They say it was the best stunt in Major League Baseball history. This is a true story about the day when baseball went to the midgets.
The date was August 19, 1951. The place was sportsman's park in St. Louis, MO, where the St. Louis Browns took on the Detroit Tigers. It was a muggy afternoon - St. Louis weather - when the Browns set up a pinch hitter. From the dugout, the manager called Edward (Eddie) Gaedel to the plate.
Put Mr T in Your Pocket
Eddie proudly stood 3 feet and 7 inches tall. The torso of his 65 pound body wore a borrowed uniform made for one of the owners' sons, with the fraction 1/8 printed on his back. Eddie held a toy bat tightly in his hands and took his stance over home plate.
Detroit left hander Bob Cain threw the first pitch, widely missing Eddie's little strike zone for ball one. The next three pitches missed the zone, too, and Eddie gracefully took his base. Spectators said he took 60 seconds to reach first base, mesmerized by the crowd.
Moments later, the dwarf was pulled out of the game and replaced with a long-legged pinch runner. It would be Eddie's first and last appearance in the big leagues. On August 23, the commissioner of
baseball ruled Eddie's contract invalid and ceremoniously banned midgets from professional baseball. It's been 55 years since a little person has approached the plate.
Eddie traveled back to Chicago, his home town, where he lived until his death in 1961. The circumstances of his passing were suspicious, leading many to believe the major league midget was murdered.
The little man pictured above-left isn't Eddie Gaedel; in fact, he looks nothing like Eddie. I thought
the photo was funny, and he might serve as inspiration for those dwarfs who dream of one day walking in Eddie's tiny foot steps. The black and white photo (above-right) shows Eddie at the plate on August 19, 1951. His jersey is displayed in baseball hall of fame. The Associated Press obituary actually published in a Chicago daily newspaper.
Note: Before the opening pitch at Sportsman's park, Eddie jumped out of a giant cake.
