Size Doesn't Matter
You look at the players who play in the majors now, and some of them a huge physical specimens. Arron Judge, Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, James Wood. All are 6’4″ or taller. Large does not always mean better, but you are more likely to be a power hitter with some size to you. But…
You look at the players who play in the majors now, and some of them a huge physical specimens. Arron Judge, Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, James Wood. All are 6’4″ or taller. Large does not always mean better, but you are more likely to be a power hitter with some size to you. But being small does not mean you cannot excel in the major leagues.
Nutrition, exercise, are just part of the reason today’s athletes are so big. A lot of it has to do with the fact that men and women have grown taller over the years naturally. Evolution one might call it. My mom was 5’5″, my dad was 5’7″. I am 6′ even. My son, whose mom was 5’1″, is 5’8″. My daughters, whose mom was 5’6″. are both 5’10”. Can’t explain it, just biology at work and maybe a messed-up gene pool.
Before the modern era, there were many players who were short in stature. One of Brooklyn’s first real stars stood just 5’4″. Keeler played for Brooklyn for 5 seasons. His BA? .388. He even hit 14 homers in that span, pretty good for the dead ball era. What I find amazing is that in 5 seasons, Keeler struck out just 36 times. In his 19-year career, Willie struck out just 136 times in 8,591 at bats. I would love to see a modern-day hitter even come close to that mark.
Let’s look at some small in stature players who have had nice careers as major leaguers. We will look at some of the active guys first, then go into those who played in the past. The first one is Jose Altuve of the Astros. Dodger fans despise the guy for good reason, but his skills on the field are unmistakable. In his 16-year MLB career, he has a .302 lifetime BA. And for a guy who is only 5’6″ he has surprising power. 259 career homers attest to that. The first four years of his career he never hit more than 7. In the last ten, he has hit 31 twice, and 20 or more five times. He also has 3 batting titles and an MVP award to his credit. He has only 1 gold glove. He also has 27 homers in the post season.
Ozzie Albies, the Braves second baseman, has had a very nice 10-year career. He is 5’7″. He does not have the same type of power that Altuve has, but he too has hit 30 or more homers twice. He has two other seasons when he hit 24. He is a .266 career hitter with 165 career homers and 609 driven in. He was a huge part of the Braves 2021 run to the championship. Albies is a solid defender and has enough speed on the bases to be a pest.
Javier Sanoja is the Marlins utility player. This is his 3rd season with Miami, and he is hitting .281. He is not a power hitter, just 7 career homers, but his contact numbers have improved. His OPS+ is 108. He won the gold glove last year as the best utility player in the NL. He is 5’7″.
A kid to watch is OF, Carlos Cortes of the A’s. In 40 games in his rookie campaign last year, he hit .309/4/14 with an OPS of .866. He is even better so far this year, in 44 games he is hitting .336/5/17. He has walked more than he has struck out, 18-15. His OPS is .954 and he has a ,423 OBP. So far playing RF for the A’s he has not made an error. He is 5’7″ 195 lbs.
Caleb Durbin of the Red Sox is just 5’6″. He had a good rookie year finishing 3rd in the ROY voting. So far this year, he has been unable to recapture that magic. He is hitting .163 with a single homer. He hit 11 last year. Not exactly a defensive whiz in the outfield. He hit .308 in the LCS against the Dodgers last year when he was with the Brewers.
Some of the players still playing who are short in stature and yet have performed well, Cedric Mullins 5’8″, Donovan Solano, 5’8″, Daulton Varsho 5’8″, Alejandro Kirk 5’8″, former Dodger, Justin Dean is also 5’8″. Mookie is just 5’9″. Jose Ramirez is also just 5’9″. Marcus Stroman is 5’7″. Tony Kemp, who is currently out of the game, was just 5’6″.
