One such player is Danny Herrera, a relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. He is 5'6" and the left-handed specialist (that is, he is put in to pitch to left-handers) "has a 1.96 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 23 innings" according to ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
That got me to thinking about other short athletes who have played at a high level.
Barry Sanders, one of the greatest running backs of all time, was only 5'8" tall. He is still has the third-most yards rushing of any running back, despite retiring early.
Diego Maradona, who was either the first or second best soccer player of all time depending on who you ask, was only 5'5" tall.
In the NBA, a sport where height is definitely an advantage, Spud Webb, a 5'7" basketball player, played for years -- and even once won the NBA slam dunk contest:
Back to baseball, the defending American League MVP Dustin Peroia is listed at 5'7" tall.
Any other short athletes that played at a high level that you can think of?
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