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Hall of Fame team owner Bill Veeck had baseball in his blood. He grew up around America’s game as the son of his namesake father, William Louis Veeck Sr., the Chicago Cubs’ president from 1919-1933. Under his father’s leadership the Cubs won the National League Pennant in 1929 and 1932. Though the two men shared the same name and a love of baseball, the similarities stopped there.

According to Warren Corbett’s SABR biography, “..the two could not have been less alike. William Veeck was a starchy, formal gentleman, the perfect picture of establishment dignity. Junior famously never wore a necktie, had wild, kinky, reddish hair that won him the nickname Burrhead, and spent his life tilting at every establishment windmill in sight.”

Shown here is a Cubs paycheck to Grover Cleveland Alexander. Dated May 31, 1920, it is signed at the bottom by Bill Veeck in his position as team president. For more on Alexander, click here.

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When Jackie Robinson debuted for the Dodgers on April 15, 1947, he broke baseball’s color barrier. On July 2nd the same year, Indians owner Bill Veeck helped integrate the American by signing Negro League star Larry Doby.

Seeing what Jackie Robinson was going through, Veeck knew what was ahead for Doby. When Doby met the Indians owner, Veeck spoke to the young player about what to expect.

“You’re going to certainly go through same things that he went through because you’re involved in a thing where there has never been a man of Black nationality involved,” Veeck told Doby. “If it’s been lily-white all these years, you’re certainly not going to be welcome or greeted with open arms.”

Doby understood and accepted this. “These are part of being a pioneer in this particular situation, and most pioneers have to suffer some things before people recognize what you’ve done or how you’ve done it,” Doby said in the Kentucky interview.

Shown here is a historic letter written by Indians pitcher Bob Feller to his wife Virginia. Notice the envelope with the Cleveland postmark of July 3, 1947, the day after Doby signed with the Indians.

Feller writes in part, “Honey, I was held up last nite with the radio show – getting O’Neill on and I had to wait for Gibbons (as usual) he was in the press conference concerning the Negro player the Indians signed. Guess it was quite a session.”

Feller penned this the same day Doby first donned a big league uniform to break the color barrier in the American League. Few could have imagined the impact Doby’s signing would have on the game and American society.

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Larry Doby left the Newark Eagles after the July 2nd contest. At the time of his departure he led the Eagles in most offensive categories. In 30 games played his numbers included 8 homers, 41 RBI, a .354 average, .438 on-base percentage, and a .743 slugging mark.

Doby played in 29 games for the Tribe in his first year in Cleveland. Along the way he acclimated himself to the trial and tribulations that came with being the league’s first African-American player. Doby entered spring training in ’48 with a better understanding of the challenges ahead. Soon he began a Hall of Fame ascent.

Through his first 13 games of the season, Doby hit .286 with 5 homers and 14 runs batted in. He finished the year with a .301 average and a 135 OPS+, helping the Indians win the World Series.

During his 13-year big league career, Doby hit 20 or more homers eight times. Twice he led the AL in long balls. The outfielder made the All Star Game every season from 1949-1955. During that 7-year run he slashed .286/.394/.505 with a 146 OPS+, averaging 27 homers and 95 RBI per season.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Shown here is the second page of Bob Feller’s letter from Doby’s first day in a big league uniform. In the correspondence he writes, “Have to…get my back worked on and see [Indians owner Bill] Veeck about some stuff.”

After missing the chance to call his wife the previous day because of the Doby announcement, Feller was eager to speak to her.

“Honey, hope you call tonight as I will be in all evening…” Feller closes the letter, “I love you Doll.” He then signs the letter “Bobby”.

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According to the Hall of Fame’s website, Feller once said of Doby, “He was a great American, he served the country in World War II, and he was a great ballplayer. He was kind of like Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, because he was the second African-American player in the majors behind Jackie Robinson. He was just as good of a ballplayer, an exciting player, and a very good teammate. ”

The image above shows the telegram Bob Feller sent to his wife. It mirrors the content of the letter.

“DEAREST DOLL DUE TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND MAKING RADIO SHOW AFTER GAME COULD NOT TALK TO YOU PLEASE CALL THURSDAY NIGHT AFTER 9PM LOTS OF LOVE BOBBIE”

Feller had little idea of the impact the signing of Doby would have not only on baseball, but on the American Civil Rights movement as a whole.

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Bill Veeck was known as a showman who pushed the envelope with his promotions and publicity stunts. Perhaps his most famous stunt was the signing of 3’7″ Eddie Gaedel.

The diminutive Gaedel walked in his only Major League plate appearance on August 19, 1951. Here Veeck signs a 3×5 card with the specifics of Gaedel’s on-day big league career.

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Imagine the surprise on the face of pitcher Bob Cain when 3’7″ Eddie Gaedel stepped to the plate with bat in hand. Working with a minute strike zone, Cain walked Gaedel on four pitcher.

Later in life, Cain sent out Christmas cards much like the one above. Cain has signed this card as well.

