Bill Veeck, one-time owner of the St. Louis Browns baseball team, was known for pulling many stunts to increase attendance at his team’s games. One of these stunts involved Edward Gaedel, a 26-year-old midget, only 43″ tall. Even though Gaedel knew nothing about baseball, Veeck trained him, figuring that it would be difficult for a pitcher to throw a pitch into an 18-inch strike zone on a midget.
Then on August 19, 1951, Veeck sent Gaedel to pinch-hit during a game against the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit pitcher laughed hard when up to the plate stepped the midget, wearing the number 1/8 on his uniform. The pitcher conferred with his catcher for fifteen minutes on how to pitch to the midget. But their plans did them no good, for the pitcher had no control and walked Gaedel on four straight pitches.
Afterwards, officials of the American League decided that a midget playing ball was unfair to opposing pitchers. And so Edward Gaedel, who earned $100 a day as a professional baseball player, never played baseball again.
Related Posts
-
What Was the First Professional Baseball Team?
Until the 1880s, Americans played baseball for fun, without pay, and baseball "clubs" were set up in many cities. Then in 1869, a group of players organized the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first…
-
How Is a Pygmy Different From a Dwarf or Midget?
The terms midget and dwarf both refer to any adult human being, animal, or plant that is considerably smaller than the ordinary size of its species. Midgets usually have normal body proportions even…
-
What Spy During The French Revolution Was a Midget?
His enemies may have thought he was an infant, but actually he was a midget, less than two feet tall. His name was Richebourg, and he worked for the Duchess of Orleans. When…
-
What is the Most Valuable Baseball Card in the World and Which Baseball Player is On it?
The most valuable baseball card in history was issued in 1909 and features Honus Wagner. One in mint condition sold for $110,000 in 1988. The reason it became so valuable is its scarcity.…
-
Why do Cats Play with their Prey and Do All Felines Play with Their Food?
Not all cats play with prey, most felines are fairly quick about killing so they can get proceed with eating it. A cat's typical method of catching a big animal is to hold…
-
Where Did the Word “Freelancer” Come From and How Did the Term for Self-Employed Professional Originate?
The word freelance came out of the period between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The term originated when mercenary knights with no particular allegiance would take their lances into battle for the prince…
