Not a gimmick: Padres draft great-nephew of Eddie Gaedel
By David Brown
Valparaiso outfielder and new MLB draft pick Kyle Gaedele says he is proud of the major league bloodline that runs through his family — no matter how short it is.
Gaedele, whom the San Diego Padres picked in the sixth round of the draft on Tuesday afternoon, is a great-nephew of 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel, the shortest (and lightest) player in major league history and star of its greatest stunt.
In 1951, St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck sneaked Gaedel (legally) into the second game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. Wearing uniform No. 1/8, Gaedel — who was ordered not to swing — drew a walk on four pitches from an amused Bob Cain in the first inning. Gaedel was taken out for a pinch runner and the American League tore up his contract the next day.
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