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Probably my favorite sports story is the day a midget, Eddie Gaedel, batted in a major league game. The date was August 19, 1951. The lacklustre St. Louis Browns were hosting the Detroit Tigers in a Sunday doubleheader. Browns' owner Bill Veeck promised that anyone who bought a ticket would see a memorable sight. He was right. Gaedel, all 3'7" of him, took part in a brewery promotion between games. Gaedel, clad it a batboy's uniform bearing the number 1/8 and carrying a toy bat, made baseball history in the first inning of the second game when he batted for outfielder Frank Saucier. Jim Cain, the Detroit pitcher, nearly doubled over in laughter at the sight of Gaedel and walked him on four pitches--all of them high. Once Gaedel trotted down to first base he was replaced by pinch runner Jim Delsing. Gaedel's picture appeared in virtually every newspaper in North America the next day. That same day American League president Will Harridge banned midgets from baseball. Most of the players involved in the stunt relished their connection to it. Jim Delsing said, 'A lot of guys have hit 50 home runs in a season, but I'm the only guy who ever ran for a midget.'
Tags:
Eddie
Gaedel
baseball
Added: 22nd November 2007
Views: 408
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
 
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Detroit Tigers' great Ty Cobb was honored by local dignitaries before a home game at Navin Field versus the Washington Senators on Saturday, May 10, 1924. Cobb, 37, who was in his 20th season with the Tigers, was given a set of books as a token of appreciation for his many exploits on the baseball field. (Detroit's ballpark was called Navin Field in 1924. It was later renamed Briggs Stadium and then finally renamed Tiger Stadium.)
Tags:
Ty
Cobb
baseball
Added: 13th July 2008
Views: 149
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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This is a terrific action photo snapped by famed baseball photographer Charles Conlon that is nearly 100 years old! (Some sources date the photo to 1909; others claim it was taken in 1910.) Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers steals third base. Jimmy Austin of the Philadelphia Athletics is the third baseman. Austin was upended by Cobb's hard slide. Notice there's no uniform number on Austin's back. They did not come into vogue until the late 1920s.
Tags:
Ty
Cobb
Jimmy
Austin
baseball
photo
Added: 10th August 2008
Views: 146
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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