0304 - Mike Veeck
Mike Veeck is a former Major League Baseball executive and Minor League Baseball owner known for his creative sales, marketing, and promotions, including Disco Demolition Night. He is the son of Hall of Famer Bill Veeck. During our conversation, he referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Mike Veeck and me after recording our interview at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota
Veeck - As In Wreck
One of the most famous baseball autobiographies ever written, Veeck - As In Wreck is the first person telling of the chaotic career of baseball's incorrigible maverick
The Saint of Second Chances
The 2023 Netflix documentary is the story of how Mike Veeck, son of legendary Major League Baseball owner Bill Veeck, blows up his father's career and then spends the next few decades learning the value of a second chance.
Watch it as a companion piece to this episode, if you have the chance.
William Veeck, Sr.
William Louis Veeck Sr. was a newspaper writer in Chicago whose coverage of the Cubs led to him being offered a job with the team.
“Bill Bailey”
William Veeck wrote under the pseudonym “Bill Bailey” and was known for being tough but fair as a journalist.
William Wrigley, Jr.
Mr. Wrigley asked Veeck “if you’re so smart about how I ought to be running my baseball club, why don’t you come over here and run it?”
Veeck finished his lunch and then took Mr. Wrigley up on his offer.
(left to right) William Veeck, Joe McCarthy, and William Wrigley, Jr.
Respected
Although he wore a stiff collar and a tie every day to work, William Veeck still knew how to have fun, and was adamant about treating everyone with respect.
That approach made him one of the most beloved people in baseball, even by his competition.
He was also a visionary, enthusiastically promoting Ladies’ Days and the radio broadcasts of ball games, figuring — correctly — that fans would flock to his ballpark.
Margaret “Midge” Donahue
William Veeck made Midge Donahue the first woman to be promoted to an executive level in baseball when he appointed her to be the Cubs’ Club Secretary in 1926.
A Great Team
Donahue worked her way up the ladder, becoming the Cubs’ Vice President by the time her career ended in 1958.
This is a paycheck from early in her career.
Family Man
William with his wife, Grace, and their son, William Veeck, Jr., who they called Bill.
William taught Bill many valuable lessons about life and business through baseball.
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck Jr. was born in Chicago on February 9, 1914, to William Louis Veeck, Sr. and Grace Greenwood DeForest Veeck.
Young Bill began hanging around the ballpark at the age of 10, working as a vendor and ticket seller.
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.
Milwaukee Brewers
Before they had a Major League franchise, Milwaukee had a team in the American Association, called the Brewers.
Bill Veeck bought the team in 1940. They won 3 pennants in 5 years, and Bill sold the franchise in 1945.
Military Service
Bill served three years as a Marine during World War II. During his service, he suffered an injury to his leg which caused him to have his leg amputated above his knee and would force him to endure more than 35 surgeries over the course of his life.
While in the hospital, Bill would read a book a day about any and all subjects.
1942 Philadelphia Phillies
Veeck wrote that he tried to buy the bankrupt Philadelphia Phillies after the 1942 season, and intended to stock the team with black players, breaking organized baseball’s color line three years before Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers.
In his 1962 autobiography, he asserted that he had lined up financing and enlisted the promoter Abe Saperstein, owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, to help sign Negro Leagues stars. Veeck said he informed Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis of his plan as a courtesy, but that Landis and National League president Ford Frick thwarted him by arranging a quick sale of the Phillies to another buyer.
The controversial story has been debated for years as to whether it was true, but Veeck did end up breaking the color barrier in the American League in 1947 by signing Larry Doby.
Cleveland Indians
Bill bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946 and immediately made sure that all of the team’s games were broadcast on the radio. He also had the team start playing all of their games in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium in 1947 because it’s seating capacity of well over 70,000 dwarfed that of League Park.
Here he is with Bob Feller, who is signing his new contract.
Larry Doby
Larry Doby broke the color barrier in the American league on July 5, 1947, just 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in the Major Leagues.
Bill Veeck actually paid Effa Manley of the Newark Eagles, who was the Negro League team owner who had previously employed his new player.
