Now that spring training has begun in earnest, it is time to celebrate and recognize Bill Veeck as not only a great contributor to the sport of baseball, but as a great human being as well. Veeck was the owner of the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, the major league Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and Chicago White Sox. He was a man of the people, mixed with the fans in the cheap seats, and always kept his name in the phone book, so that if anyone wanted to talk with him, they could. He was also the originator of some of the greatest promotions in baseball, including putting a midget, Eddie Gaedell, up to bat during a St. Louis Browns doubleheader. It was Bill Veeck, by the way, who brought spring training to Arizona. He signed the first black baseball player in the American League, Larry Doby, to a contract in 1947, but found out that the hotels in Florida would not allow Doby to stay with the rest of the team. Outraged, Veeck got a few other teams to join him and they moved their training camps to Arizona. Thanks for everything, Bill!
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