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Mostly remembered for the day he pitched to Eddie Gaedel, Bob Cain was a five-year big league veteran who pitched in 140 Major League games.

Here is a 3×5 card signed by Cain in which he adds the notation, “I pitched to Eddie Gaedel”. A willing signer through the mail, Cain died in 1997.

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Frank Saucier could barely lift his arm the day that Eddie Gaedel played his lone Major League game. Nevertheless, Saucier’s name was penciled in batting lead off and playing right field. After an uneventful top of the first, Saucier was due to bat first for the Browns. It was then that Eddie Gaedel gained his fame, walking on four pitches from Bob Cain.

Saucier has signed this index card adding the notation, “Frank Saucier, the injured player for whom Eddie Gaedel pinch hit, Aug 18, 1951”. Saucier was an outstanding hitter in the minor leagues and owner of the highest batting average in pro baseball when he hit .446 for Wichita Falls in 1949. The minor league success did not translate to the big league level as he played just one year and batted 1-for-14 for the 1951 St. Louis Browns.

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After Gaedel walked Browns’ manager Zack Taylor lifted the 3’7″ player and replaced him with Jim Delsing.

Here Delsing has autographed an index card and added the notation, “Pinch Runner for Eddie Gaedel“. Delsing enjoyed a ten-year career as an outfielder for five teams. He passed away in 2006.

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Shown here is a 1951 Bowman reprint baseball card autographed by Jim Delsing, the pinch runner for Eddie Gaedel. Delsing’s professional baseball career ran from 1942-1960 with ten seasons in the Major Leagues. His final career big league numbers include a .255 average, 40 homers, and 286 runs batted in.

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Maverick baseball owner Bill Veeck bought the St. Louis Browns in 1951 and brought his unorthodox promotions to the forefront in August of the same year when he signed 3’7″ Eddie Gaedel.

In this letter, dated less than a year after Gaedel made his famous pinch-hitting appearance, Veeck writes this letter to a fan saying in part, “The motto I find most inspiring is ‘Success comes in cans, failure in can’ts’, Sincerely Bill Veeck”.

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A charter member of the American League in 1901 as the Milwaukee Brewers, the franchise moved to St. Louis after the 1901 season. They remained in St. Louis as the Browns for 52 years.

Hall of Fame executive Bill Veeck owned the St. Louis Browns in their final three seasons before they moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles.

In the collection is this handwritten letter from Ed Mickelson who enjoyed a nine-year career as a professional ball player. Though he appeared in only 12 games for the Browns, Mickelson holds a special place in the team’s history.

He writes, “My biggest thrill was driving in the last run for the St. Louis Browns, 9/27/53. This was in the last game that will ever be played by the St. Louis (sic) because the next year they moved to Baltimore – ’54 and became the Orioles.”

Mickelson has signed the bottom of the correspondence.

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Bill Veeck gave Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa his first big league job when he hired him to pilot the White Sox on August 3, 1979. Sox owner Bill Veeck wrote this letter to a fan the day after La Russa gained win #14 on his way to 2,728 career victories. Veeck writes, “Like you, we feel Tony La Russa is doing a fine job and the players are responding to him.”

Players would continue to respond favorably throughout his 33-year Hall of Fame managerial career.

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In the collection is an autographed page taken from Albert Goodwill Spalding’s book, “America’s National Game”. It is signed, “To Mr. Wm. L Veeck with compliments of AG Spalding, New York, Oct. 21, 1911”.

The man it’s inscribed to is Bill Veeck Sr., father of the Hall of Fame owner who bears his name. Veeck Sr. was a Chicago sportswriter when Cubs owner William Wrigley Jr. hired him as vice presidents of the Cubs in 1917.

After the team won the pennant in the following season, Veeck was promoted to the club’s presidency. An innovator himself, Veeck Sr. was an early proponent of Ladies’ Day and of baseball broadcasts on radio.

Four years after receiving the book, the elder Veeck would see the birth of his namesake and future Hall of Fame owner.

Albert Goodwill Spalding began his association with Major League baseball in 1871. As a pitcher, Spalding won 252 career games and established the record for career winning percentage that still stands. He continued his career as a manager and executive and was the co-founder of Spalding Sporting Goods. He is credited with being the first well-known player to use a fielding glove in 1877.

Later with William Hulbert, Spalding organized the National League. He later called for the commission that investigated the origins of baseball and credited Abner Doubleday with creating the game. He also wrote the first set of official baseball rules

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With all the shenanigans Bill Veeck came up with, fellow owners

Bill Veeck often anger his fellow owners with the different stunts he pulled. Despite their feelings, the showman gained baseball’s highest honor when he was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Pictured here is an invitation to Veeck’s induction on July 21, 1991. The team owner was a Veterans Committee selection along with Yankee standout Tony Lazzeri.

The pair was joined by writers’ picks 314-game winner Gaylord Perry, Rod Carew of the 3,000-hit club, and 7-time 20-game winner Fergie Jenkins.

Carew signed the back of this invitation and inscribed a nice note to the scout who signed him to his first pro contract. That can be seen on Carew’s page by clicking here.