MESA, Ariz. -- The first time I walked into the New York Yankees' clubhouse about a decade ago, I was immediately struck by the size of the team. Mind you, this was around the time the Chicago Cubs were fielding a roster which consisted of Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot. Fine ballplayers -- but not exactly big and athletic.
During those years the Yankees employed players such as Alex Rodriguez, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera. None was smaller than 6-foot-2. And that’s just their height.