Major League Baseball's Shortest Players

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It's October and we're a few days away from the beginning of the MLB World Series. We're actually six days away to see which team will be crowned champions of the 2015 post-season. It’s too soon to tell which of the four teams will make it to the final but we are all excited about it. The National League Champions could be the New York Mets as they have a commanding 3-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs. Steven Mats brought his A-game and has been giving the Cubs' batters a hell of a time. He makes his second post-season start after allowing three runs in five innings. 

See also: Largest List Ever Of Famous Short Men

On the other side the American League Champions will be chosen between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals. The team from Canada is not doing as well as they are trailing 1-3. They will have to win the next three games in a row like they did to advance to the American League Championship series. Kansa City are no pushovers though and they could see the Blue Jays off. The Royals’ main star is Edinson Volquez who put together six scoreless innings and allowed only two hits in game 1. He has also walked eight batters in eleven 2/3 post innings permitted. 

The real baseball stars to watch are the people we relate to, and they are the short baseball players who have made a name for themselves through their determination, hard work and skills. Here are some of the players who have been great both during the regular season and post season 

Tim Collins

Tim Collins | Source: Wikipedia Commons
 

Tim Collins is one of the standout players of Kansas City Royals. He is one of their best relief pitchers and he has had an amazing career so far. He is 5’7” which makes it easier for us to relate to him. He is an amazing player as most pitchers are normally tall and he is able to do more than the taller players by pitching just as fast as they do. He doesn’t place the ball on the corners of the plate like most other short pitchers but he is able to throw a fast ball that strikes out even the best players. His mean fastball averages a speed of 93 and 94 mph. This is proof that short players can be pitchers and don’t have to be spot pitchers at the same time. 

See also: Find A Niche As A Short Athlete

Alexi Amarista

Alexi Amarista | Source: Wikipedia Commons

He is barely an inch shorter than Tim Collins as he is 5’6”. This San Diego Padres player has a batting average of 0.198 hitting 11 home runs and driving in 82 RBIs. He is one of the shortest player tying his height to Jose Altuve, although he is not as well-known as the latter. He started his career with the Los Angeles Angels in 2011. He has been nicknamed the "little ninja" because many of his opponents underestimate him and he sneaks up on them. We did a story on Mr. Altuve winning the 2014 Batting Champion title earlier this year. Do check it out! 

Eddie Gaedel

Eddie Gaedel | Source: Wikipedia Commons

Eddie has gone on record to being the shorted player the sport has ever seen. He was 3’7” when he stepped on to the baseball field on August 19, 1951. His biggest contribution to the team is walking four consecutive plates. His jersey is displayed in the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum bearing the number 1/8. 

Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve | Source: Wikipedia Commons

He is the league’s shortest player standing at a height of 5’ 5”. Many people would think that his height would keep him from playing many sports but he has turned out to be a great baseball player. Jose plays for Houston Astros and he has been selected for 3 All Star games. Amongst his accomplishments are that he is the first player to reach 130 hits and stolen 40 bases before the All Star game. 

Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins | Source: Wikipedia Commons

He stands at 5’ 8” and he was one of the most popular post season player. He led Philadelphia to the title in 2008 and in the previous year he won the MVP award hitting .296 with 30 homers and leading Philly to an NL East title. One of his personal achievements is being the three-time Gold Glove winner.

Conclusion

As we wait for Oct 27 to the start of the finals, we should be grateful to see people who are as tall as we are able have been able to make a difference in baseball. They have overcome personal shortcomings to become one of the all-time greats in the sport. It doesn't stop at baseball. Check out our gallery of famous short men, the largest gallery on the web today. You can even search by Height, Occupation and Last Name!

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