SABR 38 Day Three: Mark Shapiro & Mike Veeck
Sitting in the auditorium before Mark Shapiro and Mike Veeck were due to speak, I ran into a couple entertaining SABR members. Howie Siegel (Victoria, BC) and Joel Schwartz (Del Mar, Calif.) are two of the more animated guys I’ve ran across at the convention, and we had a nice chat ranging from elementary school recess to ethanol production to department stores in 1960s Nebraska. We talked about some baseball, too.
That’s one of the best things about this convention. You’re certain to run into interesting people at every turn.
On to the panel discussion and Q&A with Shapiro and Veeck…
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Mark Shapiro and Bill Veeck were even better than I expected. They were deeply insightful, really funny, very interesting, and well-spoken. It was easily one of the best speaking engagements I’ve even been lucky enough to hear. The 90 minutes flew by, and it was over well before I wished. If you have a chance to hear either of them speak, I’d recommend making the trip.
While I recorded the whole thing on my voice recorded (which I hope to share with you all sometime soon), here are some of the best quotes:
Mike Veeck, on his father’s influence and their relationship: “My father loved baseball so much he had nine kids. When the DH was introduced, my mom left town.”
Veeck, also on his father, Bill: “He was only scared of two things with that wooden leg: fire and termites.”
On the minor leagues and their role in baseball, Mark Shapiro said, “There’s a duality to it. There’s a purity to it, those guys are playing for the dream. A lot of things can filter into it and make it more complex, but at the minor league level there’s a greater level of purity. That passion for the game is so prevalent in the minor league ballparks. From a business standpoint, those teams are essential, and they play a major role in how we develop and run our franchise.”
Mike Veeck, on the minors: “I’ve never seen a time when so many minor league operators, who have devoted their lives to the minors, have moved into major league front offices. We’re developing new fans, too. As prices get higher, the minors become a place that a mother and father can take their kids.”
Veeck, on independent baseball: “When we started in 1993, and reintroduced the idea of independent baseball, I went to my friends in minors league baseball, said well call me when you go out of business. More baseball is good for everyone.”
Veeck again, on promotions: “The vasectomy giveaway on father’s day probably wasn’t very smart…”
Shapiro, on reorganization of the minors: “I think you’d find a lot of support among GMs if you reorganized AAA into a sort of place for four-A players and roster fill.”
Shapiro believes that a salary cap won’t come to pass, but as more and more content is delivered via the internet, as opposed to traditional methods like television. TV revenue is distributed unequally, while internet revenue is split up between all 30 clubs evenly.
“After you get beyond seven or eight picks in the draft, the value drops significantly.” Shapiro said of the draft.
Shapiro believes that maple bats are an issue: “I think there’s a definite problem there with maple bats. We can’t just get rid of them, it’s a union issue. It’s pretty obvious that there are people in danger. The players say, ‘We don’t care,’, but there are more people in danger than just the players. Umpires, fans, coaches.”
Shaprio, on signing young players to extensions: “When you approach long-term deal with young players, there’s a shared risk. For the players, it’s about possibly leaving money on the table, and for the team, it’s about injury risk. We talk openly about that shared risk with the player.”
Veeck, on what Bill almost chose as his name: “My father wanted to name me McGillicuddy, because his hero — other than his father — was Cornelius McGillicuddy, Connie Mack. My mother though Michael would play better in the schoolyard.”
Shapiro and Veeck agree that it’s very important to get kids, women and minorities interested in the game. “The future of out game isn’t just engaging white 50-70 year old men.” says Shapiro.
Veeck says that he thinks, “you’ll see more and more cooperation between pro clubs and collegiate programs in the future.” Veeck has a partnership with a junior college in Normal, Illinois, where he helped them build a $10 million stadium at only a $3 million cost. I’d like to see pro teams fund the use of wood bats in college. It would be mutually beneficial, as it would reduce costs to colleges for bats, and it would allow pro teams to better evaluate hitters and pitchers, as there would be one less variable between pro and college baseball.
Shapiro believes that the medical side of the game is open to a competitive edge. That is, if you can keep the players you want on the field, you know your team much better, and can assemble the team you believe can win.
“I think any general manager has a list of 100 good no-signs.”, said Shapiro, when asked about transactions he’s glad didn’t go through or come to pass.
Veeck emphasized that when it all comes down to it, baseball is fun. It’s a game, and it should be treated with great dignity, but it’s important to remember that the reason we all came together in the first place is that we love this game, and that there’s something inherently fun in baseball.
Shapiro, on the “Old school vs.new school battle: “I’ve never understood it. Get all the schools. Bring together the subjective and the objective. It’s all about getting the best tools, and building the best framework to make decisions. Bring it all together.”