Eddie Gaedel Game - Box Score of Major League Debut

The owner of the St. Louis Browns, Bill Veeck, promised local fans a "Festival of Surprises" when they came to the ballpark to watch their hometown Browns play the Detroit Tigers in a doubleheader.

Planned surprises included a marching band led by Satchel Paige, a performance by baseball clown Max Patkin, and various juggling and dancing acts. The sponsor of the festival wanted more and Veeck responded by putting vaudeville actor Eddie Gaedel, who was 3' 7", into the bottom half of the doubleheader.

"(Eddie Gaedel) used to play shortstop when he was smaller, but went into semi-retirement several years ago when the big kids failed to pick him in a corner lot game." - Bill Veeck Press Release

Between the games,Eddie Gaedel had jumped out of a three-tiered papier-mache cake to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the American League!

Did you know that the uniform, which had the number 1/8 on the back, belonged to the batboy Bill DeWitt, Jr. and was stolen from the home ofGaedel's mother when she was approached by a person pretending to be from theBaseball Hall of Fame?

Trivia answers:Gaedel pinch-hit forFrank Saucier,Jim Delsing ran forGaedel, payment for the game was $100.00,Bob Swift (catcher) wanted to lay down but umpire Ed Hurley would not allow it,Bob Cain threw four consecutive balls, and the estimated strike zone was an inch-and-a-half.