Looking back, there are several shorter players I can recall seeing play or having their baseball cards. The first one I would like to write about is one I actually saw play at old Wrigley Field in LA when he was with the Angels, Albie Pearson. Pearson was 5’5″ and mostly played CF. He was originally signed by the Red Sox in 1953 as an amateur free agent. He was traded to the Senators along with Norm Zauchin for Pete Runnels in January of 1958. He was traded to the Senators in May of 59. Up to that point in his career, he was about a .220 hitter with no power. His life changed after he was taken by the Angels in the draft in 1960. In the 1961 season, he found himself. He hit .288. He had an OBP of .420. He slugged 7 homers. Through 1965, he was the Angels primary CF. He hit .304 in 63 and made his only All-Star team. He led the league in runs scored in62 with 115. His career BA was .270. Albie passed in February of 2023. He was 88.
Hall of Fame SS, Rabbit Maranville was just 5’5″. He played in the majors for 23 years and 5 different teams, including a short stint in Brooklyn in 1926. He was just a .258 hitter but was considered one of the better SS in his era. Played on the Braves WS champion team in 1914 and was on the losing Cardinal team in 1928. He was elected to the Hall in 1954, the same year he died.
Freddie Patek started out with the Pirates in 1968. At just 5’5″ he played mostly shortstop for the Bucco’s. He was part of a six-player trade in 1971 that sent Bruce DalCanton, Jerry May and himself to the Royals for Jim Campanis, Jackie Hernandez and Bob Johnson. His fortunes turned for the better with the Royals where he was a member of the 76-78 Royals who won 3-straight division titles only to lose each time to the Yankees in the LCS. Played for 14 years, ending his career with the Angels in 1981. He was a career .241 hitter. He led the AL in triples in 1971 with 11.
Bobby Shantz was 5’6″. He won the MVP award in 1952 when he was 24-7 for the Philadelphia A’s. His WHIP that year was a league leading 1.048. He never came close to having that kind of season again, as a matter of fact, he won more than 10 games just once in the next 12 seasons. He finished with a career record of 119-99 and a respectable 3.38 ERA. He pitched for 7 different teams including the Yankees over his 16-year career.
Hall of Famer, Joe Morgan began his career with the Houston Colt-45s in 1963. He would play for Houston for 10 years. Then in 1971, he was traded to the Reds with Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister, Jack Billingham, and Denis Menke, for Tommy Helms, Lee May and Jimmy Stewart. That trade brought the Reds some players who would become key members of the Big Red Machine. None more so than Morgan. Morgan would win two MVP awards on that star studded team, 75-76, World Champion years. His career BA was .271 but he had surprising power for a small guy hitting 268 homers. He would finish his 22-year career in Oakland, and he was on the Phillies 83 NL pennant winning team.
Jimmy Rollins, like Morgan was 5’7″. He was the star SS for the Phillies for 15 years. He won the MVP award in 2007 when the Phillies inexplicably lost the LDS to the Rockies in 3 games. He was a member of the Phils 2008 championship team. He was a soldi defensive SS and won 3 gold gloves. He hit .264 for his career and had 231 homers. He hit .221 for the 2015 Dodgers in 144 games with 13 homers.
The Dodgers have had several players who were under 5’11”. Maury Wills, Dave Roberts, Pee Wee Reese, Jim Wynn, the Toy Cannon was 5’10” Charlie Neal, Billy Cox, Nick Punto was 5’9″. Steve Garvey and Ron Cey were both 5’10”. So, it is not always the size of the person, it is the size of his heart and his desire to succeed.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
OKC Comets 9 – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 2
RHSP River Ryan looks as if he is ready to join LAD in some capacity. He completed 6.0 innings, allowing 1 unearned run, 4 hits, 0 BB, and 8K. He threw 87 pitches (67 strikes).
RHRP Jerming Rosario allowed a solo HR in the 7th inning, for the Space Cowboys’ final run.
LHRP Jake Eder pitched 1.2 scoreless innings allowing 1 BB, and getting 3 K. After striking out the first two batters in the 9th, RHRP Wyatt Mills entered to get the final out. Mills did strike out the one batter he faced to close out the game.
Offensively, OKC scored 9 runs on 10 hits and 6 BB. The Comets struck fast in the 1st. RF Zach Ehrhard drew a BB, 2B Tommy Edman singled, and DH James Tibbs III hit a 3-run HR (13).