Satchel Paige
Not just a publicity stunt, Veeck signed the great Satchel Paige in 1948. The team went on to set an attendance record that season, but whether it was 2.6 million (officially) or 3.4 million (unofficially) is up for debate.
1948 World Series Champions
More important than setting their franchise’s attendance record in the 1948 season, the team also won the World Series, thanks in large part to the contributions made by Larry Doby and Satchel Paige.
All That Jazz
Larry Doby and Bill Veeck bonded over their love of Jazz. The pair would even go to shows at juke joints together.
Bill enjoyed Louis Armstrong and Dixieland, while Larry - who was a more serious aficionado - enjoyed people like Miles Davis and Lionel Hampton (pictured).
Helen Doby
Jackie Robinson had handlers to make sure everything went smoothly on and off the field.
Larry Doby only had his wife, Helen Curvy Robinson. The two met as freshmen at Paterson’s Eastside High School and married in 1946 after he returned from three years serving in the Navy in World War II.
They lived in Paterson, but moved to Montclair, one of the state’s first integrated suburbs, after Paterson brokers refused to sell to them, and raised their five children there.
Joe Gordon
Larry Doby loved Joe Gordon until his dying day because Gordon was the only white player who went out of their way to play catch with Doby when he broke into the white Major Leagues.
“Then Joe Gordon, the second baseman who would become my friend, came up to me and asked, “Hey, rookie, you gonna just stand there or do you want to throw a little?’ I will never forget that man.”
Gordon also protected Doby, in more ways than one.
Maryfrances Veeck
Bill’s first wife, Eleanor, filed for divorce in 1949. To pay the settlement, Bill was forced to sell his share of the Cleveland Indians.
The following year, Bill married Maryfrances Ackerman, whose own background in marketing and promotions helped Veeck take things to the next level when he bought an 80% stake in the St. Louis Browns.
Grandstand Managers Day
This 1951 stunt saw Veeck hand out signs to fans at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis which said “YES” on one side, and “NO” on the other, and the game’s managerial decisions were put up to a fan vote.
Eddie Gaedel
One of Veeck’s most memorable stunts was sending 3’7” Eddie Gaedel to the plate in a game between the Browns and the Tigers in August of 1951. Bob Cain had the impossible task of trying to throw a strike to a man with a 1.5” strike zone.
Dave Stevens
Dave Stevens was a college athlete at Augsburg College where he played varsity football, baseball and wrestled. Mike Veeck took inspiration from his dad’s signing of Eddie Gaedel when he signed Stevens, who has no legs, to play minor league baseball for the St. Paul Saints in 1996.
Television Revenue Sharing
In 1952, Bill Veeck suggested that Major League teams should split the television revenue with the visiting clubs. He was shot down in the moment, but that concept was decades ahead of its time and would eventually be adopted.
Chicago White Sox
Bill bought the White Sox in 1959, immediately helping the team set an attendance record en route to a World Series appearance in his first year of ownership.
Here he is, getting the keys to his new workplace.
Norm and Larry Sherry
Mike was old enough to remember being at the 1959 World Series as a kid. His most lasting memory from the Series is how unbelievably well the Sherry brothers played.
1959 World Series
While the White Sox lost the 1959 World Series to the Dodgers, it was still a memorable one.
Games 3, 4 and 5 were the first World Series games played on the West Coast. The three games averaged over 90,000 fans — at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Game 5’s attendance of 92,706 is still a World Series record.
Ted Kluszewski
Ted Kluszewski was a true slugger. He cut his sleeves short to show off his muscles, and in the 1959 World Series he hit a home run so hard off the facade in Comiskey Park that it bounced all the way back to second base.
What more could a young fan ask for when looking for a player to be a fan of?
The 1959 Go-Go White Sox
With a mostly inept offense, it’s a wonder the Chicago White Sox made it to the 1959 World Series. Mike recalls Luis Aparicio leading off games getting on first base, stealing second, and then being driven home by Nellie Fox. “Then they wouldn’t score again for 3 innings.”
Here is the Go-Go Sox’s double-play combination on the August 10, 1959 cover of Sports Illustrated.
Going To Games As A Kid
Maryfrances Veeck, with son Mike, then 8 years old, cheering at opening day at Comiskey Park on April 14, 1959. She instilled in her children to be proud of their father, but never boast.
