Skip to main content

Son has done a good bit of BASKETBALL showcases through the years.  I asked one major showcase organizer who has been in the business for many years about what height son should put on info for his recruiting bio?  I asked, "Height measured with shoes, or without?"  He said, "With shoes.  Always."  I believe in basketball, height while wearing sneakers is the norm. Basically barefoot height plus 1" for shoes.

 

I have noticed a much broader interpretation of "Height" in baseball for sure. Guys are doing barefoot plus as much as 3"???  I see it a lot.

Last edited by #1 Assistant Coach

Probably more common in baseball due to the fact that unless it's a team photo, 90% of the time one player is never really standing next to any other players.  So a third party does not have an opportunity to notice any discrepancy.  Unless at 1st Base, and even then runner is standing on the bag in some way.  Height really is not even a factor in baseball like it is in basketball.  In hoops guys are constantly standing next to one another for prolonged periods of time so height discrepancy is much easier to see and height being truly important, is not fudged nearly as much.

Guess I've been cheating both my sons all these years.  Both are about 6'2 3/4" in bare feet and they list at 6'3.  Maybe I should have had them down as 6'4 (assuming cleats), though I can't imagine it makes any difference, even as pitchers.  Son 1 is about 217-218 and his weight is listed as 215, second is around 198 and I list 200.  I never thought any of these numbers were all that critical. 

Originally Posted by #1 Assistant Coach:

       

Probably more common in baseball due to the fact that unless it's a team photo, 90% of the time one player is never really standing next to any other players.  So a third party does not have an opportunity to notice any discrepancy.  Unless at 1st Base, and even then runner is standing on the bag in some way.  Height really is not even a factor in baseball like it is in basketball.  In hoops guys are constantly standing next to one another for prolonged periods of time so height discrepancy is much easier to see and height being truly important, is not fudged nearly as much.


       
Screenshot_2015-09-18-07-44-27

Attachments

Images (1)
  • Screenshot_2015-09-18-07-44-27
Originally Posted by 9and7dad:

Guess I've been cheating both my sons all these years.  Both are about 6'2 3/4" in bare feet and they list at 6'3.  Maybe I should have had them down as 6'4 (assuming cleats), though I can't imagine it makes any difference, even as pitchers.  Son 1 is about 217-218 and his weight is listed as 215, second is around 198 and I list 200.  I never thought any of these numbers were all that critical. 

At 6'3 I agree they are likely not as important.  It is the 5'10 guy that is challenged with the accuracy issue.  Don't ask me why but for position players 5'9" or 10" or 11" just doesn't seem to have the same impact on an RC as the magic 6'.

Originally Posted by 2020dad:
Originally Posted by #1 Assistant Coach:

       

Probably more common in baseball due to the fact that unless it's a team photo, 90% of the time one player is never really standing next to any other players.  So a third party does not have an opportunity to notice any discrepancy.  Unless at 1st Base, and even then runner is standing on the bag in some way.  Height really is not even a factor in baseball like it is in basketball.  In hoops guys are constantly standing next to one another for prolonged periods of time so height discrepancy is much easier to see and height being truly important, is not fudged nearly as much.


       
Screenshot_2015-09-18-07-44-27

So by this thread, a couple of six footer's standing on first. 

Originally Posted by RJM:

I was in college in the 70s. One of my best college friends and baseball teammate was a dead ringer for Linc from Mod Squad. I thought he was taller an I. Soph year he shows up with a buzz cut. He was 5'10".

Chick Hearn (From the movie Fletch): He is actually six-five, with the afro, six-nine.

Originally Posted by 2013leftydad:
Lefty recently went to a late season Showcase. Listed true height (5'11" on the nose). While looking over the heights and weights, noticed only 10 boys listed as shorter (7 at 5'10" the rest shorter). However when lefty stood in among the group you would have thought he was 6'2. He was taller than 15-20 of the boys in attendance, and not just by 1".

Noticed a similiar thing in weight. Only 3 kids out of 50 have a weight ending in a number other than a 0 or a 5 (175, 180, 190, etc).

So the question is how much are people padding these and are what are the coaches thoughts?

Thanks

Not a coach but I would find it hard to believe that most college coaches don't know that many players inflate their height/weight.  Just like most coaches don't take players HS stats as gospel. 

Back from an overnight visit for my 2016 and I can confirm that he was not measured and they only seemed to be interested in his ability to get batters out and not his listing of himself as 6' when he's maybe 5'11" with his shoes off.  

 

I will say that the current pitchers on the team seem very tall (mom and dad watched part of an intrasquad scrimmage) compared to our guy. 

 

 

Quite common for players to be listed an inch or two (or three or four) above actual.  Inch or two, nobody really cares.  They are way more interested in how they play.  If it's crazy exaggeration, they may notice.  Otherwise, this is made to be much bigger a deal than it really is. 

 

Son told me today about a returner on their D2 that is listed as 6'.  Can't be more than 5'9".  Don't think new coach bothered looking.  Either he can play or he can't.  I've seen this dozens of times at every level.  All things being equal, if they see size, they surely like it better.  But they aren't basing that on what is listed.  They base it on what they see.

Originally Posted by cabbagedad:

Quite common for players to be listed an inch or two (or three or four) above actual.  Inch or two, nobody really cares.  They are way more interested in how they play.  If it's crazy exaggeration, they may notice.  Otherwise, this is made to be much bigger a deal than it really is. 

 

Son told me today about a returner on their D2 that is listed as 6'.  Can't be more than 5'9".  Don't think new coach bothered looking.  Either he can play or he can't.  I've seen this dozens of times at every level.  All things being equal, if they see size, they surely like it better.  But they aren't basing that on what is listed.  They base it on what they see.

By this logic, which has merit, a 5'9" player might as well put 5'11" down to get his foot in the door. If he plays, the height discrepancy might be a problem later, but not getting on the field by telling the truth is a door that has likely closed. "Truth creep" in practice. 

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×