Take that, big jocks.

(Data courtesy of Baseball Reference Play Index)

you need to note the average weight at that time (most of these players are from early in the century ). People got bigger in the 20th century thanks to modernization of food supplies and medical care (and many other factors I am sure). Baseball players got significantly bigger after Ruth and have been trending bigger and bigger since that time. David Pinto did a great study based on height for the Sporting News fantasy site but I can’t find the link anymore (sorry). The smallest major league players today (Pedroia, Rollins, etc) are very close to average size compared to the population in general.

That is probably why the smallest guys tend to get a bit overrated. Very few people can look at 6’3 230lb Albert Pujols and relate to him physically. Many people can look at “5’9 180lb” (yeah right) Dustin Pedroia and say “that guy is my size and he’s awesome.” It makes people relate to the player and on the other hand, the small players accomplishments look even bigger because people are aware of how much more that player is capable of then they are themselves.

A quick look over at the picture to the right pretty well sums up my biases here though.

“Very few people can look at 6’3 230lb Albert Pujols and relate to him physically.”

Pujols is bigger than the average person, but he’s not a freak. I’m sure most people have friends who are that size and in decent shape. But can’t hit a baseball anything like Albert.

Football and Basketball players are the ones people can’t relate to physically. With ballplayers, it’s not their size, it’s their ability you can’t relate to. In the other sports, their size, to a great extent, is their ability.