In celebration of the 65th anniversary of the only 65-pound player in Major League Baseball history, the Los Angeles Chapter of the Eddie Gaedel Society and the Baseball Reliquary will observe “Eddie Gaedel Day” on Friday, August 19, 2016, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at Timmy Nolan’s Tavern & Grill, an Irish pub and sports bar at 10111 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake, CA 91602. Parking is available in the rear.
Eddie Gaedel (1925-1961), who at 3’7” and weighing 65 pounds was the shortest and lightest player ever to step to the plate in the Major Leagues, was inserted into the St. Louis Browns lineup as a pinch-hitter on August 19, 1951 in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis, Missouri. Wearing jersey number 1/8, he walked on four pitches in one of the most legendary appearances in the history of baseball.
Jon Leonoudakis, president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Eddie Gaedel Society, said, “We honor baseball’s biggest little hitter annually on August 19. This year we will be gathering in the upstairs room at Timmy Nolan’s to raise a glass to Eddie, tell stories, and challenge attendees with a very special $2 trivia contest. Eddie’s athletic supporter will also make an appearance, courtesy of the Baseball Reliquary.”
This will be the Los Angeles Chapter’s second turn honoring Gaedel after being established in 2015, with Leonoudakis being deputized as its president by Gaedel Society leader Tom Keefe. “We had a great crowd last year, which included a gentleman who was at Sportsman’s Park on Eddie’s big day in 1951,” Leonoudakis added. “It was a festive event, bonding baseball fans, culture vultures, and students of history, just as Eddie would’ve liked it.”
All are invited for a memorable evening of small talk, short speeches, and half-pint beers, and to join in the Gaedel Society’s mantra, “Take a Walk, Eddie!”
For further information on “Eddie Gaedel Day,” contact Jon Leonoudakis, President, Eddie Gaedel Society, Los Angeles Chapter, by phone at (818) 886-2998 or by e-mail at jbgreeksf24@gmail.com.
