions, young women are more than competitive when it comes to dexterity and agility.If everything had gone according to plan, we would have had a female playing second base in Chicago within three years and, unless I was off the mark, a pitcher with style and control within five."
The Hustler's Handbook will delight baseball fans with a knowledge of the history of the game. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (23)

Book that defines what sports writing should be!!!
This is the best sports book I have read.It stands up very well over time.He is just so good natured and good humored and it really comes through in the writing.I would highly recommend this book for any sports fan and anyone else for that matter.

An Iconoclastic Life In Baseball
They don't make 'em like Bill Veeck (as in wreck) anymore.Today's baseball executives are generally very conservative business people with little or no flair.They're about as colorful as your accountant, and about as creative as your financial advisor.Check that; my financial advisor is so creative, he's able to perform magic tricks with my portfolio.Poof; now you see it, now you don't.

That's the kind of creativity we can do without.The world of baseball was blessed many years ago when a free-wheeling guy by the name of Bill Veeck provided the industry with a great deal of fun-filled, off the wall, and generally zany antics as a front office executive for teams such as the Cleveland Indians, St Louis Browns (just before they headed to Baltimore), and Chicago White Sox.His promotional stunts were legendarily insane, but with flashes of genius.Who else but Veeck would have the audacity to sign a midget for one at bat (he walked on four pitches), wearing the number 1/8?Before the little guy stepped into the batter's box, Veeck threatened him with bodily harm if he dared to swing his little bat at any of the offerings.The stunt proved successful; the Browns drew their largest crowd in four seasons (18,000 or so), and Veeck became a national celebrity; at least throughout the world of baseball.

Veeck's autobiography, which was co-authored with Ed Linn, provides the reader with large doses of zany promotional stunts over the years, along with his commentary on the events that helped shape his wild and wooly ride through baseball's executive hierarchy.It's a story that can't be missed for any true fan of the game.

Capturing the magical man who changed baseball
I knew Bill. I was sKeptical that any book could adequately capture the multi-faceted man and an era before big money and major league baseball were inseparable. The joy, the pranks and the many humorous personal stories made me miss Bill all the more. A great, fun read for anybody who loves baseball and wants to know more about possibly the last Renaissance showman.

The coolest owner ever.
Bill Veeck was a true maverick before that term got tossed around by crazed hockey moms/ vp wannabee's. Anyway... the story of this man who was known for sending a midget to bat in the majors and, later in life, the disco demolition fiasco in Chicago, was more than those events. He was the kind of guy who "got it" about pro sports. He knew that the fan should come first and that this should be fun. Aftert reading this, you'll want to give the rest of the owners, agents and prima donna athletes a copy in hope that they too will "see the light". The book is his autobiography of sorts that tells more about his philosophy about the game and business than it does about the facts of his life. A fun read, essential for baseball fans, about the coolest owner ever. A hall of fame read, from a hall of famer.

A Larger Than Life Baseball Story
When John McCain ran for President in 2008 as a maverick, he would have been well advised to read this very autobiography to find how a real maverick operates.Veeck did it with a cheerful outlook, without rancor or bitterness, and with an impish sense of humor.He was truly a man of the people.

I remember Veeck as a White Sox in the late 1970's, when he bought the team, and against all odds, fielded the South Side Hitmen and made a run for the pennant with no defense or pitching. Veeck brought innovation and fun to Comiskey Park, and was no newcomer to baseball by then.Had he been a racecar driver, he would have been on the 480th lap of the Indy 500. Veeck, who lost a leg due to a combat wound, who was a four pack a day smoker, who rarely slept more than three hours a night had a curious, intelligent and unstoppable mind.

In reading his thoughts, I was struck by the prescient content of his thoughts on baseball.In 1962, he proposed revenue sharing for visiting teams on television revenues, predicting that small market teams would not be able to compete in the future.He was the first owner who believed expansion would bestow increased popularity on baseball.And, in immortal words, said that it was not the price of superstardom that would haunt payrolls, but the price of mediocrity.

His energy was astounding.He turned a profit in Milwaukee (pre-Braves and Brewers) by sheer hustle, promotion, and horse trademanship.He brought a world Series to Cleveland by know how, and made himself a beloved figure in that great town.

