Eddie Gaedel

Eddie Gaedel’s MLB career may have been short (one plate appearance), but it sure was memorable. While he wasn’t around for very long, his legacy lives on to this day, more than 70 years after the end of his career. 

Edward Carl Gaedel(e) was born on June 8, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were shocked to discover that young Eddie suffered from dwarfism, a disorder that inhibits someone from attaining full adult height. Standing 3’7” and weighing a robust 67 pounds, Gaedel served as a riveter during World War II. Afterwards he made his living as a showman, making appearances. 

Bill Veeck, a lover of publicity stunts (he was the one who invented the exploding scoreboard, among other wacky ideas), found Gaedel and signed him to the St. Louis Browns. On August 19, 1951, Gaedel made his only Big League appearance, pinch hitting for Frank Saucier. Opposing pitcher Bob Cain, thinking that Gaedel’s appearance was a joke, laughed out loud on the mound. Umpire Ed Hurley asked if Gaedel was serious, and Browns manager Zack Taylor readily provided his contract and a copy of the Browns’ active roster. When everything was sorted out, a steaming Cain walked Gaedel on four pitches (he was reportedly told not to dare swing at a pitch). He was promptly removed for a pinch runner, thus ending his career with an on base percentage of 1.000. For the record, he was the shortest and lightest player ever to appear in a Major League game. Moreover, his uniform number was ⅛. 

After this stunt, Gaedel was a celebrity. He appeared on many radio and TV shows as the lead man, which made him a fortune. On May 26, 1959, in another of Veeck’s famous publicity stunts, Gaedel and three other midgets landed at Comiskey Park in a helicopter, dressed as space aliens with ray guns. They “captured” Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio (short White Sox infielders who both ended up in the Hall of Fame) and brought them to home plate. 

Alas, the story of Eddie Gaedel does not have a happy ending. Always known to be sensitive about his height, he often picked fights with people bigger than him. On June 18, 1961, 36 year old Gaedel was killed in a fight. He was interred at Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Cook County, Illinois. Bob Cain attended his funeral.