Alien Invasion At Comiskey Park
On May 26, 1959, Bill Veeck staged an “invasion” at Comiskey Park. Four little people dressed as Martians landed on the field via helicopter and captured White Sox stars Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio.
One of the little people was Eddie Gaedel, who had remained friendly with Bill Veeck almost a decade after their stunt in St. Louis.
Exploding Scoreboard
On April 28, 1960, Bill Veeck unveiled the “Exploding Scoreboard” at Comiskey Park. He got the idea for it after watching Jimmy Cagney in The Time Of Your Life.
The 130-foot scoreboard featured lights, sirens, a Sox-O-Gram message board, and multi-colored pinwheels. It cost $300,000 and opened to mixed reviews from journalists, fans, and opposing players and managers.
You can hear Bill talking about the scoreboard in a 1982 interview HERE.
The Infamous Shorts
Maryfrances Veeck was the original publicist for the Ice Capades, and used her experience in that capacity to help Bill run and market his baseball teams over the years.
She even helped design the shorts that the White Sox briefly wore during the 1976 season.
A Growing (And Traveling) Family
Bill and Maryfrances had 6 kids together. Not one of them was born in the same state.
Here is the family on July 22, 1961, leaving the Shoreland Hotel in Chicago on their way to Maryland. Pictured are Mike, 10, Marya, 6, Greg, 5 and Lisa, 2. Maryfrances, is holding daughter Juliana.
A Man Of The People
Mike said of his father, “If it made him laugh, and it made people he respected laugh, he would go with it.
“He ran his ball club as democratically as possible because he made decisions that would benefit the fans,” which endeared him to the fan base and made them more loyal than you could imagine.
Fans sent in money to the Sox once Bill Veeck came back for his second stint as owner. They were thanking him for coming back, and trying to entice him to keep the team in Chicago, as opposed to moving the team to Seattle, which was rumored. The Veecks donated the money to the Nellie Fox cancer fund, and obviously kept the team where it belongs.
Opening Day, 1976
On April 9th, at the White Sox home opener in the year of America’s bicentennial, (left to right) White Sox business manager Rudie Schaffer, field manager Paul Richards, and owner Bill Veeck dressed up in Revolutionary War garb and put on a show for the fans, singing the full version of the National Anthem as part of the day’s festivities.
Owner’s Kid
Mike was trying to make a name for himself, and prove to everyone in and around the organization (and, probably, to himself) that he wasn’t just hired because his dad owned the team.
He worked tirelessly, cleaning out the 57 storage rooms in Comiskey Park. He even volunteered to go down an elevator shaft to investigate a rumored murder. No bodies were down there, but he did find Shoeless Joe Jackson’s signed contract down there, which was then donated to the Hall of Fame.
First Saints Day
Marv Goldklang, Bill Murray, and Mike Veeck on their first day at the St. Paul Saints.
The Goldklang Group is a sports ownership and management group led by Marvin Goldklang which owns the Charleston RiverDogs of the Carolina League and the Pittsfield Suns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
They also owned the St. Paul Saints from 1993 to 2023.
On August 22, 2017, the Saints held the world's largest Twister game, with over 56,000 dots painted on the outfield grass.
The Bard’s Room
While there was never an official White Sox Archives, or a proper White Sox Museum where fans could appreciate the history of the franchise, The Bard’s Room at old Comiskey Park was an exclusive enclave for media and invited guests. It included owner/VIP dining, private dining, a centralized kitchen, and a lot of White Sox history.
Check out the work done by Brian Powers (@SportsBandbox on twitter) to see his digital recreation of multiple historic ballparks. His rendition of The Bard’s Room is seen here.
Center Field Shower
In 1978, Bill Veeck installed a shower in center field for the fans who wanted to cool off during hot games at Comiskey Park. Here he is, trying it out for himself.
On September 8, 1974, Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon. Before the televised event, he reached out to Bill Veeck to get advice on how to best promote and publicize the event.
Miller’s Pub
Many late nights have been spent sharing a drink and a laugh at Miller’s Pub in Chicago. Bill Veeck has his own corner there to this day, with multiple photographs of him hung on the wall.
Here he is at Miller’s Pub with another one of Chicago’s most famous bargoers, Harray Caray.
