Sox hire Bill Veeck's grandson

[kba]

This article is a couple weeks old, but I haven't seen it posted here:

Bill Veeck's 26-year-old grandson -- and Mike Veeck's son -- is now working for the Sox in the group sales department. (Yes, he really goes by the name "Night Train.")

Says Brooks Boyer, White Sox vice president and chief marketing officer, "He was not hired here because of his last name. He's a guy that has shown us a great work ethic and passion for the White Sox and the game of baseball.

I guess the animosity between Reinsdorf and the Veeck family has worn off with time. Though the article says that "one of Mr. Veeck challenges is to boost attendance," it doesn't look like he'll be involved with planning promotions, dressing the team in short pants, blowing up records, etc.

[Lip Man 1]

Night Train was at the 72 reunion ceremonies.

And the animosity was never between JR and the Veeck family, it was with Einhorn. From my interview with Mike Veeck:

ML: That group made the first in a long line of faux paux when Eddie Einhorn made a statement the day they bought the club along the lines of ‘we’re going to start running a first class operation.’ Many Sox fans and reportedly your dad were shocked and insulted by that comment. Making it worse was that your dad was right there when it was said. How did your dad and the Veeck family feel about that comment?

MV: “We have never equated money with class. Just because we didn’t wear two hundred dollar shirts and three thousand dollar suits didn’t mean we didn’t have manners or didn’t respect other people. The one thing that my family has always done first and foremost was respect the fans of baseball and the game of baseball.”

ML: I have heard that supposedly, Eddie Einhorn over the years privately apologized to your dad and tried to mend fences with him to no avail. Is that true?

MV: “No Eddie Einhorn never apologized for that remark, Jerry Reinsdorf did, and there is a difference between those two men.”

Lip

[TommyGavinFloyd]

Good luck to him, it's going to be tough.

[WhiteSox5187]

I have met him, he's a very nice guy and I believe a graduate of Northwestern's Sports Administration program.

[doogiec]

The new biography out on Veeck (which I though was excellent BTW) mentions that Veeck actually attended his last couple of ball games at Comiskey Park. He started boycotting Wrigley after they began selling bleacher seats in advance and returned to Comiskey as the lesser of two evils in his mind.

Bill's widow, Mary Frances, was also presented with a World Series ring in 2005.

Based on those two tidbits, I'd agree the animosity was with Einhorn, not the entire organization.

[DickAllen72]

Originally Posted by doogiec

.

Bill's widow, Mary Frances, was also presented with a World Series ring in 2005.

I was not aware of that. That was very classy of Jerry Reinsdorf to do that.

I never cared for Einhorn at all. When he and JR first bought the Sox, Einhorn seemed like the face of the organization and he turned me off with his demeanor and his blundering decisions, especially the whole Sportsvision pay-TV fiasco. While I have criticisms with JR on some ways he runs the organization, I also see his good points and he seems like he's genuinely a good guy and a gentleman. Although I've never met the man and I'm only going on my perception of him from what I've seen and heard, Einhorn always seemed like somewhat of a jerk to me and I'm glad he took a back seat to JR in running the organization.

[My_Sox_Summer]

Night Train has been there all season. I followed him on Twitter and he followed back and commented about my blog alot.

I was gonna save this for the blog, but what the hell. He sent me a Thank You note after I completed the season with his business card and two voucher tickets for next season. It was very nice and above and beyond what he needed to do.

I look forward to meeting him at Sox Fest if I can make it, or at the very least a beer sometime. Great guy.

[Wedema]

Originally Posted by My_Sox_Summer

Night Train has been there all season. I followed him on Twitter and he followed back and commented about my blog alot.

I was gonna save this for the blog, but what the hell. He sent me a Thank You note after I completed the season with his business card and two voucher tickets for next season. It was very nice and above and beyond what he needed to do.

I look forward to meeting him at Sox Fest if I can make it, or at the very least a beer sometime. Great guy.

I am glad to hear that Train has been communicating with you all summer and your blog was great. The Sox should make it a proirity to listen to the fans who go to the games. By being there on a regular basis, I'm sure that you could give them many great ideas.

[jamokes]

Let's hope Night Train can help with the "disconnect" of Sox fans and the management of this team. Our PR department and sales simply speak a different language than the average fan. People like Night Train hopefully can solve that.

[My_Sox_Summer]

Originally Posted by Wedema

I am glad to hear that Train has been communicating with you all summer and your blog was great. The Sox should make it a proirity to listen to the fans who go to the games. By being there on a regular basis, I'm sure that you could give them many great ideas.

Ya know, I have put a bunch of thought into it and really I don't know what else they can do. I will point to that Monday game vs the Tribe with Sale on the bump. We can't draw more than 15k on a night like that? It's downright depressing. That I would blame on the fans, not the organization.

However, I think $25 parking drives away casual fans. I think they should lower that or even have a free parking night. Not to mention put your promo nights (bobbleheads, give aways) on nights when people don't usually go. I will never understand why they put a promo on a weekend against a team that will sell tickets anyways.

[My_Sox_Summer]

Originally Posted by jamokes

Let's hope Night Train can help with the "disconnect" of Sox fans and the management of this team. Our PR department and sales simply speak a different language than the average fan. People like Night Train hopefully can solve that.

I don't disagree with that. Like I read on in another thread, using the restroom at the game and seeing posters from a promo during the first part of the second half of the season just reeks of not even trying. If they aren't excited about it, why should we be?

[DachnoPiitu]

I think Night Train had a hand in this years Star Wars day. I thanked him during the on field parade that day. He seems like a nice guy.

[skobabe8]

He sure seems active on these boards.

[Lip Man 1]

Skobabe:

Don't know what you mean.

Lip

[skobabe8]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

Skobabe:

Don't know what you mean.

Lip

Lip, please check your private messages.