Pintsize Powerhouse

HEN THE UNITED STATES entered World War I in April 1917, Frank J. Burke, a major league baseball mascot, repeatedly but at first unsuccessfully tried to join the American Expeditionary Forces. “A perfectly formed midget” according to one description, Burke, nicknamed “Brownie,” stood between 4’3” and 4’7” and weighed 90 lbs. Undeterred, Brownie Burke pressed on, eventually wearing a doughboy’s uniform, earning the rank of corporal, and seeing duty on the Continent.