Eddie Gaedel

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Eddie Gaedel
Eddie Gaedel
Eddie Gaedel (right) in his only plate appearance.
St. Louis Browns — No. ⅛
Born: June 8, 1925
Died: June 18, 1961 (aged 36)
Batted: Right Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 19, 1951
for the St. Louis Browns
Final game
August 19, 1951
for the St. Louis Browns
Career statistics
Batting average     .000
Home runs     0
Runs batted in     0
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • Shortest player in Major League Baseball History

Edward Carl "Eddie" Gaedel (June 8, 1925 – June 18, 1961), born in Chicago, Illinois, was an American man who was a dwarf who became famous for participating in a Major League Baseball game.

Gaedel gained immortality in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, August 19, 1951. Weighing just 65 pounds (29.5 kg), and 3 feet 7 inches (1.09 m) tall, he became the shortest player in the history of the major leagues. He stood 3 feet 4 inches (1.02 m) shorter than Jon Rauch, whose height of 6'11" (2.11 m) made him the tallest person to play in a Major League Game. He was secretly signed by the St. Louis Browns and put in uniform (complete with elf slippers & the number "⅛" on the back) as a publicity stunt by maverick Browns owner and showman Bill Veeck.

Gaedel popped out of a papier-mache cake between games of a doubleheader to celebrate the American League's 50th anniversary, and as a Falstaff Brewery promotion. Falstaff, and the fans, had been promised a "festival of surprises" by Veeck. Before the second game got underway, the press agreed that the "midget-in-a-cake" appearance had not been up to Veeck's usual promotional standard. Falstaff personnel, who had been promised national publicity for their participation, were particularly dissatisfied. Keeping the surprise he had in store for the second game to himself, Veeck just meekly apologized.

Contents

[edit] The plate appearance

Eddie Gaedel entered the game between the Browns and Detroit Tigers as a pinch-hitter for leadoff batter Frank Saucier. Immediately, umpire Ed Hurley called for Browns manager Zack Taylor. Veeck and Taylor had the foresight to have a copy of Gaedel's contract on hand, as well as a copy of the Browns' active roster, which had room for Gaedel's addition.

The contract had been filed late in the day on Friday, August 17. Veeck knew the league office would summarily approve the contract upon receipt, and that it would not be scrutinized until Monday, August 20. Upon reading the contract, Hurley motioned for Gaedel to take his place in the batter's box. (As a result of Gaedel's appearance, all contracts must now be approved by the Commissioner of Baseball before a player can appear in a game.) The change to that day's St. Louis Browns scorecard, listing Gaedel, went unnoticed by everyone except Harry Mitauer, a writer for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Mitauer's inquiry was shunted aside by the Browns' publicity man.

Eddie Gaedel was under strict orders not to attempt to move the bat off his shoulder. When Gaedel had hinted to Veeck that he might be tempted to swing at a pitch, the owner promised to bring a rifle to the game and shoot him if he tried. Tigers catcher Bob Swift offered his pitcher a piece of strategy: "Keep it low."

With Bob Cain on the mound - laughing at the absurdity that he actually had to pitch to Gaedel - and Swift catching on his knees, Gaedel crouched with bat in hand. Cain delivered four consecutive balls, all high. Gaedel took his base (stopping twice during his trot to bow to the crowd) and was replaced by pinch-runner Jim Delsing. The 18,369 fans gave Gaedel a standing ovation.

[edit] Baseball reaction

Veeck had dearly hoped that Delsing would go on to score in a one-run Browns victory, but he ended up stranded at third base and the Tigers went on to win the game 6-2. American League president Will Harridge, saying Veeck was making a mockery of the game, voided Gaedel's contract the next day. Veeck humorously threatened to request an official ruling on whether Yankees shortstop and reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto was a short ballplayer or a tall midget.

Initially, major league baseball struck Gaedel from its record book, as if he had not been in the game. He was relisted a year later. Eddie Gaedel finished his major league career with an on-base percentage of 1.000. His total earnings as a pro athlete were $100, the scale price for an AGVA appearance. However, he was able to parlay his baseball fame into more than $17,000 by appearing on several television shows.

[edit] Later life

Gaedel's major league career lasted just the one plate appearance, but Veeck continued to employ Gaedel in non-playing promotions over the years: in 1959, Gaedel and three other dwarves dressed as spacemen were seen presenting "ray guns" to White Sox players Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio at Comiskey Park. (Gaedel reportedly said, "I don't want to be taken to your leader. I've already met him.") In 1961, Veeck hired several dwarves and midgets, including Gaedel, as vendors, so as not to "block the fans' view" of the game.

Some claim that living down the stunt was difficult for Gaedel. Combative in his private life, he later became a heavy drinker and died of a heart attack after being mugged in Chicago in 1961. He was just 36 years old. The only baseball figure to attend the funeral was Bob Cain, the pitcher who had walked him. Said Cain: "I never even met him, but I felt obligated to go."

Due to scarcity, Gaedel's autograph now sells for more than Babe Ruth's. In his autobiography "Veeck as in Wreck," Bill Veeck commemorated Gaedel as "the best darn midget who ever played big-league ball."

[edit] Miscellany

  • Gaedel is mentioned in Terry Cashman's song homage to 1950's baseball, "Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey, and the Duke)". His "1/8" jersey is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • Due to his size, Gaedel worked as a riveter during World War II. He was able to crawl inside the wings of airplanes.
  • Gaedel is one of only five major-league players who drew a walk in their only plate appearance and never played in the field. The first three all played in the 1910s: Dutch Schirick (September 17, 1914 with the Browns), Bill Batsch (September 9, 1916 with Pittsburgh) and Joe Cobb (April 25, 1918 with Detroit; he was born Joseph Serafin and was unrelated to Tigers' star Ty Cobb.) Kevin Melillo of the Oakland Athletics became the fifth man to accomplish the "feat" (and the first in over half a century) when he drew a walk in his only appearance, June 24, 2007 against the New York Mets. Melillo is still active and thus would remove himself from this list if he plays future major league games.
  • The uniform that Gaedel wore during his plate appearance belonged to Bill DeWitt Jr., the current chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals, and is the same one seen in a picture with Mr. DeWitt and Babe Ruth.

[edit] External links

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