The shortest and tallest players to ever play for the Colorado Rockies

Who were the shortest and tallest players to ever suit up for the Colorado Rockies? Let’s dive into the franchise’s record books and find out.

Who was the shortest player to ever play for the Colorado Rockies?

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Alexi Amarista was the shortest player to ever suit up for the Colorado Rockies. Coming in at 5-feet-6-inches tall (66 inches), Amarista saw action during the 1997 season for the Rockies. His .238/.269/.351 slash line in 168 at-bats may not be much to look at, but Amarista still has an impact on today’s team and terminology.

When you hear “sneaky pull pop” equated to any Rockies player who may surprisingly hit a home run, know that the phrase goes back to one of the quotes manager Bud Black quipped about Amarista. He only hit three homers with the Rockies, but “sneaky pull pop” became a part of the Colorado vocabulary thanks to Amarista.

Amarista’s high RBI game of his seven-year career came on May 19, 2017, as he drove in four on the road in a win at Cincinnati. And, yes, sneaky pull pop was involved.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are five players who were each 6-feet-8-inches tall (80 inches). All were pitchers, beginning with Nate Minchey, who pitched in two innings over two games for the Rockies during the 1997 season for what would be his final MLB moments before retirement.

Darren Clarke saw action in two games (1.1 innings total) for the 2007 Rockies in May, the same time that Jason Hirsh was on the squad. Clarke would actually come in in relief of Hirsh in a May 20 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field, marking the tallest combination on the mound in Rockies history. It would also be the last time Clarke pitched in the Majors.

Chris Volstad (six games in 2013) and Chris Martin (15 games in 2014) complete the list of pitchers who were 6-feet-8-inches and wore a Rockies uniform.