[Veeck: A Man For Any Season raw #33]

This tape features a lecture by Bill Veeck at Northeastern Illinois University in April 1985. This footage was shot for use in the documentary "Veeck: A Man For Any Season."

00:00Copy video clip URL The tape begins with a black screen.

00:05Copy video clip URL Shot of an audience that has gathered in the auditorium at Northeastern Illinois University to see Bill Veeck speak.

00:40Copy video clip URL John County, the Provost and Academic Vice President for Northeastern, introduces himself and then introduces Professor Steve Reese.

01:57Copy video clip URL Steve Reese takes the podium and discusses the city of Chicago’s checkered past in regards to athletic participation. He recounts Chicago’s sports history, talking specifically about baseball and boxing.  His speech is cut off in a few different places.

05:22Copy video clip URL Steve Reese concludes his speech and brings up Johnathan Stein of Inland Steel.

05:32Copy video clip URL Jonathan Stein introduces guest speaker Bill Veeck, then proceeds to give a little bit of Veeck’s history and legacy to the crowd.

08:33Copy video clip URL Stein concludes his speech about Veeck, then calls for him to step up to the podium to speak.

09:00Copy video clip URL Bill Veeck walks up to the podium to an auditorium of applause. “That was a lovely introduction,” Veeck says to Stein. “You delivered it just as I wrote it!” He goes on to talk about his history and experience with Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field in Chicago, likening Wrigley Field’s past to present day society. “It has been cut into pieces . . . it has been added to and subtracted from . . . and yet, it has survived.”

11:10Copy video clip URL “If you want a good parlay, don’t take the Chicago teams,” Veeck says. He then explains that the reason he does not believe that the Cubs will win the pennant that year is due to the Cubs’ lack of top quality players.

12:49Copy video clip URL Veeck recalls his history with Chicago, from the time he first met George Halas to dance-a-thons during the great depression. Veeck proceeds to express his fondness for talking about “bad” baseball teams, citing the St. Louis Browns as an example. He tells an anecdote about a time when he was selling tickets for a Browns game, and a person from out of town wanted 8 tickets, asking for the best seats in the house. “Would you like to sit at second base?” Veeck said. “We’re not using it this year!”

14:47Copy video clip URL Tape ends while Veeck is in the middle of a story about the Browns.