Notable people · Baseball · Team Owner · Promoter
William Louis 'Bill' Veeck Jr.
Bill Veeck owned the Cleveland Indians from 1946 to 1949. He signed Larry Doby in July 1947, making Doby the American League's first Black player, and the 1948 Indians won the World Series with record attendance. He was born and died in Chicago.
At a glance
- Born
- 1914-02-09
- Died
- 1986-01-02
- Education
- Phillips Academy, Andover, MA
- Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, to 1933, left without degree
- Known as
- Baseball, Team Owner, Promoter
- Organizations
- Cleveland Indians
Life story
Bill Veeck was born in Chicago in 1914 and grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois. His father ran the Chicago Cubs. He attended Phillips Academy and Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and left Kenyon in 1933 after his father died to work for the Cubs.
He is known for showmanship: in 1937 he proposed ivy on the Wrigley Field walls, and in 1940 he bought the Milwaukee Brewers.
In 1946 he bought the Cleveland Indians. In July 1947 he signed Larry Doby, the first Black player in the American League, and in 1948 Cleveland won the World Series.
He later owned the St. Louis Browns and the White Sox, wrote three books with Ed Linn, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991. He died in Chicago in 1986.
Timeline
- 1914-02-09: Born (Chicago, IL) source
- 1933: Leaves Kenyon College; joins Cubs (Chicago, IL) source
- 1940: Buys Milwaukee Brewers (Milwaukee, WI) source
- 1946: Becomes owner of Cleveland Indians (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1947-07: Signs Larry Doby (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1948: Indians win World Series (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1951-08-19: Eddie Gaedel appearance with the Browns (St. Louis, MO) source
- 1962: Veeck as in Wreck published (United States) source
- 1979-07-12: Disco Demolition Night (Chicago, IL) source
- 1986-01-02: Dies (Chicago, IL) source
What William is known for
- Owner of the 1948 World Series champion Cleveland Indians
- Signed Larry Doby, breaking the AL color barrier, 1947
- Veeck as in Wreck (1962, with Ed Linn)
- The Hustler's Handbook (1965)
- Thirty Tons a Day (1972)
Inventions and firsts
Honors and things named for them
- Baseball Hall of Fame, 1991 (Veterans Committee)
- Bob Feller Act of Valor Award (2013)
Family
- father: William Veeck Sr.
- son: Mike Veeck
- wife: Eleanor Raymond
- wife: Mary Frances Ackerman
- colleague: Larry Doby
Ohio places
Where William Louis 'Bill' Veeck Jr. was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44114 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.
- Bill Veeck (Wikipedia) life, honors, works