On June 18, 1961, former St. Louis Brown Eddie Gaedel dies from a heart attack at the age of 36. In one of owner Bill Veeck’s most outlandish promotions, the three-foot, seven-inch Gaedel had appeared in one game for the Browns in 1951.

Gabel is found dead lying in his bed with bruises on the left side of his face, most likely as the result of an assault after being followed home from a Chicago bowling alley. Bob Cain, the opposing Tiger pitcher who issued a base-on-balls in the infamous stunt, is the only person from major league baseball to attend the funeral of the 36 year-old unemployed small person, whose cause of death will be determined by a coroner’s inquest to be the result a heart attack