Day 11–Baseball HOF and Farmer’s Museum

“Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth”–Roberto Clemente (I found this quote at the Baseball Hall of Fame in an exhibit honoring him; I have had this same quote on the wall of my classroom for the past three years)

As much as I genuinely enjoyed the Farmer’s Museum, I want to talk baseball.  The topic of “Character” and the accompanying lesson plans (Rookie Level) from the website presented to us earlier today is something I would like to use in my classroom this coming school year.

However, I want to talk about the second worst baseball promotion ever.  Some of you fans (and non-fans, for that matter) may have already heard about the Cleveland Indians’ 10-cent Beer Night.  All I can say is that that one got so out of hand some people actually may have feared for their lives.  Number 2 on the list was Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in Chicago, home of the White Sox, back in 1979.  I know a lot more about this one.

Because I was there.

A local DJ named Steve Dahl had an anti-disco diatribe going on his radio show, on a rock station (FM 98).  He had already held anti-disco rallies at a few local disco clubs in the Chicago area and the response had been phenomenal.  So the White Sox promotions director thought they could get a few extra fans to a game (the Sox were terrible that year) by inviting any fan into the park who brought a disco record and 98 cents (remember, FM 98?) and all the records would go into an incinerator to be blown up by Dahl between games of a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers.  The promotions guy was Mike Veeck, whose father, Sox owner Bill Veeck, had once staged promotions like sending a midget up to bat (he walked, by the way).  Veeck also planted the ivy on the outfield walls when HIS father ran the Cubs!  So, anyhow, my friend and I head down to the park by motorcycle with our disco records (fortunately, we took our helmets into the park, which would be a great idea because of what happened later).  We sit out in left field, and even though the place was packed, NOBODY is watching the game or reacting to it.  It was a crowd who couldn’t care less about the ballgame and were drinking prodigous amounts of beer.  In those days, there there was no limit how many you could buy at a time.  I remember a guy in line in front of me –with a real glazed look on his face–buying and stacking and carrying at least 20 beers.  The Tigers had nobody warming up in the bullpen because whenever a player stepped out to warm up (the bullpen area was near us), he would have scores of m-80 firecrackers thrown at him.  The game finally ends.  Steve Dahl comes out riding in an army jeep, incinerator in tow.  He blows up the records and huge cheering results.  And then thousands of people LEAP out of the stands onto the field!  They start tearing it apart. One of the foul poles is on fire. A big bonfire is going out in centerfield.  people are running everywhere.  Bill Veeck–THE TEAM OWNER– Actually goes out onto the field to calm things down, which is pretty brave considering he lost a leg in the Pacific Theater in WWII and now has a fake wooden one in its place!  It doesn’t work.  A door opens behind home plate. Dozens of policemen on HORSEBACK come riding towards the people to get them off the field, and they finally do leave, scattering like rats.  Meanwhile, its still crazy in the stands. People are throwing empty metal kegs out on the field or back into the stands.  My friend and I put on our helmets and slowly move out of the line of fire.  Finally, the carnage ceases, and the field is cleared (typical Sox fans–they missed taking third base).  The second game is forfeited, as the field is unplayable.  Later, as my friend and I head toward the exits, we see people actually climbing over the gates STILL TRYING to get in!  Steve Dahl lays low, though to this day he continues to be a popular Chicago DJ.  Mike Veeck was last seen running the St. Paul Saints, an independent minor-league baseball team (one of his co-owners is Bill Murray).  His dad, Bill Veeck, continued to run the Sox a few more years, adding other features such as a shower in the centerfield bleachers, as well as a barber in the same place (Veeck, by the way, was the originator of the exploding scoreboard, a piece of which is in the Hall of Fame).  And the Sox continue to lose often.

What a great time!

Advertisement