Who is the tallest baseball player in the USA?
Ryan Doherty
Doherty, was born and raised in Toms River, New Jersey, grew up playing baseball, including at Toms River High School East. He was named the 2002 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New Jersey and was awarded a partial scholarship to play baseball at the University of Notre Dame for the Fighting Irish. He is believed to have been the tallest player in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association baseball history. While at Notre Dame, he did not play collegiate volleyball due to his baseball commitments. In 2002, he was named an All-American.
Gordon Lund
Gordon Thomas Lund (born February 23, 1941, at Iron Mountain, Michigan) is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop, second baseman and third baseman. He stood 5'11" (180 cm) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). During his two-season Major League career, Lund batted .261, with 12 hits, no home runs, and 1 run batted in.
Robert Wadlow
Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940), also known as the Alton Giant and the Giant of Illinois, was an American who became famous as the tallest person in recorded history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. He was born and raised in Alton, Illinois.
Jimmy Johnson (baseball)
James Lloyd Johnson (born August 28, 1947) is an American professional baseball coach, and a former infielder and manager at the minor league level. Johnson was primarily a shortstop and third baseman during his playing days. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.83 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). As a player, Johnson compiled a .252 batting average in 577 minor league games.
York, Pennsylvania
PeoplesBank Park has the distinction of having the tallest wall in baseball. At 37 feet, 8 inches, the left field wall of York's ballpark surpasses the height of the Green Monster at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.
Aaron Judge
On March 31, Judge made his first career start at center field in the majors. At 6'7" and 282 pounds, he became the tallest and heaviest player in baseball history to play the position.
Chris Singleton (baseball)
Christopher Verdell Singleton (born August 15, 1972) is an American professional baseball outfielder and broadcaster. He played most of his career as a center fielder for six seasons in Major League Baseball, from to ). He played for the Chicago White Sox (1999-), Baltimore Orioles (), Oakland Athletics () and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005). During his playing career, his listed height and weight were 6'2", 210 pounds. He batted and threw left-handed.
José Altuve
Originally listed at , Altuve is now listed at his correct height of , making him the shortest active player in Major League Baseball, and the shortest since Freddie Patek retired following the 1981 season.
Suleiman Ali Nashnush
Suleiman Ali Nashnush (1943 – February 25, 1991) was a Libyan basketball player and actor and one of seventeen individuals in medical history to reach or surpass eight feet in height. In 1960, he successfully underwent surgery to correct his abnormal growth. He was one of the tallest basketball players ever at 8'0 1/2" (245 cm) although he was only 7'10" (239 cm) when he played professional basketball.
Freddie Patek
Freddie Joseph Patek (; born October 9, 1944), nicknamed The Flea or The Cricket, is an American former professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and California Angels. At tall, he was the shortest MLB player of his time.
Loek van Mil
Van Mil is and weighs . Van Mil is the tallest player in professional baseball.
Paul Lehner
Paul Eugene Lehner (July 1, 1920 – December 27, 1967) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a center fielder for five American League teams from 1946 through 1952. A native of Dolomite, Alabama, Lehner batted and threw left-handed. Listed at tall and , he was nicknamed "Peanuts" or "Gulliver."
Lehner was one of a few big leaguers to play for four different teams in a single season. He reached the majors in 1946 with the St. Louis Browns, spending four years with them before moving to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950. He started 1951 with Philadelphia, then was part of successive trades between the Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Browns, and Cleveland Indians. His most productive season came in 1950 with Philadelphia, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.309), home runs (9), and RBI (52) in 114 games. He also played briefly for the Boston Red Sox in 1952, his last major league season.
Larry Jacobus
Stuart Louis "Larry" Jacobus (December 13, 1894 – August 19, 1965) was a professional baseball pitcher from 1915 to 1927. He spent most of his career in the Texas League and played five games in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. Jacobus was 6 feet, 2 inches (1.87 meters) tall and weighed 186 pounds (84 kilograms).
Lance Berkman
William Lance Berkman (born February 10, 1976), nicknamed "Big Puma", is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. Berkman is a six-time MLB All-Star and won a World Series championship and the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Cardinals in 2011. He stands , and weighs . Berkman has spent various seasons of his career as a regular at all three outfield positions.
