# Baseball: Why not use midget batters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397 "2004-08-11T18:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/41 "2004-08-13T15:08:10Z")
And the Herb Washington experiment was such a disaster that there’s never been another Designated Runner. 33 runs would be a pathetic season for a full-time player. And as I recall, he was picked off an inordinate number of times. Height may not be a predictor for speed, but as I said…_all things being equal_, longer legs will produce more speed than short legs. A giraffe looks like he’s moving really slow, but no human could catch one. And yes, Spud Webb and Mugsy Bogues had NBA careers. Doesn’t mean being short is an advantage for a basketball player. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/42 "2004-08-13T15:24:22Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > Carl Lewis is what? 5’ 7" He is 6’2." Sprinters are tall, marathoners can be short (but not dwarves). Why limit your team to one dwarf? But in nine who croutch real low. I would think that in the first inning the vistors could draw walk after walk. They could score several times before the pitcher managed to strike out three of them. The team could then put in it’s regular nine and play the remaining eight innings with a big lead. This would only work in road games, but that’s 81 games. Of course, that would take the fun out of the game. Imagine if basketball teams loaded up with really, really tall players - guys who can’t even hit free-throws half the time. Who would want to watch that? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/43 "2004-08-13T15:35:26Z")
Just to continue the dwarf/midget hijack, an excellent resource for all things pertaining to dwarfism can be found [here](http://www.lpaonline.org/resources_faq.html) > [@](#): > > Q: What is a midget? > > A: In some circles, a midget is the term used for a proportionate dwarf. However, the term has fallen into disfavor and is considered offensive by most people of short stature. The term dates back to 1865, the height of the “freak show” era, and was generally applied only to short-statured persons who were displayed for public amusement, which is why it is considered so unacceptable today. > > Such terms as dwarf, little person, LP, and person of short stature are all acceptable, but most people would rather be referred to by their name than by a label. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/44 "2004-08-13T15:47:50Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > And the Herb Washington experiment was such a disaster that there’s never been another Designated Runner. 33 runs would be a pathetic season for a full-time player. And as I recall, he was picked off an inordinate number of times. I hope I wasn’t trying to imply that it wasn’t a disaster. It was, like many of Charlie O.'s ideas, interesting and unrealistic. Washington’s SB/CS wasn’t horrible, not great, but not horrible: 29/16 in 74 (92 games), 2/1 in the month of 75 that he lasted before they gave up on it, but that’s certainly not want you want from someone who’s only job is to score a run. He never batted, never fielded, which is why your comment about needing two players for a small batter reminded me of him. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/45 "2004-08-13T16:07:40Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > I would think that in the first inning the vistors could draw walk after walk. They could score several times before the pitcher managed to strike out three of them. I think the entire premise of this thread totally minimizes the skill of major league pitchers. With a full-sized batter, these guys can hit the optimal area of the strike zone (not just the entire strike) zone with a breaking ball (not just a fastball), more than 50% of the time – and that’s with knowing that the margin for error is so small, that missing by a few inches will result in a base hit. A dwarf batter is going to have a strike zone about 18" tall and 17" wide, 6-8" above the ground. If a MLB pitcher knows he can throw a fastball through that zone with impunity–that the batter has no chance of doing any damage with the bat – he will nail that strike zone 90% of the time. Any dwarf batter is going down on strikes in 4, 5 pitches max. