Little Person Makes MLB Debut
by Frank Jovine on 08/19/2009 in History, Sports
I am an avid baseball fan and I remember my dad telling me this story when I was a young kid. I found it amazing and thought that one day I could be a big leaguer, but that never panned out.
On this day in 1951, little person Eddie Gaedel makes his big league baseball debut with the St. Louis Browns, and is walked on four pitches in his one at-bat. Eddie Gaedel, who was 3′ 7″, jumped out of a cake between games then appeared as a pinch hitter in the bottom half of the doubleheader.
Eddie Gaedel was the first — and only — midget (little person) to ever appear in a Major League ballgame.
More facts from the Baseball Almanac
On September 2, 1951, Eddie Gaedel was arrested in Cincinnati for screaming obscenities. He attempted to convince the policeman he was a big league player. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and released on a $25 bond.
When Eddie Gaedel was laid to rest only one former major league ballplayer was in attendance. It was Bob Cain — the pitcher who walked him — who said, “I never even met him but I felt obligated to go. It kind of threw me for a loop that no other baseball people were there.”
“I didn’t know whether to throw the ball underhanded or overhanded to Gaedel,” Bob Cain later told sportswriter Danny Peary. “I just wanted to be careful not to hit him. Dizzy Trout told me later that if he’d been the pitcher, he’d have thrown the ball right between his eyes.”
A little baseball history…
A. Zuck
Aug 19th, 2009
Wow, I consider myself a pretty avid baseball fan too, but I have never heard that story before. My initial impression was that the classic style baseball image was shopped. So, either you have educated me or you have me completely fooled. I’m off to google to figure out which.
.-= A. Zuck´s last blog ..Treehouse =-.
Frank J
Aug 19th, 2009
It’s a true story. My dad told me this story when I was a kid.
David
Aug 20th, 2009
That’s a cool story
Neva Flores
Aug 22nd, 2009
This is so cool. I hate it that only one showed but that one person did! Great.
Frank J
Aug 23rd, 2009
Neva,
I am glad you enjoyed the article.