Security Service Field
Security Service Field is 6,531 feet above sea level, making it the highest professional baseball park in North America. The stadium faces east, toward the plains and the Springs Ranch housing development, meaning that fans cannot see the Rocky Mountains to the west. This is due to the fact the sun sets over the mountains and would be a distraction to batters if the stadium faced west.
Finners Quinlan
Thomas Finners Quinlan (October 21, 1887 – February 17, 1966) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1913 and Chicago White Sox in 1915. Quinlan was 5 feet, 8 inches (172 cm) tall and weighed 154 pounds (70 kg).
Juan Martín del Potro
He is the first player since countryman David Nalbandian to defeat Federer at the US Open, and at 198 cm (6 ft 6 in), he is the tallest ever Grand Slam champion, a record he now shares with Marin Čilić, the 2014 US Open winner. Besides Nadal and Djokovic, del Potro is the only player to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam final, and the first player to defeat both Nadal and Federer in the same Grand Slam tournament.
Dave Dowling
David Barclay Dowling (born August 23, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. Dowling was a left-handed pitcher, listed at tall and , who appeared in two Major League Baseball games, one for the St. Louis Cardinals and one for the Chicago Cubs. In the latter game, which would be his last in the Major Leagues, he pitched a complete game, 7–2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on September 22, 1966.
Height in sports
While the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) is filled with shorter players who achieved greatness (Theo Fleury, Martin St. Louis), and the highest scorer in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky, is tall and played at , the game's increasingly physical style has put a premium on imposing players, particularly over tall and over (Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros, Chris Pronger). Taller, bigger players have a longer reach, are more able to give out and sustain body checks, and have greater leverage on their shooting such as a slap shot (examples include Tyler Myers at , and Eric Staal, Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf, and Joe Thornton, all at . The average height of an NHLer is just over tall. Zdeno Chára, at , is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL. In recent years, the height of goaltenders has increased as taller goaltenders can cover a larger portion of the goal when on their knees in the butterfly goaltending style. Ben Bishop at is the tallest goaltender currently in the NHL.
Gordie Hinkle
Daniel Gordon Hinkle (April 3, 1905 – March 19, 1972) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. Born in Toronto, Ohio, he saw service in Major League Baseball as a backup catcher for the Boston Red Sox and as a coach for the Detroit Tigers. Listed at tall and , Hinkle batted and threw right-handed.
Babe Ruth
In various surveys and rankings, Ruth has been named the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1998, "The Sporting News" ranked him number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". In 1999, baseball fans named Ruth to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. He was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a ballot commemorating the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in 1969. The Associated Press reported in 1993 that Muhammad Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athletes in America. In a 1999 ESPN poll, he was ranked as the second-greatest U.S. athlete of the century, behind Michael Jordan. In 1983, the United States Postal Service honored Ruth with the issuance of a twenty-cent stamp.
Clyde McCullough
Clyde Edward McCullough (March 4, 1917 – September 18, 1982) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball. After his playing career ended, he also managed in the minor leagues and was a major-league coach. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, McCullough batted and threw right-handed and in his playing days stood (182 cm) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).
Howie Moss
Howard Glenn Moss (October 17, 1919 – May 7, 1989) was an American professional baseball player, an outfielder and third baseman who was a prodigious home run hitter in minor league baseball but who struggled in three Major League trials during the 1940s. Listed at 5 feet, 11 inches (1.82 m) tall and , Moss batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Billy Stanlake
Billy Stanlake (born 4 November 1994) is an Australian cricketer. He is a fast bowler who represented Australia in the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup and currently plays domestic cricket for Queensland and is signed with the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. Stanlake is the tallest person to ever represent Australia in international cricket, standing at 204 cm.
David Cooper (baseball)
David Fletcher Cooper (born February 12, 1987) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and 2012. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. Cooper is a graduate of Tokay High School in Lodi, California.
Tommy Burleson
When Burleson was recruited he was officially measured at tall, but the coaching staff at North Carolina State decided to list him at . Burleson wanted to be listed at his actual height but the coaching staff said he would officially be the tallest player in American basketball and it would bring a lot of good exposure to him and the school.
Kazuo Uzuki
He is listed as 5'11" and 165 lbs and could supposedly throw a 104 mph pitch. According to the card, Uzuki would be the first Japanese player to go straight from high school in Japan into professional baseball in the United States.
Lou Stringer
Louis Bernard Stringer (May 13, 1917 – October 19, 2008) was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox between the and seasons. Listed at tall and , Stringer batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and raised in East Los Angeles, California.
Jordan Baker (umpire)
Baker played college baseball at Oklahoma State. At 6' 7", Baker is the tallest active MLB umpire. Baker gained attention during the 2013 season for throwing wads of chewed gum onto the outfield grass after each half inning. Some critics described such action as disrespectful to the players and the ground crews.
Jimmy Wiggs
Born in Trondheim, Norway in 1876, Wiggs is one of three Norwegian major league baseball players in history. Wiggs was a big man at 6'4" tall.
Monk Dubiel
Walter John "Monk" Dubiel (February 12, 1918 – October 23, 1969) was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher in the Major Leagues for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. The native and lifelong resident of Hartford, Connecticut, stood tall and weighed .
Bing Miller
Edmund John "Bing" Miller (August 30, 1894 – May 7, 1966) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and coach. Born in Vinton, Iowa, he was 6' (183 cm) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg) and hit and threw right-handed. He debuted in the Major Leagues on April 16, 1921 with the Washington Senators, but in 1922 Miller was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics for whom he spent the prime years of his career. He also appeared for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox.
NBA G League
The tallest player ever to be assigned was Hasheem Thabeet at 7'3", the second player selected in the 2009 NBA draft. The tallest player to ever play in the G League was England's Paul Sturgess at 7'8", who played with the Texas Legends during the 2013–14 season.
Joe Fitzgerald (baseball)
Joseph Patrick Fitzgerald (March 17, 1897 – August 29, 1967) was an American catcher, coach, and scout in professional baseball. Born in Washington, D.C., on St. Patrick's Day 1897, Fitzgerald stood 5'11" (1.8 m) tall, weighed 200 pounds (91 kg), and threw and batted right-handed.
Scott Boras
Scott Dean Boras (born November 2, 1952) is an American sports agent, specializing in baseball. He is the founder, owner and president of the Boras Corporation, a sports agency based in Newport Beach, California, that represents roughly 175 professional baseball clients, including many of the game's highest-profile players. Boras has brokered many record-setting contracts since 1982, and many of his clients, including Shin-Soo Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Prince Fielder, Matt Holliday, Alex Rodriguez (until 2010), Max Scherzer , Bryce Harper , and Jayson Werth, are among the highest paid in the game. Since 2013, "Forbes" magazine has named Boras the "Most Powerful Sports Agent in the World."
Boras was born in Sacramento and grew up in Elk Grove, California, the son of a dairy farmer. He attended the University of the Pacific and made the baseball team as a walk on. He led the team with a .312 batting average in 1972. As of 2009, Boras remains in the top 10 in school history in multiple offensive categories. Boras was inducted into the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995, and the baseball team's annual "Most Improved Player" award is named in his honor. Following his college career, Boras played four years of minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs organizations. Boras made the Florida State League All-Star team in 1976, but knee problems shortened his career and he retired with a career batting average of .288. Boras received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific in 1977.
Johnny Gee
At six feet, nine inches, Gee became the tallest player in organized baseball. Before Gee's debut, the tallest player to appear in the major leagues had been "Big Jim" Weaver, a six-foot, seven inch pitcher who debuted for the Washington Senators in 1928. Gee held the record as the tallest person ever to play Major League Baseball until Randy Johnson debuted for the Montreal Expos in September 1988.
Bruce Taylor (baseball)
Bruce Bell Taylor (born April 16, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 30 games, all in relief, for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball between –. He was listed at tall and .
Wily Mo Peña
Wily Modesto Peña Gutierrez (born January 23, 1982) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, and in NPB for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Orix Buffaloes. At 6 feet, 3 inches in height and nearly 300 pounds, the right-handed batting and throwing Peña is considered a pure power hitter best known for his long-distance home runs and high strikeout rate.
Ryan Vogelsong
Ryan Andrew Vogelsong (born July 22, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers (2007–2008) and Orix Buffaloes (2009). He stands tall and weighs .
Ryan Doherty
He went undrafted after college, but was eventually signed as a free agent by the Arizona Diamondbacks in June 2005. Despite being the first seven-foot-tall player in minor league baseball history, and playing for the Yakima Bears and South Bend Silver Hawks, the Diamondbacks released Doherty in 2007 after he didn't advance past High-A Visalia Oaks.
Eric Hillman
John Eric Hillman (born April 27, 1966 in Gary, Indiana) is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He pitched his entire 3-year MLB career with the New York Mets (1992–1994). After his MLB career, he pitched in NPB from 1995-1998 for the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Yomiuri Giants. Hillman was tied with fellow pitcher Randy Johnson for the tallest player in league history at , before later being passed by Jon Rauch. Hillman worked as an analyst for FSN Rocky Mountain's coverage of the Colorado Rockies between 2005-2008.
Noé Ramirez (baseball)
Noé Ramirez (born December 22, 1989) is an American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6'3" (1.90 m), , Ramirez bats and throws right-handed. The Red Sox selected Ramirez in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2015. He was rated as having the best changeup in the Red Sox organization by "Baseball America" following the 2011 season.
Wilson Betemit
Wilson Betemit (pronounced BAY-ta-mee) (born November 2, 1981) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He is 6'2" and weighs 220 pounds. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles.
Sam Harris (basketball)
Sam Harris (born 3 May 1984) is an Australian former professional basketball player who played two seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). At 7'3" (2.21 m), he is the tallest player ever to play in the National Basketball League. In January of 2019 he married longtime girlfriend Anna Maycock.
Tony Curry
George Anthony Curry (December 22, 1937 – October 16, 2006) was a Bahamian professional baseball player, an outfielder who appeared in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies (1960–61) and Cleveland Indians (1966). The second Bahamian to reach the major leagues (after André Rodgers), Curry played cricket and association football in his native country before turning to baseball. He was listed as tall and (13 stone, 3 pounds), and threw and batted left-handed.
Dick Manville
Richard Wesley Manville (born December 25, 1926) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, for the Boston Braves in 1950 and the Chicago Cubs in 1952. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa and attended Yale University. He was listed at a height of 6 feet, 4 inches and a weight of 192 pounds. He batted and threw right-handed.
List of highest paid Major League Baseball players
The highest-paid player in Major League Baseball (MLB) from the 2018 Major League Baseball season is Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Clayton Kershaw with an annual salary of $34,000,000 on a 7 year contract for $215,000,000. MLB does not have a hard salary cap, instead employing a luxury tax which applies to teams whose total payroll exceeds certain set thresholds for a given season. Free agency did not exist in MLB prior to the end of the reserve clause in the 1970s, allowing owners before that time to wholly dictate the terms of player negotiations and resulting in significantly lower salaries. Babe Ruth, widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players ever, earned an estimated $910,696 ($ inflation-adjusted from 1931 dollars) over his entire playing career. When asked whether he thought he deserved to earn $80,000 a year ($ inflation-adjusted), while the president, Herbert Hoover, had a $75,000 salary, Ruth famously remarked, "What the hell has Hoover got to do with it? Besides, I had a better year than he did."
Billy Connors
William Joseph Connors (November 2, 1941 – June 18, 2018) was an American player, coach and front office official in professional baseball. A pitcher, he threw and batted right-handed, stood 6' (183 cm) tall and weighed 220 pounds (100 kg) in his playing days.
Byron Buxton
Byron Keiron Buxton (born December 18, 1993) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the second highest-rated prospect in baseball according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus in 2015.
Jeremy Moore (baseball)
Jeremy Jerome Moore (born June 29, 1987) is a former professional baseball outfielder. He previously played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2011. He is 5-foot 11-inches
Jim Woods (baseball)
James Jerome Woods (born September 17, 1939), nicknamed "Woody", is an American former professional baseball player. He played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a third baseman. He threw and batted right-handed and during his playing career was measured at tall and .
Slim Love
At the end of the 1913 minor league season, the Washington Senators purchased Love from the Atlanta Crackers. Love made his major league debut for the Senators on September 8, 1913, at age 23. In his debut, Love pitched one inning against the New York Yankees and allowed no hits, no bases on balls, and no runs, and struck out one batter. Love became the tallest pitcher in major league history, surpassing Hippo Vaughn who stood six feet, four inches. Love remained the tallest pitcher in major league history for 69 years until Stefan Wever made his debut in 1982 at six feet, eight inches. He compiled a 1–0 record and 1.62 ERA in five games and 16-2/3 inning pitched.
Sean Coyle (baseball)
Sean Edward Coyle (born January 17, 1992) is an American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. Listed at 5' 8" , 175 lb. , Coyle bats and throws right handed. He was born in Chalfont, Pennsylvania.
Bill Harman
William Bell "Bill" Harman (January 2, 1919 – September 22, 2007) was a professional baseball player. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Harman played one season for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball and finished his professional career in the minor leagues. During his Phillies tenure, he was officially listed as standing —the tallest catcher in major league history to that point—and weighing .
Doug Fister
Fister stands 6 feet 8 inches tall, and is among the tallest players in the Major Leagues.
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III (born December 20, 1976) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and San Francisco Giants. Huff is tall and weighs . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Lemuel Hawkins
Lemuel Hawkins (October 2, 1895 – August 10, 1934) was an American first baseman in Negro league baseball. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs, Chicago Giants and Chicago American Giants from 1921 to 1928. He was 5'10" and weighed 185 pounds.
Johnny Gee
At six feet, nine inches, Gee was the tallest person to play Major League Baseball until Randy Johnson debuted for the Montreal Expos in September 1988. Gee also played professional basketball for the Syracuse Nationals. In November 1946, he became the leading scorer for the Nationals in their first home game and first win as a member of the National Basketball League.
José Altuve
On May 1, 2012, Altuve faced New York Mets reliever Jon Rauch, the tallest player in major league history at . The height difference is believed to be the biggest between pitcher and batter with exception of a 1951 publicity stunt in which a Eddie Gaedel had one plate appearance for the St. Louis Browns. Altuve was the Astros' representative at the All-Star Game, played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was his first career selection.
Tom Kinslow
Thomas F. Kinslow (January 12, 1866 – February 22, 1901) was a professional baseball player who played catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1886 until 1898. He played for eight teams in his ten-season career. Four of those seasons were with Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the National League (NL). During his playing days, his height was listed at , his weight as , he batted and threw right-handed, and had blonde hair.
Neil O'Donoghue
Cornelius Joseph Connor Dennis "Neil" O'Donoghue (born 18 January 1953) is a former American football placekicker. He played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 to 1985 with the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the St. Louis Cardinals. At 6'6", he is the tallest kicker in NFL history. He is the most recent Irish born American to play in the NFL.
Basketball
At the professional level, most male players are above and most women above . Guards, for whom physical coordination and ball-handling skills are crucial, tend to be the smallest players. Almost all forwards in the top men's pro leagues are or taller. Most centers are over tall. According to a survey given to all NBA teams, the average height of all NBA players is just under , with the average weight being close to . The tallest players ever in the NBA were Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureșan, who were both tall. The tallest current NBA player is Sim Bhullar, who stands at . At , Margo Dydek was the tallest player in the history of the WNBA.
Paul Sturgess (basketball)
Paul Sturgess (born 25 November 1987) is an English former professional basketball player who last played for the Cheshire Phoenix of the British Basketball League. He was officially measured barefeet by "Guinness World Records" in November 2011 at and . Sturgess was the tallest college basketball player in the United States.
Gene Bearden
Henry Eugene Bearden (September 5, 1920 – March 18, 2004) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox from 1947 to 1953. He is best known for his pitching heroics during his rookie season, 1948, when he led the Indians to the American League pennant and World Series championship. Born in Lexa, Arkansas, and raised in Tennessee, Bearden was listed at tall and weighed .
Aaron Durley
Durley was born in Houston, Texas. He first became the object of media attention in 2005 (though garnered much more in 2006 when he had grown 4 more inches to 6' 8"), when he played first base and pitched and batted fifth in the Little League World Series for the Arabian American team from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, which is composed of the children of expatriate employees of Saudi Aramco (the Saudi national oil company), many from the United States. At 6' 9", 245, Durley is the biggest player in Little League World Series history. He was taller than the average NBA player.
Al Lakeman
Albert Wesley Lakeman (December 31, 1918 – May 25, 1976), nicknamed "Moose", was a professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Braves and Detroit Tigers. Lakeman was listed at tall and . He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Aníbal Sánchez
Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (; born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan-born American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Florida/Miami Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. Sánchez is listed as 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. On September 6, 2006, in his 13th career Major League start, Sánchez pitched a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Marcus Stroman
Marcus Earl Stroman (born May 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is listed at 180 lbs and is 5' 8" tall, making him one of only six pitchers shorter than 5' 10" to make a start at the MLB level in the 21st century.
