GIVE IT A REST
Ken Hoffman on why announcers should stop talking about Jose Altuve's height
Oct 18, 2019, 11:58 am
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
It's time that announcers stopped going on and on about how remarkable it is that Jose Altuve can compete in Major League Baseball standing only 5-foot-6.
True, Altuve is one of the 15 shortest players to make the big leagues. But let's look at some other players standing 5-foot-6 and under.
- Wee Willie Keeler: 5-foot-4; lifetime batting average, .342; Hall of Fame.
- Rabbit Maranville: 5-foot-5; played 23 years in the Majors; Hall of Fame.
- Hack Wilson: 5-foot-6; Most Valuable Player; holds Major League record for RBI's in one season; Hall of Fame.
- Phil Rizzuto: 5-foot-6; the "Scooter" played 13 years; 10 AL pennants; seven World Series titles; MVP; Hall of Fame.
- Joe Sewell: 5-foot-6; batted .312; Hall of Fame.
- Billy Hamilton: 5-foot-6; record for runs scored in one season; third all-time stolen bases; Hall of Fame.
In about 15 years, we'll be adding Altuve to this long list of short Hall of Famers
And then there's Eddie Gaedel, 3-foot-7, who was sent to bat one time as a publicity stunt by the struggling St. Louis Browns. Gaedel walked, and never played another game, which means his lifetime on-base percentage is a perfect 1.000, highest in history. The oddest thing about Gaedel's story is, after his one plate appearance, American League president Will Harridge voided Gaedel's contract and banned Little People from baseball. I wonder how baseball would handle a similar situation today.
Yes, it is amazing what Altuve is accomplishing in baseball, but his height really isn't a factor. Altuve is simply a dedicated, supremely gifted athlete with incredible baseball skills. If anything, being 5-foot-6 might give Altuve an advantage — smaller strike zone, pitchers overly concerned about not walking him, etc.
Continue on CultureMap for Ken Hoffman's final thoughts on Altuve.
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Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.
If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.
Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.
Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.
For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.
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