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Let's have some fun! Who are the tallest/shortest players in Diamondbacks' team history?

By Jake Oliver |
Augie Ojeda, the shortest Arizona Diamondbacks player or no?
Augie Ojeda, the shortest Arizona Diamondbacks player or no? / Christian Petersen/GettyImages
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Who is the shortest player in Arizona Diamondbacks' history?

Since 1998, the Diamondbacks have had a ton of tall and short guys play for the best team in baseball. Some may surprise you. I was certainly surprised. What if I told you that the Diamondbacks had someone as short as 5'9, 5'8, 5'7, and even 5'6. That's not what you expect from an MLB player. However, it just goes to show that no matter your size, it's your skill, heart, and determination to make it to the big leagues that ultimately says whether or not you're a big leaguer.

Now, there have been plenty of 5'9 players for the Diamondbacks like Tony Womack, who played with the Dbacks from 99-03, or Augie Ojeda, who played with Dbacks from 07-09. However, if we bump down an inch, there have only been two players that have played with the Dbacks at 5'8. They are Alberto Callaspo, 2006, and Tony Campana, 13-14.

What if we go to players that were 5'7? Well, there's only one player that played with the Diamondbacks. His name is Quinton McCracken. What an amazing name. He played with the Diamondbacks from 2002-05. Albeit over two different stints with the team during that time, he also wore two different numbers, #4 and #6. Yet another fun fact!

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As for the two shortest players in team history, that honor belongs to Donnie Sadler and David Eckstein. They both are 5'6. Donnie played with the snakes back in 2004 while David played with them in 2008 when they acquired him for the stretch run. It's pretty awesome knowing that height truly doesn't matter in the long run for baseball, since there are tons of examples of short and tall players making it.

Tony Clark Tallest player?
Tony Clark Tallest player? / Christian Petersen/GettyImages

Who is the tallest player in Diamondbacks' history?

Well, if we know who the shortest is, 5'6 David Eckstein and Donnie Sadler, then who is the tallest? That's a mighty big question. Puns aside, let's start at 6'6. Yes, we had players taller than many NBA players. At 6'6, Tom "the Bartender" Wilhelmsen played with the Dbacks in 2017. Meanwhile, Adam Loewen, another relief pitcher, played with the team in 2016.

Standing tall at 6'7 was Daniel Cabrera whom pitched for us in 2009. Fun fact time! These last three pitchers each pitched their final big league game with the Diamondbacks.

At 6'8, Brandon McCarthy was a massive figure on the mound. Of course, Tony Clark was a massive figure at the plate. McCarthy played in 2013/14 with the Dbacks. I, myself, didn't know he was that tall. Meanwhile, Tony Clark is the current president of the MLBPA or the players' union. He's often seen talking to Commissioner Rob Manfred. Tony Clark played with the Dbacks from 2005-09, ending his career with the team.

The 3rd-tallest player to ever play for the Diamondbacks? That would be Kam Mickolio who is 6'9. So many pitchers are so tall, it's crazy. He was traded to the Diamondbacks with David Hernandez in the Mark Reynolds trade with the Orioles. He pitched only one season with the team in 2011, the final time he appeared in the MLB. Alright, so if you're a really tall pitcher, I guess Arizona is where you come to make your final MLB appearance.

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The 2nd-Tallest player to ever play for the team is none other than the Big Unit. That's right, Randy Johnson is the 2nd-tallest much to the surprise of many. He stands a giant 6'10, which helps explain how menacing he looked on the mound. I don't have to remind you of what the Hall of Fame pitcher did while with Arizona. It's still surprising to find out that he isn't the tallest. I thought he was.

Jon Rauch in a picture that could fit on the screen, at 6'11 is the tallest Dbacks player ever
Jon Rauch in a picture that could fit on the screen, at 6'11 is the tallest Dbacks player ever / Lisa Blumenfeld/GettyImages

So, who is the tallest player in the Diamondbacks history? That would be none other than the massive relief pitcher named Jon Rauch. He is 6'11! That's just mind-boggling to me. He only pitched with us from 2008-09 when we traded him away but still. It's impressive a man that big can even pitch well enough to get into the MLB.

Anyways, were there any surprises on this list? Did I miss someone? Let me know in the comments!

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