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| (AP Photo) |
By Bernadette
Pasley | @LadyBatting
There were
many interesting storylines in the 2012 regular season. Miguel Cabrera’s Triple
Crown, seven no-hitters, and the amazing runs of the Baltimore Orioles and the
Oakland A’s all grabbed the headlines this year. But there was also another story,
one that went on in Houston, Texas, that I enjoyed following. I am not sure
why. Perhaps it was because it demonstrated determination to succeed in the
face of obstacles. Or, maybe it was because it was just a cute and, at times,
funny story. That story was Jose Altuve.
At 5’5”,
Jose Altuve was the shortest player in Major League Baseball in 2012. An All
Star and the Houston Astros’ most valuable player, he batted .290 with seven home
runs, 37 RBI and 33 stolen bases. But his height was more a topic of conversation
than his stats were. The media and fans alike enjoyed watching the pint-sized
second baseman from Venezuela put together a fine first full season in the
Majors. One fan even devised a unit of measurement called Official Standard
Listed Altuves (OSLA). If you go to his blog How Many Altuves?
you can type in any height or distance in feet, and the number of Altuves
(height or distance times 5’5”) will be calculated for you. 