How Kansas baseball and football players measure up to beefy Yankees

By Staff May 19, 2017

New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals.

Joe Reitz, founder of [Family Promise of Lawrence][1] and retired University of Kansas business professor, sent me a text from Tuesday night’s Yankees-Royals game, marveling at the size of the Yankees.

“If this were football, it would be a huge mismatch,” Reitz wrote.

He then watched a huge baseball mismatch won by the Yankees, 7-1.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to compare the size of the players in the Yankees’ lineup, including both the starting pitcher and designated hitter, to Saturday’s lineup fielded by the Kansas baseball team against Kansas State.

**Yankees**……………………………………….**Kansas baseball**

After fielding a bunt down the third base line, Kansas infielder Benjamin Sems throws to first base for an out during the Jayhawks game Saturday, May 13 against the Kansas State Wildcats.

Brett Gardner LF, 5-11, 195………………Rudy Karre CF, 6-2, 180;

Gary Sanchez C, 6-2, 230………………..James Cosentino 2B, 5-10, 175;

Matt Holliday DH, 6-4, 240……………….Matt McLaughlin SS, 6-1, 190;

Starlin Castro 2B, 6-2, 230………………..Devin Foyle LF, 6-3, 185;

Aaron Judge RF, 6-7, 282…………………Jaxx Groshans C, 6-0, 190;

Kansas wide receiver LaQuvionte Gonzalez (1) takes off up the field past Oklahoma State linebacker Chad Whitener (45) during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, 6-1, 195…………… Marcus Wheeler 1B, 6-0, 230;

Chase Headley 3B, 6-2, 215………………Brett Vosik RF, 6-4, 215;

Didi Gregorius SS, 6-3, 205………………. Benjamin Sems 3B, 6-2, 165;

Chris Carter 1B, 6-4, 245…………………..Tanner Gragg C, 6-1, 215;

C.C. Sabathia P, 6-6, 300…………………..Taylor Turski P, 5-9, 180;

Average Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 239………………………………………6-1, 193;

You would expect a major league baseball team stocked with older, stronger players, to outweigh a college lineup, but not by 46 pounds per man.

You wouldn’t expect the Yankees to come close to outweighing the most recent Kansas football team to take the field in a Big 12 game, so let’s look at the starting lineup for the Jayhawks against Kansas State in Manhattan last November and see how they measure up.

**Kansas football 2016 offense**

QB Carter Stanley, 6-2, 196;

RB Ke’aun Kinner, 5-9, 191;

LT Hakeem Adeniji 6-4, 265;

LG Jayson Rhodes 6-4, 307;

C Mesa Ribordy 6-4, 290;

RG Larry Hughes 6-7, 311;

RT D’Andre Banks 6-3, 305;

WR Luis Gonzalez 5-10, 176;

WR Tyler Patrick 6-0, 177;

WR Steven Sims 5-10, 176;

WR Shakier Barbel 6-3, 203.

Average Ht./Wt.: 6-2, 236.

The Yankees starting lineup from Tuesday night outweighed the Kansas starting 11 in the 2016 season finale by three pounds per man.

What does it all mean? It means the Kansas baseball team could benefit from a massive slugger and the football team could use bigger players. The Jayhawks have become faster on the football field and are working at becoming bigger in the weight room and on the recruiting trail.

[1]: http://lawrencefamilypromise.org/