RiverDogs' Mike Veeck & Daughter Rebecca Are Featured in New ESPN Book

CHARLESTON, SC -- A new book by ESPN entitled "Fathers & Daughters & Sports" features a piece written by Charleston RiverDogs president Mike Veeck.

Veeck, who on Sunday provided the commencement address for The Citadel's Graduate College and received an honorary degree, writes about the terrifying disease that blinded his daughter, Rebecca, and how they learned from his own father's example in dealing with disability.  Mike's father, Hall of Famer Bill Veeck, walked with the use of a wooden leg.

With an introduction by basketball standout Rebecca Lobo, the book features a collection of essays written by a stellar roster of sports journalists, champion athletes, and celebrated writers that includes Jim Craig, Chris Evert, Mike Golic, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Sally Jenkins, Steve Rushin and Bill Simmons, among others.

Lobo recalls how her dad's advice continued to ring in her ears long after she last played hoops with him on the gravel driveway of their Massachusetts home. Sportswriting legend Dan Shaughnessy celebrates his daughters' eye-opening softball exploits. Chris Evert recounts how her tennis coach father, Jimmy, taught her coolness under fire. Bill Simmons proudly bequeaths his love of the NBA to his preschool-aged daughter. Doris Kearns Goodwin explains how the not-so-simple act of filling in a scorecard for a father can be an act of love.

The hardcover, 272-page book went on sale May 4 and sells for $25 (ISBN: 978-0-345-52083-8 (0-345-52083-1).

 

--RIVERDOGS--