He's been signing these guys for 30 years.
The Incredible Shrinking Baseball Star
By DAVE CAMERON
Baseball scouts have long preferred the players they sign to be formidable specimens. But the emergence of stars like Dustin Pedroia (5-foot-9, 2008 American League MVP) and "Tiny" Tim Lincecum (5-foot-11, 2008 National League Cy Young winner), has opened the door for a new crop of undersized players. And the little guys are running through it.
In Philadelphia, outfielder Shane Victorino, the 5-foot-9 "Flyin' Hawaiian," continues to outperform all expectations. He was a starter on the NL All-Star team and, through Sunday, has a .479 slugging percentage-the kind of power-hitting number usually reserved for the vertically advantaged.
He isn't the only slight fellow making his mark on baseball this year. Totonto shortstop Marco Scutaro, all 5-foot-9 of him, is doing his best to shake the "utility infielder" label with a career-high 45 extra-base hits. Chone Figgins, the L.A. Angels' pocket-sized third baseman, is having a career year, as is his undersized teammate Erick Aybar. Chicago's Ryan Theriot, who's also shy of six feet, has held down a shortstop job for the Cubs while hitting .301 and doubling his career home-run total this season.
Why this is happening is anyone's guess. Some say it's the legacy of smaller veteran stars like Ichiro Suzuki. Others say it's a purposeful reaction to the beefy look of the steroids era or the reflection of a new emphasis on defense. In any event, the next big thing in baseball may not be especially big at all.
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page D8
The Incredible Shrinking Baseball Star
By DAVE CAMERON
Baseball scouts have long preferred the players they sign to be formidable specimens. But the emergence of stars like Dustin Pedroia (5-foot-9, 2008 American League MVP) and "Tiny" Tim Lincecum (5-foot-11, 2008 National League Cy Young winner), has opened the door for a new crop of undersized players. And the little guys are running through it.
In Philadelphia, outfielder Shane Victorino, the 5-foot-9 "Flyin' Hawaiian," continues to outperform all expectations. He was a starter on the NL All-Star team and, through Sunday, has a .479 slugging percentage-the kind of power-hitting number usually reserved for the vertically advantaged.
He isn't the only slight fellow making his mark on baseball this year. Totonto shortstop Marco Scutaro, all 5-foot-9 of him, is doing his best to shake the "utility infielder" label with a career-high 45 extra-base hits. Chone Figgins, the L.A. Angels' pocket-sized third baseman, is having a career year, as is his undersized teammate Erick Aybar. Chicago's Ryan Theriot, who's also shy of six feet, has held down a shortstop job for the Cubs while hitting .301 and doubling his career home-run total this season.
Why this is happening is anyone's guess. Some say it's the legacy of smaller veteran stars like Ichiro Suzuki. Others say it's a purposeful reaction to the beefy look of the steroids era or the reflection of a new emphasis on defense. In any event, the next big thing in baseball may not be especially big at all.
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page D8