Following in his father’s footsteps, it was a late night at Miller’s Pub when Mike came up with the idea for Disco Demolition: “what if we had a night for people who hated disco?”
Disco Demolition Night
July 12, 1979. A date which will live in infamy.
Steve Dahl
The famous shock jock from Chicago’s WLUP was the emcee for the event.
(left to right) Steve Dahl, WLUP's Lorelei Shark, and Mike Veeck
Unprepared and Outnumbered
Mike told police to expect a crowd of about 35,000 people that night. The police laughed, thinking there was no way that many would show up.
Instead, 100,000 people showed up. 60,000 inside the stadium, and another 40,000 who couldn’t get in. The police were simply outnumbered.
Climbing The Fences
Some people suggest only 50,000 people were at Disco Demolition, but when you see the pictures of the stands full, fans covering the field, and even more literally climbing their way in over the fences because there wasn’t enough security to stop them, Mike’s estimate seems much more accurate.
Slow News Day?
While Disco Demolition was certainly a newsworthy event at the time, Mike wonders if it really necessitated 7 pages of coverage in the Chicago Tribune and 6 pages in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Mike also vehemently denies any homophobic, racist, or sexist intentions behind the event. It was simply intended to be a silly way to bring fans out to the park that got out of hand and has morphed into a completely different animal through the lens of today’s culture.
Justine Siegal
Justine Siegal became professional baseball’s first female coach, spending two months in the summer of 2009 as first-base coach with the Brockton Rox, an independent minor league baseball team in Brockton, Massachusetts.
Ila Borders
Ila Borders was the first female to receive a sports scholarship to play men's college baseball. She played 4 years and became the first woman to win a men's college baseball game.
Ila impressed the St. Paul Saints and Mike Veeck with her talent and determination, resulting in her becoming the first female to compete and win a men's professional baseball game. Ila played four years in professional baseball and is featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
St. Paul Saints
Going against all conventional wisdom, Mike decided to put the St. Paul Saints just 7 miles away from the 2-time World Series champion Minnesota Twins.
Seemingly even crazier, they were going to play their games in an outdoor stadium - again… in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Somehow, it all worked.
Miami Miracle
While with the Miracle, Mike tried to schedule an opportunity to get Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso an at bat in his 7th decade.
The Commissioner’s Office called and canceled the event the day of, claiming it wasn’t “in the best interest of baseball.”
Minnie Miñoso
The Veecks go back a long way with Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso. Here is Bill and Minnie sharing a laugh.
Make It Fun
How DID it work? Because of Mike’s unwavering insistence to make the ballpark fun. And to never take the game (or himself) too seriously.
Sister Ros
Sister Rosalind Gefre is a popular attraction with the St. Paul Saints. She can be seen giving massages at every game. She has been featured on television, in newspapers and magazines, and has given hundreds of speeches to groups. Known for her warmth, her caring, and her expression of God’s love through healing touch, her massage schools and clinics are based upon Christian principles.
There aren’t many words for this one, so I’ll just let you experience it for yourself. The musical stylings of Seigo Masubuchi.
A Full Trophy Case
For what many people initially thought would be a joke of a franchise that was bad for the sport, this sure is a pretty full trophy case.
From league championships to being honored multiple times as the Organization of the Year, the Saints proved there is more than one way to successfully run a baseball team.
After the Saints won the 2019 American Association Championship, the team threw a one block parade.
Twins AAA Affiliate
The Saints got the ultimate nod of approval from baseball when they were invited to become the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins after the reorganization of the Minor Leagues.
Mike and the Saints built a beautiful thing in the Saints and CHS Field in St. Paul.
Jesse Cole
A lot of people consider Jesse Cole of the Savannah Bananas to be a modern-day Bill Veeck.
Mike seems to agree, thinking that if his dad were around today, he would be all over TikTok and social media to grow his fan base the way Jesse has.
Times Were Different
And the money was different. Bill Veeck would help around the stadium because there might not have been enough money to just hire someone else to do things.
Here he is helping the grounds crew, because that’s what needed to be done.
Whatever It Takes
How many current owners do you think would to clean the seats at their ballpark, like Bill is doing in this photo at Comiskey Park in 1959.
