Chicago White Sox To Host 'Bill Veeck Night' At Rate Field

CHICAGO –– The White Sox will celebrate late owner and Hall of Fame inductee Bill Veeck with unique game day events during Saturday's 6:10 p.m. CT game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field, coined "Bill Veeck Night."

During pregame warmups, the team wore shorts as an ode to the 1976 White Sox, who wore shorts during a game. Most of the current White Sox aren't very familiar with Veeck, so it's also been a learning opporuntity.

"It's been cool, myself, coming to this organization and learning about him and what he meant to baseball and Chicago and just the game of baseball itself," manager Will Venable said. "So yeah, it's certainly cool to celebrate him and good for everyone to learn a little bit about him."

A fun, new take on an old throwback from 1976 during batting practice ahead of Bill Veeck Night. pic.twitter.com/l9f8shC4R0
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 9, 2025

Today in 1976, maverick White Sox owner Bill Veeck adds to his legend by sending his squad out to play the Royals in fucking shorts. They lose 7-1 but Bill “Legs” Stein makes MLB history by becoming the first guy to ever score with his kneecaps out.

pic.twitter.com/ncVUWNWXCW
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) August 8, 2025

Veeck had two stints as the White Sox owner, 1959–61 and 1975–81, which included winning the 1959 pennant. He also became known for creative promotions and entertainment that enhanced the game day experience for fans, such as the first-ever exploding scoreboard.

“The greatest gift you can give someone is to make them a fan,” was a famous saying of Veeck's.

He also helped break the American League color barrier by signing Larry Doby and, later, Satchel Paige, as owner of the Cleveland Indians. For his wide-ranging contributions to the game, Veeck was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.

Here's the list of scheduled events for 'Bill Veeck Night,' per the White Sox news release:

A Bill Veeck Bobblehead giveaway, presented by Village of Bedford Park (first 15,000 fans who enter the ballpark)
A pregame petting zoo at Gate 5, including photo opportunities with a two-toed sloth named Stella
Roving circus performances and a clown entertaining fans upon entry to the ballpark
A skydiving ballpark entrance ahead of first pitch
An At the Park feature and ceremonial first pitch by Mike Veeck, Bill’s son and former White Sox front office, accompanied by other members of the Veeck family
A National Anthem performance by famed organist Nancy Faust
An on-field “Married in a Minute” ceremony between the third and fourth innings, where two lifelong Sox fans will tie the knot in just 60 seconds—officiated by 1983 AL Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle
A live ice sculpture carving in Section 157 on the outfield concourse
A 50-foot Vienna Beef hot dog photo opportunity in the Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge
Free haircuts from a local barbershop, available on the outfield concourse
Postgame Fireworks, presented by Village of Bedford Park

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