In the 2nd, C Eliézer Alfonzo drew a BB, was forced at 2B by 1B Seby Zavala. Ehrhard doubled (13) home Alfonzo. Edman followed with a single, but Ehrhard was out at home.
In the 3rd, CF Jack Suwinski singled and came home on 3B Tyler Fitzgerald’s double (6). It was 5-1 after 3.
In the 5th, Suwinski tripled (1) and scored on LF Ryan Fitzgerald’s RBI single.
Tibbs III hit another 3-run HR (14) in the 6th after Zavala and Edman both walked.
- Zach Ehrhard – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (13)
- Tommy Edman – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 runs
- James Tibbs III – 2-5, 2 runs, 6 RBI, 2 HRs (14)
- Jack Suwinski – 2-5, 2 runs, triple (1)
Zach Ehrhard has had a fantastic month of May. In 84 PA, Zach hit .323/.476/.477/.953, 7 doubles, 1 HR, 18 BB vs 10 K. Zach is also the primary CF.
Tulsa Drillers 6 – NW Arkansas Naturals (KC) 1 – 7 innings
This was Game 1 of what was supposed to be a DH, but the 2nd game was postponed.
LHSP Adam Serwinowski pitched his second consecutive solid start. For the 1st 5.1 innings, Serwinowski was brilliant. No runs, 1 hit, 2 BB, and 8 K. After his 8th K, Adam gave up a single and BB before being lifted for RHRP Antonio Knowles. Knowles got out of the inning, but not before allowing an RBI single, charged to Serwinowski.
RHRP Cam Day closed it out in the 7th.
In the 3rd, LF Josue De Paula drew a BB. Three consecutive singles by DH Mike Sirota, SS Elijah Hainline, and RF Zyhir Hope scored 2 runs.
In the 4th, the Drillers doubled their run total. 2B Jake Gelof singled and stole 2nd. Gelof scored on CF Chris Newell’ RBI single. Newell stole 2nd, and scored on JDP’s double (14).
In the 6th, Gelof singled and scored on Newell’s HR (5).
- Chris Newell – 2-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR (5)
- Zyhir Hope – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI
- Jake Gelof – 2-3, 2 runs
- Josue De Paula – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (14)
Dayton Dragons (Reds) 12 – Great Lakes Loons 3
LHSP Jakeob Wright had a rough 3.2 innings. He allowed a run in the 1st from a single, SB, and 2 WP. He semi-unraveled in the 2nd. He hit a batter, gave up a double, 2 strikeouts but for the 2nd batter, Wright threw his 3rd WP, the batter reached and a run scored. After a 3rd K, Wright walked the next batter, and another batter reached on E6 with a run scoring and the bases remain loaded. A 2-run double ended the scoring in the 2nd.
In the 4th, Wright allowed a single and BB. He recorded two outs and was relieved by RHRP Davis Chastain. Chastain surrendered a 2 -run double.
LHRP Justin Chambers and RHRP Reynaldo Yean allowed 5 additional runs.
DH Jose Meza homered (6) in the 2nd for the Loons 1st run.
1B Jose D. Hernandez singled but was thrown out at 3B after C Bryan Gonzalez Garcia singled. Garcia scored on LF Chuck Davalan’s double (12). Davalan scored on CF Eduardo Quintero’s single.
- Chuck Davalan – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (12)
- Jose Meza – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (6)
Visalia Rawhide (Dbacks) 8 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 6
DH Jaron Elkins led off the bottom of the 1st with a HR (6).
RHSP Tyler Gough recently promoted from ACL pitched the 1st 3.1 innings. He did not allow a run, gave up 1 hit, and struck out 2. In the 4th, Gough struck out the 1st batter and was relieved by RHRP Accimias Morales.
Morales struck out the 1st batter he faced but he reached on a passed ball. Morales walked the next batter, and the 2 runners moved to 2nd and 3rd on 2nd PB. After a strikeout, Morales gave up a 2-run single (both unearned).
Ontario tied the score in the bottom of the 4th. CF Brendan Tunink drew a walk, and moved to 3rd on 1B Easton Shelton’s single. Shelton moved to 2nd on the play. Tunink scored on a WP.
