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Post by rizzuto on Sept 13, 2024 17:03:31 GMT -5
Can't you still hear Howard Cosell saying, "And coming to bat is Little Freddy Patek"? I forget who the WR/DB was, but I do remember Cosell saying "look at that little monkey run". Yikes... Cosell actually said it more than once on air, but the last time is what caused consternation. It was Washington Redskins' WR Alvin Garrett. About a decade earlier, he referred to Kansas City Chiefs' running back Mike Adamle. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 13, 2024 18:27:04 GMT -5
Good one. What a player. David Eckstein was another rugged small guy. One of the few players that Sarah knew immediately was 5'8" Kirby Puckett. Okay, now we need to put together the all-time MLB short roster! Your Gretna boy Mel Ott was 5'9". He would be the tallest in a HOF outfield with Puckett and Hack Wilson or Willie Keeler. Hard to find really short first basemen. Steve Garvey or John Kruk were both 5'10". |
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 13, 2024 18:39:48 GMT -5
One of the few players that Sarah knew immediately was 5'8" Kirby Puckett. Okay, now we need to put together the all-time MLB short roster! Your Gretna boy Mel Ott was 5'9". He would be the tallest in a HOF outfield with Puckett and Hack Wilson or Willie Keeler. Hard to find really short first basemen. Steve Garvey or John Kruk were both 5'10". Relievers, and pitchers in general, are difficult as well. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 13, 2024 18:50:20 GMT -5
Your Gretna boy Mel Ott was 5'9". He would be the tallest in a HOF outfield with Puckett and Hack Wilson or Willie Keeler. Hard to find really short first basemen. Steve Garvey or John Kruk were both 5'10". Relievers, and pitchers in general, are difficult as well. For sure. Even in the early 1900s there weren't many really short pitchers. Which makes the amazing Bobby Shantz at 5'6" even more remarkable. Whitey Ford and Three-Finger Brown at 5'10" are maybe the two best starters. Billy Wagner was 5'10" also coming out of the pen. |
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 13, 2024 19:00:54 GMT -5
Relievers, and pitchers in general, are difficult as well. For sure. Even in the early 1900s there weren't many really short pitchers. Which makes the amazing Bobby Shantz at 5'6" even more remarkable. Whitey Ford and Three-Finger Brown at 5'10" are maybe the two best starters. Billy Wagner was 5'10" also coming out of the pen. Wagner is a really good call. Let's not forget that the Hall of Famer from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Ted Lyons was 5'11" and Ron Guidry was 5'11" as well. Shantz, Ford, Lyons, and Guidry is a pretty good starting four for the playoffs. To pick a modern day player, Mookie Betts is one of the better players of his generation on both sides of the ball and is only 5'9" |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 13, 2024 19:17:48 GMT -5
For sure. Even in the early 1900s there weren't many really short pitchers. Which makes the amazing Bobby Shantz at 5'6" even more remarkable. Whitey Ford and Three-Finger Brown at 5'10" are maybe the two best starters. Billy Wagner was 5'10" also coming out of the pen. Wagner is a really good call. Let's not forget that the Hall of Famer from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Ted Lyons was 5'11" and Ron Guidry was 5'11" as well. Shantz, Ford, Lyons, and Guidry is a pretty good starting four for the playoffs. To pick a modern day player, Mookie Betts is one of the better players of his generation on both sides of the ball and is only 5'9" Betts for sure. Easy HOFer. I still have trouble understanding how the Red Sox let him go. We're getting heavy on Sportsman's Paradise hurlers, Rizz.😉 Also Pedro Martinez was in the 5'11" grouping. The Yankees had 5'8" Luis Arroyo as the closer on the 1961 team, but his body of work doesn't compare to these other pitchers. I would probably vote Wagner into Cooperstown, but he's on the fence. He was awfully good for a long time. |
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Post by ypaterson on Sept 13, 2024 19:19:31 GMT -5
Joe Morgan belongs in the conversation...another guy that stood about 5' 7". I think he was pretty good.
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 13, 2024 19:22:57 GMT -5
Joe Morgan belongs in the conversation...another guy that stood about 5' 7". I think he was pretty good. Absolutely. Arguably the best second baseman ever. Definitely top handful. |
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 13, 2024 19:24:08 GMT -5
Wagner is a really good call. Let's not forget that the Hall of Famer from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Ted Lyons was 5'11" and Ron Guidry was 5'11" as well. Shantz, Ford, Lyons, and Guidry is a pretty good starting four for the playoffs. To pick a modern day player, Mookie Betts is one of the better players of his generation on both sides of the ball and is only 5'9" Betts for sure. Easy HOFer. I still have trouble understanding how the Red Sox let him go. We're getting heavy on Sportsman's Paradise hurlers, Rizz.😉 Also Pedro Martinez was in the 5'11" grouping. The Yankees had 5'8" Luis Arroyo as the closer on the 1961 team, but his body of work doesn't compare to these other pitchers. I would probably vote Wagner into Cooperstown, but he's on the fence. He was awfully good for a long time. LOL! I must admit to recognizing players with ties to Louisiana (especially Yankees) first and foremost. Pedro Martinez would certainly round out the starting five nicely. Many would say one of the greatest pitchers of all and any time. Wagner is a positive vote for me, too. Unfortunately, his poor postseason performances are likely what is keeping him out. |
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 13, 2024 19:26:05 GMT -5
Joe Morgan belongs in the conversation...another guy that stood about 5' 7". I think he was pretty good. Like Pete Rose always said, there was nothing that Joe Morgan couldn't do well on a baseball field. Definitely makes the starting roster. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 13, 2024 19:29:57 GMT -5
Joe Morgan belongs in the conversation...another guy that stood about 5' 7". I think he was pretty good. Like Pete Rose always said, there was nothing that Joe Morgan couldn't do well on a baseball field. Definitely makes the starting roster. He was as great as a player as he was lousy as a broadcaster. |
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 13, 2024 19:36:10 GMT -5
Like Pete Rose always said, there was nothing that Joe Morgan couldn't do well on a baseball field. Definitely makes the starting roster. He was as great as a player as he was lousy as a broadcaster. High praise, Pipps. Very high praise. |
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Post by inger on Sept 14, 2024 10:13:47 GMT -5
Imagine having 5’7” Gene Krapp on your pitching staff on the all time funny names AND short players teams…
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 14, 2024 12:27:38 GMT -5
Imagine having 5’7” Gene Krapp on your pitching staff on the all time funny names AND short players teams… "I've seen Krapp's bigger than you." |
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Post by inger on Sept 14, 2024 19:50:24 GMT -5
Imagine having 5’7” Gene Krapp on your pitching staff on the all time funny names AND short players teams… "I've seen Krapp's bigger than you." Watch it, Spuds. I’m only a wall scraper at 5’11”… 😂 |
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