Remembering Veeck, Gaedel's Brownie stunt

Hello everyone I'm Dan Lucy on the Ozarks First digital desk.

Baseball promotions are common place these days, from Wolf Wednesdays, when you can bring you dog to the ballgame, to thirsty Thursdays, to dollar brat night.

But the godfather of the baseball promotions has to be Bill Veeck.

During his career, Veeck owned three different baseball teams, the Cleveland Indians, the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago White Sox.

He also worked for the Cubs.

In all those places Veeck dreamed up unique promotions and gimmicks to chase the boring out of baseball.

While working for the Cubs, he is said to have planted the ivy that is still on the outfield walls at Wrigley.

In St. Louis, he had the fans manage a Browns game.

And in Chicago, well there's disco demolition night.

But today is a special day in Veeck's history.

So lets take "Danny's Way Back Machine" to August 19th, 1951.

74 years ago today, Veeck pulled off a master publicity stunt.

Veeck was in a public relations war with the St. Louis Cardinals and would do anything to keep the Browns in the news.

In the second game of a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers, Veeck sent 3-foot-7 inch Eddie Gaedel to bat as the lead off hitter in the bottom of the first.

It was all legit, Veeck signed Gaedel to a one day contract with specific instructions not to swing his little toy bat at any pitches.

Detroit's Bob Cain threw four pitches that were all high--after all Gaedel's strike zone was measured at one and one half inches.

After taking first, Baedel was replaced with a pinch runner and the rest is history.

For Veeck's contributions to baseball, he was inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 1991.

One note, to get Gaedel a uniform, Veeck borrowed a uniform from the Browns bat boy.

That bat boy was none other then Bill DeWitt junior, who is now the principal owner of the St. Louis cardinals.

So there you have it, August 19th, 1951, one of the more zanniest days in baseball history.

For more sports watch Ozarks First news at nine and ten.

And I'll see you then.