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/46 "2004-08-13T17:23:06Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > He is 6’2." Sprinters are tall, marathoners can be short (but not dwarves). > > Why limit your team to one dwarf? But in nine who croutch real low. I would think that in the first inning the vistors could draw walk after walk. They could score several times before the pitcher managed to strike out three of them. The team could then put in it’s regular nine and play the remaining eight innings with a big lead. This would only work in road games, but that’s 81 games. If you plan to replace nine players, you’re going to have to carry 17 position players, at least. (You could leave the DH in.) That means you can only carry eight pitchers, as opposed to the usual ten or eleven, thereby hurting your pitching staff, and removing any player replacement options for the rest of the game. And frankly, I’d be shocked if you averaged more than one run per first inning. Pitchers have better control than you’re giving them credit for. Remember that you can walk three guys and still not allow a run, so unless your expected on base percentage was way, way above .500, it’s not going to work. Same with designated runners. Herb Washington wasn’t a good enough baserunner to help the A’s; he was 31 for 48 as a basestealer over two seasons, plus 0 for 2 in the playoffs, which has a net effect of approximately nothing - if anything, he hurt the team. (Stealing a base is worth less than the negative value of getting caught stealing.) Even if he’d been 48 for 48, the impact on the A’s fortunes would have been - oh, maybe eight, ten runs. Stealing bases just doesn’t help so much that you can afford to waste a roster spot on Herb. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/47 "2004-08-13T19:41:37Z")
A satisfyingly complete discussion of the effects of dwarfism on batters and pitchers is integral to the Philip Roth’s “The Great American Novel”, my favorite baseball book of all time and one of the most hilarious books ever written. [Synopsis](http://www.dickiethon.com/~bookreviews/baseball/roth_gan.htm). Do the words “O.K. Ockatur” or “Every Inch A Man” ring any bells with the Dopers? Would a rising pitch from a submarine-throwing little person like Ockatur be \*that \* hard to hit? Why is it that Roth had “midget” be a PC word and “dwarf” an insult they use on each other - was he just wrong? ``` - The most faithful Ruppert Mundys fan in New England ``` ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/48 "2004-08-14T00:28:34Z")
Two points, here. First, **t-keela** talked of the many Google hits on “midget racing.” Midget is a class of race car in USAC; it’s sort of a pint-size sprint car with a 4 cylinder engine, so it’s a safe bet that “midget racing” sites will be about cars, not little folks. There’s also quarter-midgets and three-quarter midgets for younger drivers. Many prominent race drivers started there. Barry Bonds draws a lot of walks, but not every time. He owns the record for the most walks, but some pitchers, and some teams, will pitch to him. In a recent series with the St. Louis Cardinals, Bonds drew no walks at all. Cards manager Tony La Russa explained that, while Barry is the most dangerous hitter in baseball, Tony hates to tell a pitcher that he’s not good enough to pitch to him. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/49 "2004-08-14T01:04:31Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I can’t think of any reason why being short would be an advantage for a catcher. > > And all things being equal, a tall person will run faster than a short person. Longer legs = more distance per stride = more speed. I know a family that consists of five sons. Two were All-American football players (one a running back: the other a defensive back); another son was the quarterback for a team known as a habitual contender for #1; another was a defensive back for a leading SEC team and the last played for a small college because of his size. The latter was the fastest runner, but was not recruited by large colleges because of his size. As a clue, the All-American running back also became a famous football coach. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/50 "2004-08-14T02:20:12Z")
Stealing 29 bases while being caught 17 times isn’t particularly good. Generally a base stealer needs to be better than 66% to be considered break even. The base you gain is not as valuable as the out you give up. If you’re on second base, good for you. You may get a chance to go another 180 feet and score. If you’re out, one of the 27 you’re given is gone forever. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/51 "2004-08-14T02:51:58Z")
Even if you pinch-run for your short batter every time, you’re still creating problems. You’re basically giving up two roster spots for the same player. The ‘designated runner’ would have to be fast on the basepaths, and also able to hit, field and throw (even if you only use the short guy in the ninth inning, you’ll still have some extra-inning games, so he’ll see action in the field - if he can’t do those things, you then need THREE spots to make up one player). So why not just have that guy on your team if he can do all those things? ---
