Mutt's Edge
Sent into the Saint Paul Saints as a character assassin after Bill Murray and Darryl Strawberry by Rolling Stone Magazine, author Neal Karlin finds a bit of his own character in the characters of indy baseball's most unique Saint Paul Saints.
Todd MISHLER
MLNSportsZone.com
Review:
Bill and Mike Veeck, father and son, hated any comparisons to circus imprimatur P.T. Barnum, who coined the phrase “There’s a sucker born every minute.” However, they were two of the best showmen that the sports world has ever known.
Mike Veeck learned many a trick from his late Hall of Fame dad. His biggest lessons, about life and running a professional baseball team, occurred after his idea for “Disco Demolition Night” blew up in his face at Comiskey Park in July 1979, thus joining Cleveland’s “Dollar Beer Night” as arguably two of the worst promotional ideas in history.
Former Rolling Stone contributor Neal Karlen’s book, “Slouching Toward Fargo,” is about how the younger Veeck found redemption, resurrecting his career in the game his father loved, leading a band of baseball misfits known as the St. Paul Saints.
Karlen follows this castoffs circus, where some of them are looking for a first chance, while others seeking an umpteenth shot at “The Show,” by way of the independent Northern League during the summers of 1996-97. It was a time when many fans had embraced those dreaming the dream in the bushes after two seasons of labor strife in the big leagues.
The author’s assignment: Dig up dirt and do a hatchet job on entertainment icon Bill Murray, along with Mike Veeck one of the
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