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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Bill Veeck, Promoting Extrodinar

 













Bill Veeck was known as a very unique and unorthodox promoter for baseball games. He once advertised mimes to reenact previous plays and offered free vasectomy for a lucky fan. In 1946, Veeck became the owner of a major league team, the Cleveland Indians. He immediately put the team's games on radio. Which would give a chance for fans who are unable to witness the game be able to listen live and have the ability to keep up with the teams progress. The Indians moved to Cleveland Municipal Stadium permanently a year later in 1947. That year he signed Larry Doby as the first African-American player in the American League. That gave a chance not as a marketing promotion, but a publicity stunt. This also gave other African-Americans a chance to play for other teams. As in Milwaukee, Veeck took a unique approach to promotions, hiring Max Patkin, the "Clown Prince of Baseball", as a coach. Patkin's appearance in the coaching box delighted their fans and infuriated the front office of the American League. 

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