It is ridiculous to compare a sport with a non-sport like baseball. You might as well ask if it is harder to hit a baseball or eat 75 hot dogs. Fast milers are at the very top in terms of fitness and athleticism. Baseball players, not.
The All-Fat All-Star Team
"At espnW, we don't purport to be Olympic-caliber physical specimens with chiseled bodies. In fact, most of us feel we could stand to lose a few pounds, or get back in touch with our inner athletes. We aim to inspire our readers to do their best, whether on the playing field or on the sidelines. But sometimes, we have to take time to laugh and poke fun at some absurdities in the sports world.
The blubber on many of the men who play Major League Baseball is one such absurdity. How is it that many of these highly paid players-- including most valuable players, Cy Young Award winners and perennial All-Stars -- sport bigger beer guts than some of the fans who watch them?
As we arrive at the 2011 All-Star Game, we wanted to take time to highlight a special group of players beyond the ones on the field on Tuesday night in Phoenix. We hope you've noticed them already -- frankly, they're hard to miss -- but in case you haven't, here they are: the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Fat All-Star Team.
CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (6-foot-7, 290 pounds): His MLB-best 13 wins finally garnered the Yankees' ace a well-deserved spot on the actual All-Star team, but his spot as the anchor of the All-Fat Team starting rotation was never in doubt. Sabathia, the 2007 AL Cy Young winner, played the 2010 season at a whopping 315 pounds but reported to camp this year down 25 pounds, weighing in at a slim-for-him but still impressive 290 pounds. His secret? He cut Cap'n Crunch cereal out of his diet.
1B: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers (5-11, 275): His name is Prince, but the three-time All-Star is the king of the large first basemen. Fielder beat out a highly competitive field for the All-Fat team honor, including the Tigers' Miguel Cabera and the Nationals' Matt Stairs. Fielder (like his daddy Cecil before him), fills out his uniform the way he fills out his stat lines. Amazingly, he's managed to maintain his girthy figure even after switching to a vegetarian diet in 2008.
2B: Juan Uribe, Los Angeles Dodgers (5-11, 240): With perennial All-Fat Team starting second baseman Ronnie Belliard retired as of last month (who knew?) we had to be creative here. Uribe has played the majority of his games at third base this season, but the hefty utility man has also started 17 games at second, so he's our guy with Belliard out of the game.
SS: Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers (6-2, 245): Though Peralta has slimmed down a bit this year, he's among the heftiest of all starting shortstops in the league. Considering the position also boasts some of the skinner players in baseball (Dee Gordon, we're looking at you), 215 pounds for a starting shortstop tips the scales in the newly minted All-Star's favor.
3B: Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants (5-11, 278): There's less of Kung Fu Panda to go around this year (he's down a whopping 38 pounds from his playing weight in 2010, when he was pushing 280), but the first-time All-Star is still a lock for the All-Fat Team.
C: Jose Molina, Toronto Blue Jays (6-2, 270): Jose inherits the mantle of starting All-Fat team catcher from his brother Bengie, who was known as the slowest player in baseball before he retired. At least we're keeping it in the family. Yadier, put on a few more pounds and you could be next.
Carlos Lee, Houston Astros (6-2, 265): The large left fielder is pretty much a designated hitter waiting to happen, as his defensive range consistently rates in the bottom of the league. The three-time All-Star is signed with Houston for another year.
Andruw Jones, New York Yankees (6-1, 250): Andruw Jones was a premier center fielder in his prime, a 10-time Gold Glove winner and a five-time All-Star. How times have changed. In 2008, the rotund right fielder reported to Dodgers camp overweight, and started a downward career spiral. Jones now comes off the bench for the Yankees as a pinch-hitter and makes an occasional spot start in right. Congrats, Andruw. Your spot on the All-Fat Team is secure.
Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals (6-1, 240): They don't call Berkman "Fat Elvis" for nothing. Another one of the All-Fat Team's 2011 All-Stars, the "Big Puma" is enjoying a career renaissance in St. Louis, where he's found the stroke that made him one of the league's best hitters in Houston before an off year in 2010.
DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (6-4, 260 lbs): This one was easy. With Matt Stairs over in the National League without a designated hitter, "Big Papi" is your All-Fat team DH. The 2010 Home Run Derby winner and seven-time All-Star is having another fine season, packing on the offensive stats for Boston."