[Tony Kubek interviews Bill Veeck raw #4]

This tape features continued footage of an interview between Bill Veeck and sportscaster Tony Kubek for NBC, from the perspective of the crew for "A View From The Bleachers."

00:00Copy video clip URL Bars and tone.

00:35Copy video clip URL Video comes in, showing Veeck and Kubek sitting on the patio. Veeck begins the conversation by saying that sports reporting is not really about the game itself any more. Kubek responds by saying that some writers have begun to think that there’s not enough story in the game itself so they delve into the personal lives of players, which puts more pressure on players and is unfair to their privacy.

03:05Copy video clip URL Kubek talks about the different styles of sports writers, who have to match the philosophy of the paper they work for and the city they live in. Kubek says that writers choose their stories based on a minority of fans who write the letters to the editors. He comments on a number of good writers still out there, but says that the bad eggs unfortunately get too much attention. He also says that the writers don’t have the power to change the game itself, despite the fact that they have influence.

05:05Copy video clip URL Veeck questions whether it’s a national disservice to not put most of the emphasis on the game itself. Kubek agrees and calls baseball a “situation game.” He says that as a society, we can identify with baseball more than other sports because of the highs and lows and the pace of the game.

06:15Copy video clip URL Veeck asks about the escape that going to the ballpark brings. Kubek tells a story of how Casey Stengel told him that when he would get booed by a fan, while he thought the person was a terrible guy, he also felt that the fan has a right to boo because it’s a release for that person and that perhaps giving him that release makes him a better person. He continues by noting that despite difficult times, baseball is an “isle of normalcy” that people seek and need even more during hard times.

8:35Copy video clip URL Kubek says that television has helped baseball because it has brought the game to more people. However, he criticizes the over-production of baseball, which distracts from the point of the game. He finishes by saying, “More is not better. Not where baseball is concerned.”

9:49Copy video clip URL End of tape.

 

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