Chris Davis (baseball)
Christopher Lyn Davis (born March 17, 1986), nicknamed "Crush Davis", is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He stands tall and weighs . Davis played in MLB for the Texas Rangers from 2008 until being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. While primarily a first baseman and right fielder throughout his career, Davis has also played third base and has been a designated hitter.
Rugger Ardizoia
Rinaldo Joseph "Rugger" Ardizoia (November 20, 1919 – July 19, 2015) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. The 5"11", 180 lb. right-hander was one of only seven Italian natives to ever play in the big leagues. He appeared in one game for the New York Yankees in 1947 and, at the time of his death, was the oldest living former member of the team.
Larry Cox (baseball)
Larry Eugene Cox (September 11, 1947 – February 17, 1990) was an American professional baseball catcher and coach. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1973 until 1982. Cox threw and batted right-handed, standing (180 cm) tall and weighing 190 pounds (86 kg).
George Susce (pitcher)
George Daniel Susce (September 13, 1931 – May 8, 2010) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. A right-handed pitcher and batter, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native stood 6'1" (185 cm) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg). Also known as George Susce Jr., he was the son of George C. M. Susce, a former major league catcher and longtime coach with numerous teams.
Gil Coan
Gilbert Fitzgerald "Gil" Coan (born May 18, 1922) is a former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. Listed at 6'0", 180 lb., he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. As of 2016, he is the oldest living former New York Giants player.
Joe Verbanic
Joseph Michael Verbanic (born April 24, 1943 in Washington, Pennsylvania) is a retired American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 92 career games in Major League Baseball as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and the , and New York Yankees. He was listed as tall and .
Toby Atwell
Maurice Dailey "Toby" Atwell (March 8, 1924 – January 25, 2003) was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs (–), Pittsburgh Pirates (–) and Milwaukee Braves (). Atwell, listed at tall and , batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Leesburg, Virginia.
Red Smith (American football/baseball)
Richard Paul "Red" Smith (May 18, 1904 – March 8, 1978) was an American player and coach in both professional baseball and professional football. A native of Brokaw, Wisconsin, Smith stood 5'9" (175 cm) tall, and weighed 215 pounds (97 kg). A catcher in baseball, he batted and threw right-handed. He played under three of the early 20th century's most famous American sporting coaches—football's Knute Rockne and Curly Lambeau, and baseball's John McGraw.
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At 6 feet, 2 inches, the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known for his prominent handlebar mustache. He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Wolverines (1885–88), Philadelphia Phillies (1889–1898) and Detroit Tigers (1906). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Height in sports
In cricket, some of the great batsmen like Donald Bradman , Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar both are or were below average height. This may be because a smaller body makes for an advantage in footwork and balance. Similarly, the most graceful wicket-keepers have tended to be average height or below. Although there are fewer tall batsmen, the stand-outs are often noted for their heavy hitting and an ability to get a long stride forward to reach a full length delivery. Australia's Matthew Hayden at , India's Yuvraj Singh at and West Indies' Chris Gayle at are modern examples of powerful, tall batsman. Past greats like Clive Lloyd and Graeme Pollock were well above .
Starlin Castro
Starlin DeJesus Castro (born March 24, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball second baseman for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Castro is a four-time MLB All-Star and holds the record for most runs batted in in an MLB debut. In 2011, he led the National League in hits, becoming the youngest player to do so. He is listed at 6 foot 2 inches (1.88 meters) and 230 lbs (104 kg).
Tom Gorman (right-handed pitcher)
Thomas Aloysius Gorman (January 4, 1925 – December 26, 1992) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball, from until , for the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics. He was listed as tall and .
Ri Myung-hun
Ri played the center position for the national basketball team of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Once proclaimed to be the tallest living human being in the world, he stands 7'8 ½" (2.35 m) tall and once planned to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1990s. According to the Associated Press, he was "the world's tallest basketball player."
Zdeno Chára
Chára is the tallest player ever to play in the National Hockey League standing at 2.057 meters, or 6'9". He is also the second European-born and raised captain to win the Stanley Cup (in 2011), and the first born and trained in a country within the Iron Curtain.
