Can You Have A Great Pitcher at 5'9" or Under?

[engrshock]

I really do not see what the concern is with height. IF the kid can pitch why does it matter as to his height. IT seems that UC Irvine had a good picther last year that was not tall but he sure pitched well against the Shox. The pitcher for Arkansas that pitched in the regionals several times several games a few years ago was not a tall kid.

Here is an article about pitcher's height in MLB.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_9_62/ai_106226464

Basically I can see far less reason for consideration of height for a picther than for a quarterback and I am not sure that height is "all that" with respect to quarterbacks but at least they can see more easily over the linemen.

[Steeleshocker]

I think one of the major reasons for pitchers tending to be tall is that taller pitchers have a natural advantage.

A) Since they are taller, they tend to have larger wingspans, and can get more leverage behind the ball than someone with a shorter wingspan. This equals more speed :)

B) By starting out a little bit higher on the mound, their pitches will also tend to have more sink, since they are coming in from a higher angle than a shorter pitcher.

Just my two cents.

[billybud]

You know that there is something going on in terms of height assisting a player to be a good pitcher just by the statisitic...

75% of adult US males (white) are under 6'2" in height (5'10" is the median mark, and 6'2" is the 75% mark)...if height was neutral in effect upon pitching, one would expect the height of pitchers to fall along the curve of the natural population.

Although I do not have the statistical data, I would warrant that the curve is reversed and that 75% of the pitching population of the majors is 6'2" and above, not below. And, even at the Div I level, I would think that the height of pitchers exceeds the natural curve by quite a bit.

It's like the old bugaboo..do Blacks run faster? Well, heck yeah...The stats don't lie. There is a physiological reason that every medal winner (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in the men's 100 meter sprint for the last five olympics, has ancestry of west african origin. A lot of theories exist for why this is so, but the data tells the story.

[engrshock]

Height and leverage may go to the taller pitcher but control may be lost. I would think that you still have to look at the individual with respect to their ability and heart. I will take the 5'8" pitcher who can throw with accuracy i.e. (Greg Maddux (the stats say he is 6' but I doubt if he is over 5' 10") over the 6'6" pitcher who struggles with control.

Why are there few tall professional golfers? They would seem to have the advantage with leverage but their control fouls everything up.

[billybud]

The Cy Young shows a pretty good mix...for last ten seasons:


NL...

Gagne...6'0

Glavine 6'0...

Webb....6'2

Peavy...6'1

Johnson..6'10"...4X

Clemons...6'4"

Carpenter...6'6"

[billybud]

AL:

Clemons...6'4"...2X
Sabathia...6'7"
Colon......5'11"
Santana....6'0"...2X
Halladay...6'6"
Martinez....5'11"...2X
Zito.........6'4"


So...some big guys at 6'6" & 6'7" and some six footers (5'11" actually)