Eddie Gaedel (answered)

[Arlo]

Wow - several trivia kings on at the same time. This question might be decided by who sees it first.

Anyway, you've probably heard of the story of Bill Veeck, owner of the St. Louis Browns, using diminutive Eddie Gaedel as a pinch-hitter in a game in 1951 as a publicity stunt. But do you remember:

How Gaedel was arrived on the field prior to the game?

How many pitches he walked on?

Whether he came around to score?

What his uniform number was?

How tall he was?

What Veeck threatened Gaedel with if he took a swing?

[EugeneStyles]

How Gaedel was arrived on the field prior to the game?

Go-Cart.

How many pitches he walked on?

4

Whether he came around to score?

nope.

What his uniform number was?

1/2

How tall he was?

4'1"

What Veeck threatened Gaedel with if he took a swing?

Veeck's 400 pound mother-in-law.

[Arlo]

Field arrival: nah.

Number of pitches: Bingo! Four pitches over Gaedel's head, with the pitcher laughing all the way.

Score? Correct, a pinch-runner was inserted immediately.

Uniform number: lower.

Height: lower...

Threat: Alas, no. Not that it wouldn't fit...

[chuckr37]

Lets see if I can pick up the save on this one. If I recall the story he popped out of a cake like a stripper at a bachelor party. The number he wore was 1/8 and he was 3'7". Now as for that last part I think Eugene is right about the 400# mother in law . Actually I have no idea about the threat but I do know that he died about a decade later shortly after I was born and it had something to do with him being robbed although I don't remember the exact details.

[EugeneStyles]

Well, at least I got the ones I was sure of correct.

Are you absolutely sure about the mother-in-law?

[Arlo]

Score a big three runs (or the save) for chuckr7!

And no, I'm not sure about the mother-in-law threat, but if it happened, both Gaedel and Veeck seem to have kept it a secret... There's one that was made public, though.

[chuckr37]

OK I admit to having to look this up, but it has taken 3 days of searching and now that I have found it I can't believe it! Veeck told Gaedel that if he took the bat off his shoulder that there were sharpshooters on the roof of the stadium that would kill him on the spot. It sure changes my opinion of Veeck

[Arlo]

Correct (a second version I once read states that Veeck said that he'd be in the stands himself with a rifle...).

Pretty brutal, but I don't think I'd judge Veeck by this. It may well have been said tongue in cheek, and repeated just for the sake of the anecdote. Have to check that...