With Bill Veeck, it wasn’t even a question. But with the economic barrier to become an owner being as high as it is, you just don’t have the same type of people running clubs today.
The Every-man
Bill Veeck never thought he was better than anyone else, and he never took himself too seriously.
Mike’s Relationship With His Father
In recent years, Mike has come to realize how much Bill taught him. About business, about baseball, about life.
Here they are together, slightly earlier in Mike’s life.
Like Father, Like Son
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, whether you like it or not sometimes.
Hall Of Fame
Not everyone may have agreed with every decision Bill Veeck made, or the way he went about doing things sometimes, but you can’t argue with results. This plaque proves his lasting impact on the game, and on society.
Bill Veeck was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
Keep Up With Mike Online
Site of Old Comiskey Park’s Home Plate
I’ve been there a time or two. The area immediately surrounding it got a face lift in 2023, so if you haven’t been recently, or you’ve never been, make sure you go get some new pictures.
The Aroma of Comiskey Park
Back when people were allowed to smoke in public, people would bring their cigars and pipes to the ballgame. That aroma seeped into the fabric of the stadiums, and became just as recognizable a smell as the grass or the hot dogs.
SABR 51 in Chicago
The 51st SABR Convention was my first, and it was something I’ll never forget. Held over a handful of days at the legendary Palmer House in Chicago, it was at the convention where I met Mike Veeck and he agreed to sit down with me for an interview.
William Veeck, Sr.
William may have been all business most of the time, but he still liked to have fun.
Weeghman Park
Originally built for Chicago’s Federal League team, the Cubs of the National League moved in after the league folded. It was renamed Wrigley Field in 1927, but before that it was known as Weeghman Park, after Charles Weeghman. In this postcard from 1914, the second deck had not yet been added to the stadium.
Rogers Hornsby
It would not be inaccurate to call the 1929 Cubs team president William L. Veeck’s crowning achievement.
Arguably baseball’s strongest franchise — even the Ruth/Gehrig New York Yankees could not have been rated higher at this juncture — the Cubs had been built player by player over a decade by Veeck, with assistance from keen scout Jack Doyle. The last building block came aboard, thanks to owner William Wrigley, Jr.’s impetus and healthy checkbook, via second baseman Rogers Hornsby. Few could even dream to match up with the Cubs’ lineup, anchored by Hornsby and Hack Wilson, and backed by a Big Four pitching rotation led by Charlie Root.
Advocate For Women
Midge Donahue was valued and respected by William Veeck. Her opinions mattered, and her input was welcomed.
Donahue and Veeck are seen here in a Quaker Oats ad which appeared in the May 10, 1930 issue of the Saturday Evening Post.
Civil Rights Advocate
William’s son, Bill, was just as courageous in speaking out on behalf of (and employing) people whose voices were not traditionally represented.
Here he is shaking hands with Larry Doby, who he signed in 1947 to break the color barrier in the American League. The two became genuine friends off the field, and their families are still in touch.
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham’s extraordinary leadership skills were made manifest when he became the director of works at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Burnham & Root were named consulting architects. When Root died suddenly in January of 1891, Burnham assumed responsibility for overseeing and completing construction for some 150 buildings on more than 600 acres of land.
Daniel Burnham is famously quoted as saying "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized."
Effa Manley
Effa Manley co-owned the Newark Eagles with her husband, Abe. In 2006 the Special Committee on Negro Leagues elected her to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for her work as a baseball executive. As of 2019, she was the only woman inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Veecks and The Comiskeys
The two families go way back, and their names will forever be linked.
White Sox owner Charles Comiskey sits with William Veeck in this 1920 photo.
St. Paul Saints
The Chicago White Sox organization actually started AS the St. Paul Saints in the Western League. Charles Comiskey bought the team, moved them to Chicago, the Western League became the American League, and the rest is history.
You can see and read about some of that history at the City Of Baseball Museum at CHS Field in St. Paul.
George Halas
Before he helped form the NFL and owned the Chicago Bears, George Halas was a highly rated prospect going into his 1919 rookie season with the New York Yankees. But Halas’ major-league debut was delayed when he injured a hip during a spring-training game, and baseball just didn’t pan out for him.