**Author:** ![RevCo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@RevCo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RevCo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/52 "2004-08-14T04:01:32Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Plus, it takes way too long for them to walk to first base. I could think of another reason - most pitchers being who they are nowadays would just bean the little guys and let them have their base rather than walk them on four straight. It’s not like they would be able to charge the mound and effectively wield a full sized bat on the pitchers shins and knees in a reasonable amount of time. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/53 "2004-08-14T20:48:30Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Two points, here. First, **t-keela** talked of the many Google hits on “midget racing.” Midget is a class of race car in USAC; it’s sort of a pint-size sprint car with a 4 cylinder engine, so it’s a safe bet that “midget racing” sites will be about cars, not little folks. I wondered if that went over everybody’s head… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/54 "2004-08-20T15:07:10Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > And frankly, I’d be shocked if you averaged more than one run per first inning. Pitchers have better control than you’re giving them credit for. Remember that you can walk three guys and still not allow a run, so unless your expected on base percentage was way, way above .500, it’s not going to work. I checked this out out with one of my buddies who is a rather accomplished pitcher. He spent a few yew years in the Blue Jays minor league system before an arm injury ended his hopes of reaching the majors. He said it would be very, very hard for a major league pitcher to strike out a three-foot tall person in a crouch. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/55 "2004-08-20T15:50:48Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > I checked this out out with one of my buddies who is a rather accomplished pitcher. He spent a few yew years in the Blue Jays minor league system before an arm injury ended his hopes of reaching the majors. He said it would be very, very hard for a major league pitcher to strike out a three-foot tall person in a crouch. The strike zone is defined as being from the knees to the letters when it a hitting position; it’s not where your initial batting stance is. No umpire would let a dwarf crouch down just to eliminate the strike zone. Otherwise, hell, guys would do that now. I’m 6’2" and I could crouch so that I had a two inch strike zone. Your friend is underestimating how quickly pitchers could adapt. It’s hard to hit a target that small when you’re throwing 93 MPH heaters and breaking pitches. It would be much easier to hit a small target if you knew you could just back off a bit and throw 75 MPH straight balls. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/56 "2004-08-20T19:46:24Z")
Also, most major league pitchers aim for the corners of the strike zone, or for the “black” on the edges of the plate. And when they miss, it’s usually to the inside or the outside: it’s much, much worse for them to pitch right down the middle. But, if they knew that the batter had no chance of making contact, they could throw it right down the middle of the plate with impunity. Not many would miss a strike zone when pitching for the middle of the plate, even with a smaller strike zone, four times out of seven. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/57 "2004-08-20T21:29:16Z")
Maybe. Maybe big league pitchers would have no problem throwing pitches they don’t practice at a tiny target that is lower than what they normally aim for. I’m no pitcher so I can’t speak from experience. All I’m saying is that somebody who did strike out seventeen batters in a seven inning stint told me it would be damn hard. That plus the one time it was tried the batter walked on four straight pitches. Not much of a data set and it won’t likely get any bigger as I doubt anyone will ever try this stunt again. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/58 "2004-08-20T22:50:25Z")
Technically under the rules, the batter can’t crouch down to create an abnormally small strike zone. The strike zone is defined by a “batter’s normal stance” and if the umpire feels that a batter is going up to the plate and curling up into the fetal position just to get a walk, he will call the pitches as if the guy were standing up. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397/59 "2004-08-20T23:17:35Z")
Coupla things… > [@t-keela](#): > > IIRC he won a dunking contest against Jordan…but noo-ooo he’s too short he can’t play basketball. Spuds sounds right doesn’t it? 5’4" Jordan was not in the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest (he was hurt that year). [1986 FINAL PLACINGS](http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/slamdunk_year_by_year.html#1986) 1. Spud Webb 2. Dominique Wilkins 3. Terence Stansbury 4. Gerald Wilkins 5. Jerome Kersey 6. Paul Pressey 7. Roy Hinson 8. Terry Tyler > [@cmkeller](#): > > Apropos to this subject, Gary Coleman played for the San Diego Padres in 1979. Coleman played the Padres manager, not an actual player, in that classic TV movie. Carry on. Pash [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-not-use-midget-batters/259397.md?page=2)