BOBBY SHANTZ, ALBIE PEARSON AND ???…

Pottstown, PA’s Bobby Shantz is 97 years old.

Presumably, he no longer stands 5’6”.

At 5’6” he was the American League’s MVP in 1952 as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics.

24–7 that season, he sported a 2.48 ERA, earning a spot on the AL All-Star team for the second straight year.

Albie Pearson, 88, was 5’5” and 140 lbs. soaking wet.

The AL Rookie of the Year in 1958 and an AL All-Star in 1963, hit .270; swatted 28 HRs; and knocked in 214 runs in a nine-year MLB career (1958–1966) with three teams.

Jose Altuve is 5’6”.

Only 32, Altuve ranks #2 all-time in postseason HRs with 23, behind Manny Ramirez (29) and just ahead of Bernie Williams (22).

He’s on his way to Cooperstown.

Perhaps joining Hack Wilson, Mel Ott, Yogi Berra, Joe Morgan, Kirby Puckett and Ivan Rodriguez.

All of whom–to be charitable–vertically challenged.

How much does size matter?

Muggsy Bogues (proper first name, Tyrone) was the shortest player in NBA history at 5’3”.

5’3”.

After excelling at Wake Forest, he played 14 NBA seasons.

Not a lot of players any size can lay claim to that kind of professional longevity.

It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight…it’s about the size of the fight in the dog.

“Cliche”:

Noun.

— a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

It’s not really about the size of these men, but rather about their talent.

Isn’t this as it should be about anyone?

Everyone?

Man, woman or beast?

Martin Luther King and his “content of character” reference, somehow reverberates.

We should knock off the labeling.

Big.

Small.

Rich.

Poor.

Smart.

Dopey.

Green.

Wasteful.

Kind.

Nasty.

War.

Peace.

How ‘bout it?

[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in October 2022.]