But through it all, there is his prevailing love for baseball, and the loyalty, admiration and love for his second wife.This is an inspiring story about an original man.

... Read more

Product Description
In Peter Schilling's wonderful novel, the extraordinary baseball season of 1944 comes vividly to life. Bill Veeck, the maverick promoter, returned from Guadalcanal with a leg missing and $500 to his name, has hustled his way into buying the Philadelphia Athletics. Hungry for a pennant, young Veeck jettisons the team's white players and secretly recruits the legendary stars of the Negro Leagues, fielding a club that will go down in baseball annals as one of the greatest ever to play the game. Here are the behind-the-scenes adventures that bring this dream to reality, and a cast of characters only history's pen could create. The End of Baseball is the most rollicking, free-spirited baseball story in years, the unvarnished truth of that incredible season and the men who lived it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A definite five star read!
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for R[...] (06/10)

A few weeks ago I was in northern California talking to a close friend of mine who happens to be an Oakland A's fan. I remember mentioning to him that I had decided to read and review "The End of Baseball." He gave me a blank look until I explained the book's premise: a fictional novel about baseball starring Bill Veeck, the Philadelphia Athletics and an all black team set in the early forties. My friend sort of chuckled before asking if Eddie Gaedel was going to be in the story as well. Of course I had no idea who he was talking about and this prompted a Google search.

Learning about Gaedel caused me to do some serious research on Veeck. I have to give major props to Peter Schilling Jr., the book's author. Who better to fill the sizeable shoes of the maverick promoter in "The End of Baseball" than Bill Veeck; the very man who was probably best known throughout the league for his flamboyant publicity stunts and the innovations he brought to baseball during his ownership of the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. I don't think the Schilling could have chosen a more suitable person than Veeck to help give this novel an authentic and realistic feel.

Continuing with the storyline; Veeck returns from Guadalcanal with a missing leg and five hundred dollars to his name. He manages to purchase the Philadelphia Athletics and gets rid of all the white players. In 1944 that was the entire roster. Unbeknownst to anyone except his business partner, Sam Dailey, Veeck secretly recruits the legendary stars of the Negro Leagues and signs them to play in the majors. In an era of war and racial segregation Veeck gambles everything on the hope that people's love of seeing great baseball will overcome the integration of a black man into the major leagues.

In summary, I must say that "The End of Baseball" was a joy to read. I definitely prolonged it for as long as possible. Over the years I have read my fair share of baseball novels but in my opinion none of them can hold a candle to this one. Schilling has a fantastic writing style. His words flow smoothly. His descriptions will make the reader feel as if he or she is actually in the dugout watching baseball greats like Satchel Paige, Buck Leonard or Josh Gibson in person rather than reading about them in a book. While "The End of Baseball" is a work of fiction the author has done such a fantastic job that, at times, his readers may have trouble separating fact from fiction.

A definite "must read" for anyone who loves a great book...

What If.....
Every baseball enthusiast enamored with its history has always imagined what it might have been like if the major leaguers of the old segregated white leagues had to play against the best players of the old Negro Leagues.Author Peter Schilling gives a highly entertaining fictional account of such an event.

Baseball maverick Bill Veeck purchases the Philadelphia Athletics and must turn them into a winner in order to retain ownership.But with a dirth of quality players due to WWII, Veech decides to replace all of the team's white players with the legendary stars of the Negro Leagues.Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Roy Campanella, Martin Dihigo, Willie Wells, et al. become part of this fantastic collection of players. Against the backdrop of a racist America, this eclectic collection of players perform at their theatrical best. Enlightening is how Schilling characterizes each player's unique persona -Satchel Paige overly confident and self-centered; Josh Gibson with his demons; rising young star Roy Campanella's insecurities; the list goes on.

Lots of baseball action as well as a great storyline."The End of Baseball" is a tremendous what-could-have-been fictional account of what-should-have-been.Anyone who loves the game of baseball has to have this book as part of his baseball library.

