At the end of the 2021 Season, 22,564 players have played in Major Leagues throughout history, and in that long list you can find all kinds of statistics … and one of the most unprecedented is that of the lowest player who has played. in MLB, according to the statistics on the page Baseball reference.
Nowadays, José Altuve He is known as the lowest active player in the MLB at 1.68 meters, but the Venezuelan is far from being the “lowest” player in major league history, a title that Eddie Gaedel showed off with his 1.09 meters.
Gaedel was born in 1925 in the city of Chicago and during World War II he worked as a worker in a rivet factory and after the war he was hired by the Mercury Records record store for his official mascot, where he became quite famous for his performances and his image. .
Player for a day
Gaedel was a Major League player for only one day, in fact, just for one at the barwhich he took on August 19, 1951 with the St. Louis Browns, at that point made history.
At 26, Eddie entered the MLB record book when he was activated for Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, and there he had his first and only appearance at the pot, which was in the lower half of the pot.
Gaedel was the first hitter sent to the pot and the opposing pitcher was Bob Cain. Seeing the little baseball player, home plate umpire Ed Hurley called the Browns manager ask for a copy of the Gaedel contract and an updated squad list to show he has been discharged. Once it was confirmed that he could play, it was time to strike.
As expected, Eddie’s unusual height minimized his strike zone, so in just four shots he negotiated a walk. After reaching first base, he was replaced by a pinch runner.
The smallest player to play in MLB wore the number “1/8” on his jersey, which is currently in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.
Source: Clarin
