Eddie Gaedel Obituary

Baseball Almanac presents the actual word-for-word transcript from the obituary of Eddie Gaedel, taken from The New York Times.

"For a minute, I felt like Babe Ruth." - Eddie Gaedel in a postgame interview (August 15, 1951)

Eddie Gaedel Dead

Appeared in The New York Times on June 20, 1961

Eddie Gaedel Obituary

Inquest Set for Edward Gaedel,
Who Played With Browns


CHICAGO, June 19 (AP) — An inquest has been ordered into the death of Edward Gaedel, the only midget ever to play baseball in the major leagues. He was 36 years old.

The inquest was ordered after the police noted bruises around the knees and on the left side of Mr. Gaedel's face after his body was discovered in the bedroom of his South Side apartment Sunday.

Mr. Gaedel made baseball history on August 19, 1951, when he popped out of a huge cake set up in Sportsman's Park in St. Louis as part of a between games show of a St. Louis doubleheader.

Mr. Gaedel, who was 3 feet 7 inches tall, was allowed to bat for the St. Louis Browns when he produced a contract signed by Bill Veeck, then president of the club. He was walked by the pitcher, Bob Cain.

It was the only time he appeared with the Browns. A few days later his contract was ruled invalid.

Eddie Gaedel Obituary



Commissioner Happy Chandler was reported to have found the incident entertaining, but American League President Will Harridge felt different ordering Eddie Gaedel's name expunged from the daily record sheets and banning midgets from baseball.

Bill Veeck was even able to find an opportunity for fun after the Will Harridge banishment writing back to the junior circuit captain, "Fine. Let's establish what a midget is in fact. Is it 3 feet 6 inches? Eddie's height? Is it 4 feet 6 inches? If it's 5 feet 6 inches, that's great. We can get rid of Rizzuto."

Did you know that Bill Veeck — according to some sources — was also going to use Eddie Gaedel to pinch hit, specifically when the bases were loaded?

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