[Veeck: A Man For Any Season raw #15]

Raw footage of Bill Veeck in the bleachers at Wrigley Field shot for "Veeck: A Man for Any Season."

00:00Copy video clip URL Veeck sits in the bleachers and prepares to continue the interview.

01:11Copy video clip URL Veeck tells about his first memories of the park, when he used to sell things at the concessions. He tells the story of how he would work in the pop tank, stacking soft drinks and putting them on ice. From there, he tells of his tenure studying design in order to reconstruct concession stands. He talks about how things like concession stands and ball parks are often designed for aesthetics but not for practicality, and they don’t consult those who work in these venues to make their plans.

06:23Copy video clip URL Veeck tells the story of his connection to Jimmy Hoffa in taking a look at the plans for a stadium for the Washington Redskins. He points out that they didn’t have any cross aisles and there were no concession stands in the plans. He goes on to speak of the inadequacy of the restrooms in the old ball parks. He points out that in 1959, when he bought the White Sox, there was no women’s restroom in the bleachers. He claims that because of the rise in women as spectators, there has been a demand for more adequate facilities. He says that this is the most important thing next to having a winning team.

12:55Copy video clip URL He talks about the flagpole footings in Wrigley, which are very wide, as opposed to being deep. He says that in old ball parks, you have the same plumbers and electricians because nobody else could figure out how these old parks are put together.

15:30Copy video clip URL Weinberg asks him how he would design a new park with all he knows about these matters. Veeck claims that he’d build it on top of a shopping center, which would help offset costs such as taxes and parking lots. He goes on to tell of a creative idea he once had to offer laundry service at the ball park, so that people could drop off their laundry and have it done while they watch the game. He also says he’d have a retractable roof to have real grass, and calls artificial turf an “abomination.”

18:28Copy video clip URL End of tape.