When it comes to baseball history, most fans will recognize the name “Eddie Gaedel.” He was the little person that Bill Veeck sent to the plate on August 19, 1952 for the St. Louis Browns. Paid $100 to entertain the crowd that day, Gaedel performed wonderfully- jumping out of a birthday cake, drawing a walk in his only career plate appearance, and tipping his cap to the crowd as he was replaced at first base with a pinch runner. On the surface, many may think this is a fun baseball story.
While Gaedel seemed in good spirits during the game, his life was a hard one. Teased and bullied his whole life, he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Insecure about his height, he was quick to anger and was known to get into fights. On June 18, 1961, Gaedel went to a bowling alley near his home and
got into a drunken altercation with an unknown person. Between leaving the bowling alley and arriving home, he suffered a severe beating. His mother found him lying dead in bed the next day. An autopsy showed that he had suffered a heart attack, likely a direct result of the beating. Gaedel was only 36
years old.
It is believed that Gaedel may have been robbed and beaten before arriving home, and then suffered a heart attack that ultimately killed him. Unfortunately, because of a lack of evidence, the case remains unsolved to this day.
Bob Cain, the pitcher who walked Gaedel on four straight balls, was the only person linked to Major League Baseball that attended his funeral.
Most people who have even a brief stint playing Major League Baseball find some acclaim and admiration from fans during their lifetime. Eddie Gaedel did not. Adding his gravesite (“Edward C. Gaedele” on the marker) to the SABR Baseball Map would give a chance for baseball fans to pay their respects to a person who did not receive much respect during his lifetime.
The Hardball Voyager 