Edward Carl Gaedel (June 8, 1925 – June 18, 1961) was the smallest player to appear in a
Major League Baseball game.
[1]
Gaedel gained recognition in the second game of a
St. Louis Browns doubleheader on August 19, 1951.
[2] Weighing 60 pounds (27 kg) and standing 3 feet 7 inches (109 cm) tall, he became the shortest player in the history of the Major Leagues. Gaedel made a single plate appearance and was walked with four consecutive balls before being replaced by a
pinch-runner at
first base. His jersey, bearing the uniform number "1⁄8", is displayed in the
St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.