Graig Kreindler’s portrait of the one-time St. Paul Saints player is on display at the City of Baseball Museum at CHS Field in St. Paul.
John Allyn
The Allyn Brothers (John and Arthur, Jr.) were co-owners of the Chicago White Sox from 1961 through 1969. John then became the sole principal owner from 1969 through 1975 before selling the team to Bill Veeck.
Here, John Allyn smokes a cigar with Bill Veeck.
Bill Veeck Quotes
“This world would be better if more people didn’t take it too seriously.”
“There are only two seasons: winter, and baseball.”
Leaving His Imprint
Bill Veeck made his mark on the game of baseball, to an extant that most people don’t even realize. But he also made a huge impact on the city, the people, and the culture of Chicago.
Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame
The Indians unveiled their own team Hall of Fame in 1951. They put it up to a fan vote to decide who would be the inaugural 10 people to be inducted, and the fans decided Shoeless Joe Jackson would be one of the 10.
Read more about the all-but-forgotten Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame HERE.
Steve Dahl & Garry Meier
One of Chicago’s most legendary broadcast duos, Steve Dahl and Garry Meier first worked together in 1979 at WLUP-FM, where Meier was an overnight disc jockey and Dahl was establishing himself as a brash, blunt, provocative comedic personality.
The two established an instant rapport and a talent for controversy, most notably in July 1979, when they hosted the chaotic “Disco Demolition Night” at Comiskey Park.
Disco Demolition Night
Revisionist history has made that event into something it was never intended to be.
It Was A Movement
It didn’t even necessarily have to do with the music being good or bad, or the clothes being good or bad, or the dancing being good or bad… many people were simply fed up with disco being everywhere, all the time, and shoved down their throats.
Believe It Or Not…
This photo shows how Disco Demolition was SUPPOSED to go!
Not Like This
When the fans realized there were more of them than there were police officers, security guards, and ushers, there wasn’t much left stopping a full blown riot from happening.
The Wreckage
Steve Dahl poses with a dumpster full of broken records.
Cooler Heads Prevail?
Bill Veeck tries to discuss the options for a possible game 2 of the doubleheader, but everyone’s safety was top priority. Players, staff, and fans, alike.
Partners, In Every Sense Of The Word
Maryfrances and Bill Veeck on April 9, 1960, at 333 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago
Darryl Strawberry
Mike gave Darryl Strawberry his “second chance” by signing him to play with the St. Paul Saints when no other professional team was willing to take a chance on him.
Darryl told Mike Veeck “you taught me to love the game again.”
Eddie Gaedel
Eddie salutes the crowd after his one and only game in Major League Baseball, playing for Bill Veeck’s St. Louis Browns.
Unlikeliest of Friends
Despite their differences at first glance, Dave Stevens and Darryl Strawberry shared a unique bond during Darryl’s time with the St. Paul Saints.
Love Boats
The Saints gave away these little yellow rubber boats before their May 27, 2006 game to honor the TV show The Love Boat … allegedly.
National Hot Dog Day
On July 23, 2011, the Saints handed out boxer shorts with an image on the front of a blue bird taking a photo of a wiener with his phone to celebrate National Hot Dog Day … allegedly.
Vasectomy Night
One of the promotions that was too much to go through with, even for a Veeck.
Are you guys sick of these Disco Demolition photos yet because I have like 50 more I’m choosing not to post.
Okay, last one, I promise. This is the grounds crew cleaning up the debris and replacing the sod the day after Disco Demolition Night. Looking at the shape of the field, there’s absolutely no way the two teams could have safely played a game on it. Forget about, you know, the riot that was happening. The White Sox officially forfeited Game 2 to the Tigers.
August 10, 1995
The most recent forfeit in Major League Baseball occurred when Dodgers fans threw giveaway baseballs onto the field to protest some close calls in the team’s game against the Cardinals on August 10, 1995.
June 13, 1924
From the New York Times:
“The game between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers came to an unexpected end this afternoon when 18,000 spectators stormed the field and started a riot which involved the police, the players and the employees of the park. It was a free-for-all fight, with the police, endeavoring to distinguish rival fighters, only making the fight more complicated and more intense.”