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Believe that Eddie Gaedel would have had a .500 on base percentage, had Bill Veeck not cut him.

DocBenjaminDocBenjamin Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 30, 2024 4:00PM in Sports Talk

3 foot 7 inches, so the high spot of his strike zone would have been two feet below the typical player.

Guess in the pre DH era it would have been tough to position him...maybe as shortstop, but today, a batter of that height would walk at least half the appearances.

Where is Billy Bean?

Comments

  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,159 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sadly, they never gave Eddie another chance.

    He may have turned out to be a great player. I mean so what if it took him a half hour to run the bases, if ya hit a home run it doesn't matter.

  • 1948_Swell_Robinson1948_Swell_Robinson Posts: 1,976 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 31, 2024 6:37AM

    Even if he somehow had a .500 OB%, he most likely would have no hits or extra base hits and have a .000 SLG%, so his OPS would be .500 which is terrible.

    PS there is no possible way he could play SS in MLB.

  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,209 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @1948_Swell_Robinson said:
    Even if he somehow had a .500 OB%, he most likely would have no hits or extra base hits and have a .000 SLG%, so his OPS would be .500 which is terrible.

    After he walked wouldn’t they have to pinch run for him so he wouldn’t clog the bases. Because if he’s batting it has to be a key situation where the team needs a man on first.
    So I’m thinking he would be limited to at the most 1 at bat per game pinch hitting. In my scenario OBP or slugg. wouldn’t matter because all the team wants from him is a walk, then he’s out of the game.

  • 1948_Swell_Robinson1948_Swell_Robinson Posts: 1,976 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Darin said:

    @1948_Swell_Robinson said:
    Even if he somehow had a .500 OB%, he most likely would have no hits or extra base hits and have a .000 SLG%, so his OPS would be .500 which is terrible.

    After he walked wouldn’t they have to pinch run for him so he wouldn’t clog the bases. Because if he’s batting it has to be a key situation where the team needs a man on first.
    So I’m thinking he would be limited to at the most 1 at bat per game pinch hitting. In my scenario OBP or slugg. wouldn’t matter because all the team wants from him is a walk, then he’s out of the game.

    His base running would be an all time negative as well.

    He wouldn't have a .500 OB% either. MLB pitchers would find the spot and he would be an out 80% of the time. I would say a .200 OB% at best. So if he came to the plate 500 times he would walk 100 times and make 400 outs.

  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,209 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Swell you’re probably right. Greg Maddox probably would have loved pitching to him. Automatic out.

  • DocBenjaminDocBenjamin Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Darin said:
    Swell you’re probably right. Greg Maddox probably would have loved pitching to him. Automatic out.

    Unless Eddie mastered the off the ground pop up bunt.

  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,159 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @1948_Swell_Robinson said:

    @Darin said:

    @1948_Swell_Robinson said:
    Even if he somehow had a .500 OB%, he most likely would have no hits or extra base hits and have a .000 SLG%, so his OPS would be .500 which is terrible.

    After he walked wouldn’t they have to pinch run for him so he wouldn’t clog the bases. Because if he’s batting it has to be a key situation where the team needs a man on first.
    So I’m thinking he would be limited to at the most 1 at bat per game pinch hitting. In my scenario OBP or slugg. wouldn’t matter because all the team wants from him is a walk, then he’s out of the game.

    His base running would be an all time negative as well.

    He wouldn't have a .500 OB% either. MLB pitchers would find the spot and he would be an out 80% of the time. I would say a .200 OB% at best. So if he came to the plate 500 times he would walk 100 times and make 400 outs.

    "MLB pitchers would find the spot and he would be an out 80% of the time.'

    But of course, and likely much higher than 80%.

    I don't know who the pitcher was, but he probably freaked out a little bit when Gaedel came to the plate, and it threw him off mentally.

    The next game, any MLB pitcher would expect it, and frankly, the strikeout rate would become close to 100%.

  • bgrbgr Posts: 1,872 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Outside of the Gaedel gimmick I haven’t seen any cases where umpires actually seem to take the batters height into consideration. Has a dynamic strike zone been a thing?

  • DocBenjaminDocBenjamin Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @bgr said:
    Outside of the Gaedel gimmick I haven’t seen any cases where umpires actually seem to take the batters height into consideration. Has a dynamic strike zone been a thing?

    Henderson was expert at tightening the strike zone.

  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 9,317 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wonder how the effects of a brush back or chin music pitch would of looked. Maybe after that Eddie would of stormed the mound and kicked the pitcher in the shins.😀

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
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