There’s plenty of history between Bill Veeck and his son Mike, so I’ve looked into the multi-talented entrepreneur and his whereabouts. The subject matter might have passed you by unless you are a baseball fan. Bill Veeck was the legendary name behind all the shenanigans and giveaways at ballparks. Fans were provided with theme nights, fireworks, and excitement; Bill was behind much of it.
However, things would suddenly nosedive after one particular event when Bill’s son Mike would mastermind the now notorious Disco Demolition Night on July 12th, 1979.
Who is Mike Veeck, and where is he now?
According to the Fun is Good website, “Mike Veeck is a nationally renowned speaker, entrepreneur, college professor, philanthropist, marketing, promotions and customer care expert and owner of multiple minor league baseball clubs.” Mike is the son of Bill and Mary Frances Veeck and was born in Tucson, Arizona, on March the 5th, 1951.
Mike would go on to found Fun Is Good, a consulting firm that aims to help organizations and businesses across the US. Mike and his Fun Is Good partners include nationally recognized speakers and industry experts who deliver inspiring, fun, and actionable keynote speeches, seminars, and workshops.
In addition to monitoring the business, 72-year-old Mike Veeck is still involved in baseball and is a co-owner of a few minor-league baseball clubs. He is also a restaurant owner and still travels, delivering speeches, sometimes internationally, to interested clients and foundations.
Mike Veeck (Credit – Announcing Awful)
What did Mike Veeck do?
Mike was behind the promotion known as Disco Demolition Night on July 12th, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The promotion involved the blowing up of a crate filled with disco records on the baseball field in Chicago.
The game was between The Chicago White Sox and The Detroit Tigers, but the stunt was a disaster that led to a riot on the field. Thousands of fans ran onto the field after the stunt was carried out, causing all manner of mayhem and refusing to leave.
With the field badly damaged by the explosion and the riot, the White Sox were forced to forfeit the game to the Tigers. The stunt was to represent the backlash against the disco scene at the time and involved a local shock jock.
People were encouraged to provide vinyl disco records to be added to the crate that would explode between games. The idea was to boost attendees and a discounted price of admission, and the announced spectacle certainly swelled the numbers, but the event seemed ill-judged.
With many of the crowd holding signs that said things like “Disco Sucks,” it could be argued that the anti-disco event was cynical and discriminatory in its nature. The explosion would cause all kinds of damage, the crowd even more, and police would struggle to contain the number of people who ran onto the field.
Bill Veeck would try his best to diffuse the situation in the aftermath, but his son Mike, who was really behind the event, would take the brunt of the attacks afterward, announcing later he did not want to be involved in the business anymore.
He eventually resigned from the White Sox in 1980, and his father, Bill, later sold the team.
I also found out that Mike and Bill Veeck are subject to the Netflix documentary, The Saint of Second Chances.
More Real Life Stories:
