When Gaedel had hinted to Veeck that he might be tempted to swing at a pitch , the owner promised to bring a rifle to the game and shoot him if he tried . When Veeck got the impression that Gaedel might be tempted to swing at a pitch , the owner warned Gaedel that he had taken out a $ 1 million insurance policy on his life , and that he would be standing on the roof of the stadium with a rifle prepared to kill Gaedel if he even looked like he was going to swing .