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Veeck Undertaking Severe Challenge Ex-Cleveland Boss Faces Task of Turning Leagues Top Liability Into Asset By STEVE SNIDER United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 22.— Bill Veeck once wrote a pamphlet on "How to Fill Your Ball Park With Customers." Anyone have a spare copy? Veeck may need it. If his deal for the sorry St. Louis Browns goes through on schedule, sport shirt Willie will be facing the greatest challenge of his flamboyant career. The club has been a drain on American League financial resources and the target of cruel but largely deserved baseball jokes for. too many years. Veeck is regarded as a promotion genius — and for good reason. But is genius enough to save the Browns? Willie obviously thinks so. In his blueprint for box-office success, the key is this : "Have a winning team and treat your customers as guests." But he also admits he swiped a lot of ideas from Olsen and Johnson, the stage zanies. He saw one of their shows 20 times. Thats where he got such ideas as giving away cakes of ice and live pigs as prizes in contests among his fans at Milwaukee and Cleveland. "I cant afford to be dignified," he said once. "Im in business to make it pay." Winning teams are as vital to Veeck as fireworks. Putting a winner into St. Louis isnt exactly an overnight event, but the tremendous success of the Chicago White Sox, which surged from a dead stop to box office dynamite in just two seasons, shows what can be achieved by energetic front office direction. First Splash at Milwaukee Veeck made his first baseball splash at Milwaukee with his old pal from the Chicago Cubs, Charlie Grimm, as co-comedian. Veeck grew up around Wrigley Field, Chicago, where his father once was guiding hand and young Bill stayed on the staff after his fathers death. After Milwaukee, it was the Cleveland Indians in 1946, also a June deal. He shuffled and re-shuffled the Indians, and zingo, had em a pennant in 1948. And a World Series victory, too. As he was building his world championship team, Veeck brought out his fireworks, baby-sitters, brass bands and orchids from Hawaii. He had "Gus Q. Fan Night" and greased pig races, along with winning baseball. The Indians drew so many customers one season the daily average actually was larger than the normal capacity of major league parks at St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. There may be some baseball men who hate Veecks theories and would prefer to see him sitting it out as he has been since leaving the Indians in 1949. But its a cinch he has made most clubs promotion conscious. Even the once staid New York Yankees have put on such dandy little extra items as fashion shows, golf contests and tennis exhibitions before a night game. It started when Larry MacPhail was trying to out-do Veeck. But it continued after MacPhail left the Yankees. For all he has done to spread baseball interest among potential ticket-buyers, Veeck admits it isnt enough. "If you draw a million fans one year it actually means youve drawn only 100,000 fans 10 different times," he said. "That isnt a very good batting average. I feel baseball has been the least progressive of all forms of entertainment." In promotion, that is.
