A BASEBALL GAME WITHOUT UMPIRES. Mike Veeck is the son of Bill Veeck. As I posted on here, Bill Veeck is best known for sending a midget to the plate as a pinch hitter in a major league game. With his small strike zone, he worked the pitcher for a walk. This article from the New York Times (May 16, 2013) by Pat Borzi tells how only five days after sending the midget to the plate, Bill Veeck staged Grandstand Managers Day. The manager of Veeck’s team, the St. Louis Browns, sat in a rocking chair in front of the dugout while the fans made the decisions a manager would. Fans were issued placards with “YES” on one side and “NO” on the the other, which they could hold up to answer questions such as “Steal?” or “Infield back?”. The Browns won very few games, but they won that one.
Pat Borzi’s article was about how Mike Veeck had staged in an exhibition game the logical follow up to his father’s promotion—a game without umpires, with the fans making the umpiring decisions. The article has a picture of some little leaguers holding up signs for “SAFE?” or “OUT? The teams’ catchers called balls and strikes.