At the age of 45, I am 5 feet, 1 inch tall. I'm aware of my height challenges - having to climb on top of my kitchen counter to reach for something in an upper cabinet shelf (because I'm too lazy to get a stool) is a reminder. Having to shop in the petites section of clothing stores is a reminder. Not being able to find a nice pair of over-the-knee boots because my legs are so darn short has been the most recent reminder (fashion blogs say that us shorties shouldn't even be wearing tall boots, because they make us look even shorter. Thanks a lot!). I don't need anyone pointing out the fact that I'm short - I'm well aware of it. It's not like someone comes up to me and says "Oh my gosh, you're so short!" and I'm like "Really? I had no idea!"
From Dolly Parton to Prince to Yasser Arafat, the world has been full of "vertically challenged" people who have made a difference in one way or another for as long as the world has been around. No one seems to care that Lady Gaga is short, Voltaire was still a successful writer despite being short, and Beethoven wasn't too bad of a composer despite only being 5'3. So why is the media making such a big deal of José Altuve's height? He's short... so what? Are all athletes supposed to be at least 6 feet tall in order to be successful? Ask Muggsy Bogues, Diego Maradona, or Lionel Messi - they're all under 5'7. If being tall makes you a good athlete, then Altuve is proving everyone wrong.
José Altuve, the all-star second baseman for the Houston Astros, finished this year's regular season as the Major League batting champ with a sick .346 batting average (that's right up there with Pete Rose and Ted Williams - you may have heard of them). And his 204 hits, 24 home runs, and 32 stolen bases this past season were nothing to jest at. Oh, and in the first game of the American League Division Series against the Red Sox, Altuve hit THREE home runs (two of them off ace Chris Sale). Not too shabby for a short guy! How did 6'7 Aaron Judge do on HIS first ALDS game? He struck out at all 4 plate appearances. In your face, tall dude!
Speaking of Aaron Judge, the media was all aflutter during the All-Star Game this past summer when Altuve and Judge were standing next to each other, filling social media outlets and newspapers with pictures of the two side by side. Don't you think Altuve was well aware of the height disparity? He didn't need to be turned into a circus act just because he's a whole foot shorter than the tallest guy currently in baseball. Just like Judge doesn't want to be known primarily for being so tall, I'm sure Altuve would rather be known as dedicated, consistent, and badass than being called "little man" or "unlikely hero" or "diminutive." This native of Venezuela is the top contender for the American League MVP award, and if he doesn't get it, I will wear white after Labor Day, which for someone as fashionable as me, will be quite a travesty.
Is José Altuve going to be a big factor in the upcoming World Series against the Dodgers? You betcha! So WHAT if Clayton Kershaw is six-foot-four? Who cares that Yu Darvish is six-foot-five (the tallest Japanese person I've ever heard of)? I predict that Altuve is not going to let these "big guys" intimidate him. I apologize to my uncle Junior, my cousins, and my pal Tim who are all die-hard Dodgers fans, but I'm picking the Astros to win the World Series. I rarely side with an American League team, but with Altuve, Puerto Rican phenom Carlos Correa, and pitchers like Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel (nasty-looking beard and all), I'm thinking the Astros can take the Series in seven games. My only issue with that is that they would end up clinching the pennant in LA, and I always hate when teams win when they're not at home, but I'm rooting for the Astros all the way. It's time for the rest of America to notice José Altuve and realize that big things do come in small packages, and us short people can kick ass just as much as the tall "giants" of the game.
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