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Michael Veeck on Disco Demolition

Area resident and Charleston River Dogs co-owner Michael Veeck is infamous in Major League Baseball circles for his role in planning “Disco Demolition,” considered by many to be the worst promotional event in sports history. The son of legendary Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck, Michael Veeck joined with local disc jockey Steve Dahl in the summer of 1979 to offer fans admission to a doubleheader between the White Sox and the visiting Detroit Tigers for .98 cents and an unwanted disco record. Between games Dahl exploded the records in a large crate in center field at which point thousands of fans rushed the field and rioted until Chicago police regained control.

In the two interview excerpts linked below, Veeck discusses his family’s longstanding ties to professional baseball. He acknowledges that “Disco Demolition” ruined his career in Major League Baseball, but boasts that it succeeded in bringing the disco craze to an end. He also recalls the conversations and events that led to the ill-fated promotion. Veeck offered his comments in Kerry Taylor’s “US History since 1945” class on November 17, 2008.

transcript | clip #1 (mp3) | clip #2 (mp3)