Roy Weatherly
Cyril Roy Weatherly (February 25, 1915 – January 19, 1991), nicknamed "Stormy", was an American professional baseball player whose career extended for two decades (1934–1943; 1946–1954; 1958). The native of Tyler County, Texas, an outfielder, appeared in 811 Major League games over ten seasons for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and New York Giants. Weatherly batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Despite his relatively small size — he stood 5 ft 6½ in (1.69 m) tall and weighed — he hit more than 100 home runs in minor league baseball.
Billy Stanlake
Stanlake is one of the tallest Australian cricketers of all time at 204 cm in height. He is the tallest player to ever represent Australia in international cricket, and the only domestic Australian cricketer to be taller than him was New South Welsh bowler Phil Alley, who was 208 cm tall.
Craig Breslow
Breslow was given the nickname "smartest man in baseball" by "Minneapolis Star Tribune" Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III, and "Wall Street Journal" reporter Jason Turbow wrote: "Judging by his résumé, Craig Breslow is the smartest man in baseball, if not the entire world." The "Sporting News" named him the smartest athlete on their top-20 list, in 2010. After the 2018 season, he ranked 4th of all active left-handed MLB pitchers in career appearances. He stands 6' 1," and weighs 185 lbs.
Cody Asche
Cody James Asche (born June 30, 1990) is an American professional baseball third baseman and left fielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox. He is tall, and weighs . After growing up in O'Fallon, Missouri, he attended the University of Nebraska, where he played college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, majored in economics and achieved recognition for both his athletic and academic performance. He was drafted by the Phillies in 2011. He quickly progressed through the minor league system, briefly dabbling at second base before predominantly sticking at third base and left field. At both positions, minor league scouts regarded his defensive ability as sub-optimal.
Shawn Bradley
Shawn Paul Bradley (born March 22, 1972) is an American retired basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At tall, Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history. Bradley was born in Landstuhl, West Germany as his family was stationed at the U.S. Military base medical facility, and grew up in Castle Dale, Utah. He also holds German citizenship.
Bill Kelly (first baseman)
William Henry Kelly (December 28, 1898 – April 8, 1990) was an American first baseman and scout in Major League Baseball, and a star power-hitter, umpire and manager in minor league baseball. The native of Syracuse, New York, threw and batted right-handed, stood 6' (183 cm) tall and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg) as a player.
David Phelps (baseball)
David Edward Phelps (born October 9, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Yankees from 2012 to 2014, for the Miami Marlins from 2014 to 2017, and the Seattle Mariners in 2017. He bats and throws right-handed, is 6 feet and 2 inches tall, and weighs 200 pounds. Prior to beginning his professional career, Phelps played college baseball at the University of Notre Dame.
Nate McLouth
Nathan "Nate" Richard McLouth (born October 28, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. Primarily a center fielder, McLouth bats from the left side and throws from the right. He is tall and weighs .
John Beckwith (baseball)
Standing 6-foot-3, and weighing upwards of 220 pounds, John Beckwith was one of the mightiest sluggers to ever take the field. Over a 16-year career (1918-34), the big righty, swinging his signature 38-inch bat, routinely batted over .400 against official Negro League competition. In 1927, he unofficially bashed 72 home runs against all-comers (he hit 54 HRs in 1928). Pitcher Scrip Lee, who faced both men, declared that "Babe Ruth and Beckwith were about equal in power." The legendary Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe claimed that "nobody hit the ball any farther than [Beckwith]—Josh Gibson or nobody else." Babe Ruth himself said that “not only can Beckwith hit harder than any Negro ballplayer, but any man in the world.” Beckwith, who played with such noted teams as the Chicago Giants, Baltimore Black Sox, Homestead Grays, and Lincoln Giants, was often overshadowed by Oscar Charleston, who twice topped him by a single longball for the league home run crown. Though he played nearly every position on the diamond, including pitcher, the rifle-armed Beckwith was best known as a third baseman. According to Baseball-Reference.com, three of his best offensive seasons in league play were 1925 (.407 with 16 HRs and 42 RBI in 46 games), 1930 (.471 with 20 RBI in 22 games), and 1931 (.364 with 11 HRs and 30 RBI in 30 games). If you breakdown Beckwith's league stats into modern 162 game intervals, he would average .347 with 205 hits—including 37 doubles, 10 triples, and 27 homers—107 RBI, and 118 runs scored per season. A dead-pull hitter, Beckwith had one of the quickest bats around. In fact, opposing defenses sometimes employed an over-shift on the infield—a rare occurrence versus a righty. In 1921, the 19-year-old became the first basher to hit a ball over the laundry roof behind Crosley Field. Years later, he hit a 460-foot blast in Griffith Stadium; the ball would've gone farther had it not been stopped by a 40-foot high sign. Beckwith, who Turkey Stearnes called "one of my favorite ballplayers," made his last known Negro League appearnce in 1938. 
