Midget Gem

by baseballdailymiscellany

After purchasing the fledging St Louis Browns in 1951, eccentric owner Bill Veeck tried some outrageous publicity stunts in an effort to lure the crowds back to Sportsman’s Park. His most notorious stunt was to allow a 3 foot, 7 inch midget by the name of Eddie Gaedel to bat in second game of a double header against the Detroit Tigers in August 1951. Gaedel was promptly walked by amused pitcher Bob Cain and did not come to the plate again. His contract was declared void by the American League and his appearance struck from the record books the next day. Although Gaedel never played again, his record was officially reinstated a year later and his official statistics show an on-base percentage of 1.000. He earned $100 for his only major league appearance.

Short plate appearance