The Jump

We’ve got a Veeckie dynasty going in Omaha. What’s a Veeckie? Only the most lusted after award a minor league baseball franchise can win. This week the Royals earned one for the third consecutive year. Most baseball fans know the name Bill Veeck but if you don’t here’s the abridged version: Between 1946 and 1979 Veeck owned three major league teams and brought the notion of the wacky promotion to the game. Famous stunts include sending 3’7” Eddie Gaedel and his impossibly small strike zone to the plate in 1951 (he walked), allowing fans to manage the St. Louis Browns for a game from the stands via placards (they won), and the doomed “Disco Demolition Night” where fans were allowed to burn their Thelma Houston records on the field (they rioted, forcing a forfeit). While Major League Baseball has gone the way of bland corporate swag for its promotions — anyone need a Phillips 66 seat cushion? — the minors have kept Veeck’s memory alive, continually upping the ante to put butts in the seats. The Royals were awarded their Best Use of an Overexposed Pop Culture Phenomenon Veeckie by ESPN The Magazine for this year’s “Jersey Shore Night.” Previously the organization was recognized for its “Four Weddings and a Funeral” promotion and “Ty Cobb Night,” celebrating not the cantankerous baseball legend but an intern with the same name. Sad I missed that last one. Bluejay basketball isn’t likely to fix the economy, but it might take your mind off it for a few nights this winter. Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen announced the university is making a limited number of 2010-2011 men’s basketball season tickets available free of charge to families or individuals who’ve experienced recent economic hardship. If you know someone who could use a “fan scholarship,” nominations are being accepted through Oct. 15, at gocreighton.com. The Jump takes you behind the local headlines. Email jump@thereader.com and look for daily updates at twitter.com/brandonlvogel.