Why Aren't There More Fat Baseball Players?

You have almost assuredly heard the phrase "never judge a book by its cover." You have also almost assuredly ignored that phrase at some point in your life. We all make assumptions based on appearances. The same goes in sports, where people are often evaluated based specifically on how they look—for better or worse.

Baseball is often thought of as the most forgiving sport in terms of a player's physical gifts (or lack thereof). The other major American sports have more common expectations as far as a player's build. In basketball, you have to be tall and fast. In football, you have to strong and fast. In hockey, you have to be some combination of all three. There are always exceptions to these rules, but there's a reason why you don't see five Isaiah Thomases running up and down the court for the Celtics.

Baseball is different. Baseball players come in all shapes and sizes. John Kruk, who had his own unique shape and size, was famous for saying, "I'm not a professional athlete, I'm a baseball player." For every 6-foot-10 Randy Johnson, there's a 5-foot-8 Billy Wagner. For every mountain-like Richie Sexson, there's a diminutive Jose Altuve. Players of all shapes and sizes—from David Eckstein to Bartolo Colon—can carve out long, successful careers.

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