The shortest of careers

He gets a custom-made uniform, a custom-made cap and a custom-made bat.

And he gets a custom-made order from his team: do not swing at a pitch. Not a single one. Just take a walk.

With that, Eddie Gaedel – all 43 inches of him – becomes the shortest player in major league history 72 years ago today in St. Louis.

Playing for the Browns – this is back when St. Louis has teams in both the American and National leagues – Gaedel in his jersey No. 1/8 is announced as a pinch-hitter in the first inning of the Browns’ game against the Detroit Tigers at Sportsman’s Park.

Frank Saucier starts the game in right field for the Browns.

He is listed as the leadoff hitter, but that never happens for him as Browns manager Zack Taylor quickly summons the 26-year-old, 3-foot-7 Gaedel to hit for Saucier in the bottom of the first inning.

With Bob Cain pitching for Detroit and a Sunday crowd of 18,369 looking on, Tigers catcher Bob Swift gets down on his knees to try and frame pitches for plate umpire Ed Hurley to see.

Doesn’t matter as Gaedel walks on four pitches and runs to first base, where he promptly is replaced by pinch-runner Jim Delsing.

The walk is one of five Cain gives up in the game, but that hardly matters at the end as the Tigers beat the hapless Browns 6-2 and drop St. Louis’ record to 36-79.

The idea to sign and play Gaedel belongs to Bill Veeck, the Browns’ owner who carves out a Hall of Fame career as one of baseball’s showmen.

Commissioner Ford Frick, though, is not amused, telling Veeck to never, ever pull a stunt like this again.

And, just to reinforce his displeasure with Veeck, Frick immediately voids Gaedel’s contract, ending Gaedel’s career with a perfect on-base percentage of 1,000.

“My epitaph is inescapable,” Veeck later says. “It will read, ‘He sent a midget up to bat.’ ”