"The guy can walk"
For one trip to the plate, little Eddie Gaedel was a big leaguer
Have you heard the one about…
…the 3-foot-7 major leaguer?
Seventy-five years ago this season, on Aug. 19, 1951, Eddie Gaedel stepped into the batter’s box at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis and into Baseball history.
The 26-year-old stood a mere 3-foot-7 and weighed only about 65 pounds. His Browns uniform had to be specially tailored. Against Gaedel’s tiny frame, his bat looked impossibly long.
Most of the crowd had no idea what was happening.
Neither did the visiting Detroit Tigers.
Owned by the endlessly inventive Bill Veeck, the St. Louis Browns were celebrating the American League’s 50th anniversary between games of a Sunday doubleheader. Promotions, stunts and spectacle defined Veeck. But this one stood out, even by his standards.