A Wonderful Revision to Baseball History
It's a sad commentary of American history that the game of baseball - our National Pastime - kept some of its greatest players out of the limelight because of the color of their skin.In 1947, the gradual change began with Jackie Robinson breaking through in Brooklyn; it's no coincidence that the Dodgers became the National League's best team over the course of the next decade.

Even with Robinson's obvious talent manifested by his Rookie of the Year honors, along with frequent trips to the All-Star game; the fact of the matter is, he should've made it to the big leagues way before 1947.Sadly, players like Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell never even got there at all.

In a wonderfully poignant blend of fiction with real life characters, Peter Schilling has painted a picture of what would happen if the lilly white world of major league baseball had become integrated a tad bit earlier; while World War II was raging, and many of the game's players were spending the 1944 season fighting for our freedom.

That's an incredible backdrop to this fascinating story; throw in the antics of Bill Veeck pitted against the racist hierarchy of major league baseball, and you've got a bittersweet revision to the game's history.Whether you're a fan of the game or simply a person fascinated with our nation's history, you'll love reading this wonderful novel.

A compelling historical baseball novel
Peter Schilling, Jr. has written a first novel that furnishes an extra-base hit.Indeed, this novel wins the game!

The book is published by Ivan R. Dee, the well-known Chicago house which has issued a steady stream of fine books about the history of baseball.As I understand it, this is the first novel published by this house.

The author possesses a deeply rooted appreciation of mid-twentieth century baseball history.Indeed, I would recommend that readers of this novel also turn their attention to Jules Tygiel's masterful book "Baseball's Great Experiment:Jackie Robinson and His Legacy," expanded edition (Vintage, 2007).The two books -- one fiction and the other historical narrative -- fit together like hand-in-glove.

"The End of Baseball" focuses on the 1944 season.Bill Veeck -- a real-life figure -- has purchased the hapless Philadelphia Athletics.He transforms them -- this was a dream of his in real life -- into an all-black team, stocked with the likes of Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Ray Danridge, and Roy Campanella, among others.We also are provided with close-ups of Judge Landis, the baseball commissioner, and J. Edgar Hoover.One of the key dimensions of the novel is the role accorded to Campanella, who is real life seemed to tempermentally recede into the background because of the omnipresent of Jackie Robinson.In real life, it should be clarified, Veeck sought to acquire the Philadelphia Phillies and to stock his roster with the same players Schilling relies upon for his fictionalized Athletics.

Mr. Schilling takes us around the American League circuit during that season, explaining how the Athletics were received in cities as different as Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis.

All the while the baseball season is unfolding, which in and of itself Schilling masterfully narrates.Read it for yourself to discover the outcome.All that this reviewer will reveal is that the author had this reader hanging on each pitch, inning after inning.

What could have been
This is a very interesting fictionalized story about Bill Veeck and the great Negro League stars.If only things had been different and integration of the major leagues (not to mention society) could have taken place earlier.A good, fast-paced read. ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Alva Bradley, Charles Somers, Bill Veeck, Ellis Ryan, Larry Dolan, Jim Dunn (Baseball, Propriétaire), Ted Bonda, Vernon Stouffer, Gabe Paul, Richard Jacobs, Nick Mileti, William R. Daley, Myron H. Wilson, F.j. O'neill. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Alva Bradley (1884 à Cleveland en Ohio - 30 mars 1953 à Delray Beach en Floride) était un homme d'affaires américain et un dirigeant de baseball aux États-Unis. Diplômé de l'Univerité Cornell en 1908, Alva Bradley est a la tête du groupe d'investisseurs qui achète la franchise de baseball professionnel des Cleveland Indians le 17 novembre 1927 pour un million de dollars. La franchise sera cédée le 21 juin 1946 à Bill Veeck. Assumant le rôle de président des Indians, Ava Bradley n'en est pas l'actionnaire majoritaire. Parmi les autres investisseurs, citons le frère d'Ava Bradley, Charles, avec lequel il investit 175 000 dollars, John Sherwin Sr. (300 000 $), Percy Morgan ( 200 000 $), Newton D. Baker (25 000 $), Joseph C. Hostetler (25 000 $) et les frères Van Sweringen (250 000 $) Bradley avait d'autres responsabilités en dehors du baseball. Il possédait ainsi une société immobilière et était président et trésorier de l'United States Coal Company. Il fut également membre de plusieurs conseils d'administration dans les sociétés des frères Van Sweringen, l'American Shipbuilding Company et la Great Lakes Towing Company, notamment. Marié à Marguerite Andrews, il avait quatre enfants : un garçon et trois filles. ...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Major league baseball is more than pitching, defense, and three-run homers.It is a big business.In recent years at least as much fan interest has focused on the off-the-field activities of players and owners as on the games themselves.James Miller's The Baseball Business identifies the issues that have come to the fore during the commercialization of baseball since the 1950s: ¡the changing relationship between the major and minor leagues;
¡the evolution of one club's management from community to single ownership;
¡increasingly complex and costly labor relations, especially free agency;
¡the peculiar relationship of for-profit sports teams with local governments, especially the construction of public stadiums with tax dollars;
¡racial discrimination.

