Two weeks ago, I mentioned the news that an independent team in Missouri, the River City Rascals, were planning to hold a “Salute To Bill Veeck” on August 19, the 59th anniversary of Eddie Gaedel’s first and last major league appearance. The big draw: a recreation of Gaedel’s famous at-bat.
The event was held on Thursday, with 16-year-old Nick Hagan, a sophomore in high school, wearing the number 1/8 and leading off the bottom of the first.
Veeck said that Gaedel was under strict orders not to swing the bat under any circumstances; the belief was that no pitcher could ever hit such a small strike zone. From the video below, it appears young Hagan also chose to follow this advice, and it led to his ruin.
Watch as Bernard Robert, with 40 walks in 99.1 innings, fires two strikes down the middle, then just misses, then pounds another one into the zone to catch Hagan looking. Also enjoyable: note the youngster’s disagreement with the call. It would’ve made for even greater theater if home plate umpire Mark Winters had run him.
For the record, here are some comparisons between 1951 and 2010:
Hitter – Eddie Gaedel (3’7″, 67 pounds) and Nick Hagan (4’0″, 110 pounds)
Result – Walk and strikeout
Pitcher – Bob Cain and Bernard Robert
Catcher – Bob Swift and Ben Barrone
Leadoff Hitter: Frank Saucier and Josh Lowey
