Even the hapless ºüÀêÊÓƵ Browns had a few big baseball momentsÌý— and one of the biggest stood only 3 feet 7 inches tall.
He was Eddie Gaedel, who was sent to the plate to bat leadoff at Sportsman's Park in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 19, 1951. Gaedel (pronounced guh-DELL) drew a walk on four pitches from Bob Cain and was promptly lifted for a pinch-runner. Although he never set foot in another baseball game, he became an instant legend at age 26.
Using a 3-foot-7 pinch-hitter was the brainchild of owner Bill Veeck, who tried to make up in showmanship what his team lacked in talent. This was different from Veeck's other stunts because, potentially, it could have affected the outcome of a game. As a result Veeck received criticism from some sportswriters.
The night before Gaedel's game, Veeck tipped off Post-Dispatch baseball writer Bob Broeg. In turn, Broeg made sure that Post-Dispatch photographer Jack January stuck around for the second gameÌý— and Gaedel's appearance in the first inning.
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Typical of the Browns: In the inning Gaedel started by drawing a walk, the Brownies loaded the bases. But they failed to score. In fact, they lost the doubleheader.
January's photo gave Gaedel baseball immortality. Gaedel died 10 years later in a saloon beating in his hometown of Chicago.