RHP Jesus Tillero entered and pitched a scoreless 5th. But in the 6th, Tillero gave up 5 singles, a walk, a WP and a double to score 5 runs.
Ontario picked up 2 in the 7th after a single by Tunink, and a HR (11) by Shelton. They picked up 2 more in the 8th after 3B Chase Harlan homered (7), SS Joendry Vargas singled and scored on Tunink’s double (9).
Tillero surrendered a HR in the 9th giving the Rawhide the 8-6 win.
- Brendan Tunink – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (9)
- Easton Shelton – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (11)
- Chase Harlan – 1-3, 1 HBP, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (7)
- Jaron Elkins – 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (6)
ACL Brewers 4 – ACL Dodgers 3
CF Alek Thomas made his Dodger organization debut and went 1-3 with a BB and run scored.
SS Daniel Mielcarek had 2 singles, and DH Aidan West had the other hit.
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (81)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Jeff, your civil banter line was lost on the individual it was intended for. Some people lack the social slills not to piss in the pool. The rest of just have to plug our noses.
Typical woman! LOL.
He had some moments. One of 3 rookies who hit walk off homers on consecutive days against the Rockies. Verdugo on Friday, Beaty on Saturday, and Will Smith a 3-run shot on Sunday.
Espinal has been re-signed. That will necessitate a move taking someone off the 40 Man roster. Kim has been optioned.
10:15 PM ET Apple TV Phillies (29-27) Dodgers (36-20) SP Zack Wheeler R 4-0 1.67 ERA SP Justin Wrobleski L 6-2 3.07 ERA Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L CF Andy Pages R 1B F. Freeman L SS Mookie Betts R RF Kyle Tucker L 3B Max Muncy L C Will Smith R LF Alex Call R 2B A. Freeland S 67° Wind 13 mph Out
that’s fair. Should’ve used “worried” instead of “upset”, but that’s fair. I mean, obviously you weren’t joking, right?
I was sitting in Milwaukee looking at their 3B playing on the outfield grass against Mookie after Ohtani leadoff the game with a walk. I know Mookie has lost at least a step but it was there to be taken especially with a RH pitcher on the mound. I knew it wasn’t going to happen but it was there. All the boys I coached could bunt. The girls have been a bigger challenge but they’re improving. It’s technique and courage.
Will we even score against Wheeler tonight? Let’s see what Mookie does angainst elite pitching?
So Ryan Ward is coming back to take Teo’s spot. Nice. Not DFA’d after all. And Freeland gets the nod over Kim, with Roberts saying he needs a re-set with regular ABs. Espinal is back too.
We knew yesterday that Ward was being recalled. How long he stays, well that depends on his performance.
I said that I expect Ward to be DFAed AFTER he had been called. AFTER! I think he will be DFAed when he fails to hit in LA. Probably in June…. I don’t hate Ward. I just think he is a AAAA player. Geezzz
I guess Freddie answered my question. Mookie overmatched. Apple TV is best high def sports picture I’ve ever seen!
Spot on
True! How about the audio?
I prefer Joe. Tho I like Wayne Randazzo too. But I really like no hit, strike em out Wrobo!
I recall in March when Kim decided to play in the Olympics for Korea that Roberts wanted Kim to stay at spring training. The battle for second base was between Kim and Freeman. When Kim didn’t make the opening roster, in my mind, Kim’s decision to play for South Korea either upset Roberts or the front office. I don’t thin anyone can complain when I guy decides to represent his country in the Olympics. I wonder if Kim may be a little bit in Roberts dog house for Kim’s decision.
How am I supposed to continue complaining about the Dodger bats when they do this against one of the best pitchers in baseball? Well at least I still have Mookie
I did not see that one.
Enrique Hernandez just needs consistency. A little maddening, but that arm has so much talent.
My picture on my OLED is significantly better on this APPLE broadcast. No doubt about it.
Doc is only a part of the equation. The rest of the front office has more say-so!
I think his penchant for striking out is more pertinent.
Great win. Pads beat the Nationals, but Miller looked almost human. He threw a lot of pitches outside the zone. Would have been in more trouble in the 9th, but DC was out of challenges.
Miguelito hits a walk-off!