MLB players with same birthday and height

Collage of baseball card backs. The height and birthday are circled on each card.

Jose Altuve is known for his height at 5’6″. His birthday shares the same numbers 5/6. What MLB players have the same birthday as their height?

You might recognize some of these names. HOF Charlie Gehringer (5/11 5’11”), TV Sportscaster Steve Lyons (6/3 6’3″), All-Star Raul Ibanez (6/2 6’2″).

Here are all 44 players who have the same birthday as their height.

Player photoPlayer nameBirthdayHeightBirth yearMLB careerTotal seasons
Jimmy Bannon5/55’5″18711893-18964
Jose Altuve
MVP
9× All-Star
3× Batting Title
5/65’6″19902011-current14
Tom Bannon5/85’8″18691895-18962
Ross Barnes
3× Batting Title
5/85’8″18501871-18819
Floyd Robinson5/95’9″19361960-19689
Wally Dashiell5/95’9″190219241
Walter Prince5/95’9″18611883-18842
Joe Borden5/95’9″18541875-18762
P. J. Higgins5/105’10”19932021-20222
Glen Barker5/105’10”19711999-20013
Pat Hardgrove5/105’10”189519181
Bill Davidson5/105’10”18841909-19113
Harry Berte5/105’10”187219031
John Cattanach5/105’10”186318841
Jose Azocar5/115’11”19962022-current3
Jordan Yamamoto5/115’11”19962019-20213
Frank Campos5/115’11”19241951-19533
Gene Hermanski5/115’11”19201943-19539
Dave Short5/115’11”19171940-19412
Charlie Gehringer
HOF
MVP
6× All-Star
5/115’11”19031924-194219
Jessie Reid6/16’1″19621987-19882
Sandy Wihtol6/16’1″19551979-19823
Jim McKnight6/16’1″19361960-19622
Guy Morton
1920 World Series
6/16’1″18931914-192411
George Decker6/16’1″18661892-18998
John Ewing
ERA Title
6/16’1″18631883-18916
Mickey McDonald6/26’2″199520221
Chin-hui Tsao6/26’2″19812003-20166
Wascar Serrano6/26’2″197820011
Raul Ibanez
1× All-Star
6/26’2″19721996-201419
Mike Davey6/26’2″19521977-19782
Jim Maloney6/26’2″19401960-197112
Gene Michael6/26’2″19381966-197510
Jerry Lumpe
1× All-Star
1958 World Series
6/26’2″19331956-196712
Charles Leblanc6/36’3″19962022-current2
Eric Lauer6/36’3″19952018-20236
Brandon Waddell6/36’3″19942020-20212
Travis Hafner6/36’3″19772002-201312
Bryan Rekar6/36’3″19721995-20028
Steve Lyons
TV Sportscaster
6/36’3″19601985-19939
Jim Gentile
6× All-Star
6/36’3″19341957-19669
Kent Emanuel6/46’4″19922021-20242
Dennis Blair6/56’5″19541974-19804
Mark Schaeffer6/56’5″194819721

How I created this list

I was able to easily pull these names by running this R script

library(Lahman)
library(dplyr)

# 1. Create the career summary
player_career_stats <- Appearances %>%
  group_by(playerID) %>%
  summarise(
    first_year = min(yearID),
    last_year = max(yearID),
    total_seasons = n_distinct(yearID)
  )

# 2. Define the search criteria
search_criteria <- bind_rows(
  data.frame(day = 2:11) %>% mutate(month = 5, height_inches = 60 + day),
  data.frame(day = 1:11) %>% mutate(month = 6, height_inches = 72 + day)
)

# 3. Join, Format, and Build the Table
historical_results <- People %>%
  inner_join(search_criteria, by = c("birthMonth" = "month", 
                                     "birthDay" = "day", 
                                     "height" = "height_inches")) %>%
  left_join(player_career_stats, by = "playerID") %>%
  mutate(
    birthday = paste0(birthMonth, "/", birthDay),
    height_formatted = paste0(height %/% 12, "'", height %% 12, "\""),
    bbref_url = paste0(
      "https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/",
      substr(playerID, 1, 1), "/", 
      playerID, ".shtml"
    )
  ) %>%
  select(
    nameFirst, nameLast, birthday, birthYear, 
    first_year, last_year, total_seasons, 
    height_formatted, bbref_url
  ) %>%
  arrange(birthday, birthYear)

# 4. Download/Save the results as a CSV
# write.csv(historical_results, "historical_results.csv", row.names = FALSE)

# Confirmation message
# print("File 'historical_results.csv' has been created in your working directory.")

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1 Comment
Erik
4 months ago

44? That’s a lot! I love that Steve Lyons is on the list.