Bill Veeck: Baseball's Greatest Maverick

Yesterday on the NPR radio program Only A Game, they ran a story about a guy named Bill Veeck.  There's a new book out about him called Bill Veeck: Baseball's Greatest Maverick.  Now, I had heard about Bill Veeck before – he owned three different major league baseball teams over the years and was legendary for his ballfield publicity stunts, like the Disco Demolition Night, when they burned a huge pile of disco records.  What I didn't know was that he had a significant physical disability – he lost a leg during combat in World War II, and had a series of surgeries in which they amputated more and more of his leg.  The radio program described how he used humor to neutralize other people's discomfort about his disability.  He had a custom wooden leg with a built-in ashtray, and liked to sit in the bleachers with working-class fans, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.  One day, he was rushing through an airport and his wooden leg broke, sending him sprawling to the ground.  Some airport employees, recognizing him, rushed over and said "Mr. Veeck, do you need a doctor?"  He replied "no, it's my wooden leg that broke – get me a carpenter!"