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Eddie Gaedel is famously the shortest player to ever appear in a Major League Baseball game. Who is the shortest player to ever appear in more than one game?

Question #148319. Asked by bernie73.
Last updated Mar 01 2021.
Originally posted Feb 28 2021 1:33 PM.

Related Trivia Topics: Sports  
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AyatollahK star
Answer has 13 votes
Currently Best Answer
AyatollahK star
17 year member
715 replies avatar

Answer has 13 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
There are five MLB players listed at 5' 3", which is the shortest for anyone except Gaedel (who was 3' 7"). One of those players (Jess Cortazzo) also only appeared in one game, so he doesn't count, but the others, each of whom only played one season in the majors, are the following: (1) Pompeyo "Yo-Yo" Davalillo (1953 with the Washington Senators -- and his younger brother Vic was legitimately successful and played 17 years in the majors); (2) Ed "Stubby" Manger (1911 with the NY Highlanders (later Yankees)); (3) Robert "Bob" Emmerich (1923 with the Boston Braves); and (4) Michael "Mike" McCormack (1904 with the Brooklyn Superbas (later Dodgers)). [Some references also list Harry Chappas as 5' 3", but Chappas himself said that he was 5' 5" and the shorter height was listed only because of the record.] Because Davalillo was the most recent, with a brother who was a star, and he had his career cut short by injury instead of talent issues, he's often listed as the second-shortest (as Wikipedia claims), but there really isn't any way to know for sure. [BTW, Hall of Famer "Wee Willie" Keeler, who played 19 years in the majors, was 5' 4", so he was the shortest major star.]
From a Houston Chronicle article, which was quoted in the Yo-Yo Davalillo article in Wikipedia:
The shortest player on record is 43-inch Eddie Gaedel, who got one plate appearance (a walk) as a 1951 publicity stunt. Five players listed at 5-3 have graced the major leagues since 1900, according to Baseball Reference, with Pompeyo Antonio "Yo-Yo" Davalillo, Jess Cortazzo, Bob Emmerich, Stubby Magner and Mike McCormack combining for 90 hits in 463 at-bats.

link https://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2011/08/18/astros-altuve-stands-shorter-than-all-active-mlb-players/
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-Yo_Davalillo
link https://mightycaseybaseball.com/2020/02/18/happy-birthday-stubby-magner/

Response last updated by AyatollahK on Feb 28 2021.
Feb 28 2021, 2:50 PM
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elburcher star
Answer has 9 votes
elburcher star
24 year member
1523 replies avatar

Answer has 9 votes.
Here is a list of the 16 Shortest players in MLB history...
 1. Eddie Gaedel -- Height: 3’7”
 2. Stubby Magner -- Height: 5’3”
 3. Pompeyo “Yo-Yo” Davalillo -- Height: 5’3”
 4. “Wee Willie” Keeler -- Height: 5’4”
 5. Freddie Patek -- Height: 5'5"
 6. Robert Maranville -- Height: 5'5"
 7. Bobby Shantz -- Height: 5'6"
 8. Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson -- Height: 5'6"
 9. Phil Rizzuto -- Height: 5'6"
10. Joes Sewell -- Height: 5'6"
11. "Sliding" Billy Hamilton -- Height: 5'6"
12. Jose Altuve -- Height: 5'6"
13. Joe Morgan -- Height: 5'7"
14. Mookie Betts -- Height: 5'9"
15. Dustin Pedroia -- Height: 5'9"
16. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez -- Height: 5'9"
link https://www.themodestman.com/shortest-mlb-players-of-all-time/


Response last updated by gtho4 on Mar 01 2021.
Feb 28 2021, 6:53 PM
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