St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck's 1953 decision to move his franchise to Baltimore was one of the first significant responses by major league baseball to the difficulties it faced in the years after World War II, and the move ushered in an era of franchise shifts and expansion.The new Orioles franchise went on to build a highly successful farm system at a time when minor league baseball was undergoing a series of fundamental changes and to caputre the American League pennant four times between 1966 and 1971.In the 1970s the club lost key players as a result of the introduction of "free agency." Later, the Orioles made large and disastrous investments in free agent players in an effort to remain competitive.

The ties between the Orioles and Baltimore's political and business elites have always been close, and the effort to attract and maintain major league baseball has been a critical part of the city's effort to refurbish its image and attract new industries.The nearly twenty-year debate over replacing Memorial Stadium with a more modern facility is a case study in the thorny relationship between sports businesses and state and local governments.

The Baseball Business is a history of the Baltimore franchise, not just the team.While Miller amply recounts the on-the-field exploits and achievements that have made the Orioles one of baseball's premier clubs, his focus is what happened in the farm system and the front office to make those achievements possible.Armed with a rich historical perspective gained from extensive research in Orioles records and the sporting press, Miller provides an invaluable analysis of the issues facing the sport of baseball.The Baseball Business will be essential reading for all fans who want to understand the business of pursuing not only pennants but also profits. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 3177 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Bud Selig, Bill Veeck, Marvin Milkes, Frank Lane, Harry Dalton, Sal Bando, Reid Nichols, Larry Haney, Jim Baumer, Doug Melvin, Gord Ash, Jim Wilson, Dean Taylor, Dan O'brien, Wendy Selig-Prieb, Laurel Prieb. Excerpt:William Louis Veeck, Jr. (pronounced / v k/ , vek ; February 9, 1914 January 2, 1986), also known as " Sport Shirt Bill ", was a native of Chicago, Illinois , and franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball . He was best known for his flamboyant publicity stunts , and the innovations he brought to the league during his ownership of the Cleveland Indians , St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox . Veeck was the last owner to purchase a baseball franchise without an independent fortune, and is responsible for many significant innovations and contributions to baseball. In response to his critics, Veeck once said, "All I ever said is that you can draw more people with a losing team, plus bread and circuses, than with a losing team and a long, still silence." Early life While Veeck was growing up in Hinsdale, Illinois , his father, William Veeck, Sr. , became president of the Chicago Cubs . Veeck Sr. was a local sports writer who wrote several columns about what he'd do differently if he ran the Cubs, and the team's owner, William Wrigley Jr. , took him up on it. Growing up in the business, young Bill Veeck worked as a vendor, ticket seller and junior groundskeeper. Veeck attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. In 1933, when his father died, Veeck left Kenyon College and eventually became club treasurer for the Cubs. In 1937 Veeck planted the ivy that is on the outfield wall at Wrigley Field and was responsible for the construction of the hand-operated center field scoreboard still used. Milwaukee Brewers In 1941, Veeck left Chicago and purchased t... ... Read more

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1961 Official Chicago White Sox Yearbook. Includes Sox Coaching Staff Biographies. Individual player personal data, statistics b/w phtographs ... Read more