Eddie Gaedel: The Shortest Man To Play Major League Baseball
Bettmann/ContributorDue to a planned stunt, Eddie Gaedel became the shortest person to play professional baseball.
At just 3 feet, 7 inches tall, Eddie Gaedel was the shortest man to ever participate in a major league baseball game.
Born on June 8, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois, Gaedel grew up being teased in school for his height. Despite his difficulties fitting in with the taller kids, he successfully graduated high school and was usually able to find work. He often took jobs as a performer, appearing in various circuses and rodeos.
However, during World War II, Gaedel helped the war effort in a unique way by crawling into plane engines and other small spaces to inspect and repair parts that were difficult for most other people to see clearly.
Gaedel didn’t even consider the world of professional sports until he got a call from baseball team owner and promoter Bill Veeck in August 1951. Then, Veeck was the owner of the St. Louis Browns, and he wanted to find a unique way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American League.
Veeck was specifically seeking out a remarkably short person to play in a game to create a spectacle. Eventually, he found Gaedel.
Wikimedia CommonsEddie Gaedel’s gravestone.
Spectacle aside, Gaedel’s appearance did have at least some strategy behind it — as his knees-to-chest strike zone would be so small that no pitcher would actually be able to throw a strike against him.
Outfitted in a St. Louis Browns uniform, sporting the number 1/8, Gaedel made his debut major league appearance. He was given a $15,400 contract for the appearance and he was specifically instructed not to swing.
As expected, the pitcher couldn’t hit the strike zone, and Gaedel simply walked to first base. From there, he was replaced with a pinch runner, and he received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked off the field.
Though Gaedel’s contract was voided just two days later, Gaedel quickly capitalized on his moment of fame, making numerous media appearances and visiting other ballparks for various promotional stunts.
Unfortunately, fame couldn’t save him from a tragic fate. Known for his temper and his sensitivity about his size, he found himself in a number of drunken fights, one of which ended with him being beaten and suffering a fatal heart attack as a result. He was just 36 when he died on June 18, 1961.