Beckwith died in New York City, six days before his 56th birthday.
Cole De Vries
Cole William De Vries (born February 12, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. De Vries signed with the Twins as a non-drafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota on August 22, . He played in Major League Baseball with the Minnesota Twins. He is tall and weighs .
Billy Wynne
Billy Vernon Wynne (born July 31, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he appeared in 42 games in Major League Baseball, 30 as a starting pitcher, for the New York Mets, Chicago White Sox and California Angels between 1967 and 1971. During his playing career Wynne was measured at tall and . He attended Pfeiffer University.
Chan Ho Park
Chan Ho Park ((; ; born June 30, 1973) is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. He was the first South Korean-born player in major league history. Park has the most career wins, 124, of any Asian-born pitcher in history. He passed Hideo Nomo for the most ever by an Asian-born pitcher in 2010. He is 6'2" (188 cm) tall and weighs 210 lbs (95 kg).
Tyler Dorsey
Tyler Quincy Dorsey (Greek: Τάιλερ Κουίνσι Ντόρσεϊ, "Tailer Kouinsy Dorsey") (born February 18, 1996) is a Greek-American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At a height of 1.96 m (6'5") tall, he plays at the shooting guard position. After graduating from Maranatha High School, in Pasadena, California, he played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. While at Oregon, he was nicknamed "Mr. March" for his clutch play during the NCAA tournament. He is also a member of the senior Greek national team.
1981 NBA draft
In the seventh round, the Golden State Warriors used the 171st pick to selected Yasutaka Okayama, a Japanese basketball player who was measured at and . Okayama, who attended and played junior varsity basketball at the University of Portland for one and a half years in 1976 as an exchange student, declined to try out for the Warriors and never played in the NBA. He is the tallest person ever drafted and would have been the tallest player in the NBA had he played in the league. The San Diego Clippers used their last pick in the draft, the 210th pick, to draft Tony Gwynn, who starred at both baseball and basketball at San Diego State University. Gwynn was also selected in the 1981 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. He opted to play baseball and ended up playing 20 seasons with the Padres. He received multiple awards and honors during his playing career, is one of only 28 players in MLB history with 3,000 career hits, and was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame at his first opportunity in . Kenny Easley, a college football star from the University of California, Los Angeles, was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 216th pick in the 10th round. Easley, who was selected fourth in the 1981 National Football League (NFL) Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, played seven seasons with the Seahawks and received several awards and honors before retiring in 1988 due to kidney problems that eventually led to a transplant.
Glen Gorbous
Glen Edward Gorbous (July 8, 1930 - June 12, 1990) was a Canadian baseball player who holds the current world record for longest throw of a baseball, 135.89m (445 feet, 10 inches). The feat took place on August 1, 1957, while he was playing for the Omaha Cardinals of the American Association. In an exhibition he was given a six-step running start and threw the ball 445 feet and ten inches from the far right field corner of the stadium to the far left hand corner.
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander (born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers for 13 seasons, with whom he made his major league debut on July 4, 2005. A right-handed batter and thrower, Verlander stands tall and weighs .
Josh Banks
Joshua Charles Banks (born July 18, 1982) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He is 6'3" tall and weighs 195 pounds. Banks attended college at Florida International University. Tony Gwynn said Banks has eight pitches, one of which is a knuckleball.
Matt Thornton (baseball)
Matthew J. Thornton (born September 15, 1976), is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Born in Three Rivers, Michigan he grew up and attended high school in Centreville. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and San Diego Padres. Thornton is the all-time American League leader in holds.
Chuck Nevitt
Charles Goodrich "Chuck" Nevitt (born June 13, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player, known primarily for his great height. At 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m), he played the center position throughout his nine-year career (1983, 1985–1990, 1992, 1993) in the NBA, and remains one of the tallest players ever in NBA history. During his career, Nevitt played with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Fulgor Libertas Forlì (Italy), and San Antonio Spurs. He usually sported jersey #52.