Round Moundsmen

Round Moundsmen

CC Sabathia (6-7, 300 lbs.)

When the Yankees move into their new digs next season, they'll bring one Ruth-sized player with them. CC Sabathia will be the heavyweight anchor of New York's rotation after signing a seven-year, $161 million deal. The workhorse lefty has 117-73 career mark, but saw his stock inflate dramatically after last season's trade to Milwaukee, where he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA, seven complete games and three shutouts. <br><br>Here are some more of baseball's other notable hefty lefties, portly portsiders and rotund righties, past and present, whose girth inspired awe, hoots of "Hey, one man to a pair of pants out there!" from bench jockeys, and perhaps a little concern that their careers would collapse under their considerable weight.

Bartolo Colon (5-11, 245)

The 2005 American League Cy Young Award-winner, Colon has always pitched with a bit of a paunch. With a career 150-97 record, his weight wasn't much of an issue until the injuries started to crop up. In light of his weight, so to speak, Boston's media weren't kind when they got their first look at their new hurler this spring. "Colon rolled into Red Sox camp yesterday in a maroon Mercedes at five minutes past noon," wrote Gordon Edes in the Boston Globe. "Lunch time, one observer noted, which, judging by appearances, is one of Colon's favorite times of day."

Livan Hernandez (6-2, 245)

After defecting from Cuba in 1995, Hernandez found quick success in leading the Marlins to their first World Series (1997) and taking home the Series and NLCS MVP awards on the way. He also found two other things: McDonalds and Burger King. Hernandez summed up his eating habits in a 1997 New York Times article: "Last year, I ate quite a bit at McDonald's. Last year, I went by a Burger King and I had to stop."

Carlos Zambrano (6-5, 255)

The Cubs' ace righty is known for his visible emotions and electric stuff. He's an imposing figure on the mound, who hits the mid- to high-90s with his fastball. One of the best-hitting pitchers in the game, Zambrano's 16 career home runs and 46 RBIs have helped him earn two Silver Slugger awards.

Sidney Ponson (6-1, 260)

On his way to accumulating a 90-106 record, the roly-poly Ponson has bounced around to eight different teams. His most notable accomplishment may be his knighthood in his native Aruba, bestowed after the 2003 season during which he went 14-6 for the Orioles.

David Wells (6-3, 248)

Yes, he's got a perfect game under his belt, and an impressive 239-157 career slate, but he also missed time in '96 and '97 with gout. Once called the "disease of kings," gout is the result of a buildup of uric acid in the blood. It's hereditary, but also can be caused by eating rich foods and drinking alcohol (especially Port). Naw, that couldn't be the case here.

Rich Garces (6-0, 250)

Known as El Guapo (the handsome one), Garces was a set-up man for the Twins, Marlins, Cubs, and Red Sox known as much for his expanding waistline as his pitching. "With Rich, I don't know what you can say about how much of an effect his weight has on him," said Joe Klein, executive director of the Atlantic League. "We had marginal interest in him, but last time I saw him [a few years ago], I thought he was going to explode. He's a worker's comp case waiting to happen."

Sid Fernandez (6-1, 230)

The hefty Hawaiian burst on the scene in the mid-80s and, along with Dwight Gooden and Ron Darling, bulked up the 1986 Mets' world championship pitching staff. Listed at a gentleman's 230 pounds, Fernandez battled his weight (and associated injuries) throughout his career, a problem that culminated with a 1993 meeting with manager Dallas Green, who said he wanted El Sid to drop a few. "I could lose 10 pounds," agreed Fernandez.

Rick Reuschel (6-3, 235)

Appropriately dubbed "Big Daddy" by teammate Mike Krukow, Reuschel was the Cubs' best pitcher during the '70s. The rotund righty notched 135 of his 214 career victories playing for Chicago -- the second-most in modern franchise history, behind only Ferguson Jenkins. Strangely enough, Reuschel was also quick, and was sometimes used as a pinch-runner when he wasn't pitching.

Mickey Lolich (6-1, 210 )

The 1968 World Series MVP, Lolich fanned 200 or more hitters seven times during his career, and retired as the all-time leader in strikeouts by a lefty (Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson have since passed him). An inspiration to plus-sized men everywhere, Lolich opened a doughnut shop after retiring, and once famously said: "All the fat guys watch me and say to their wives, 'See, there's a fat guy doing okay. Bring me another beer.'"

Bob Wickman (6-1, 240)

Despite racking up 267 career saves (including the most in Indians history) with five different major league teams, Wickman never really seemed to be in "playing shape." Tipping the scales at a bulky, but perhaps misleading, 240 lbs., the righty last flung the horsehide in 2007 with the Diamondbacks.

Antonio Alfonseca (6-5, 250)

Even if you deduct the weight that he's carrying in his mysterious sixth fingers, El Pulpo (the Octopus) is still probably getting a generous read with a listing of 250 pounds. Alfonseca has been a closer and set-up man for six clubs since 1997. His best season ws in 2000, when he led the NL in saves (45) and won (fittingly, perhaps) the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year.

Fernando Valenzuela (5-11, 210)

Valenzuela began his career 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA, and went on to win both the N.L. Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in his first season. But one gets the feeling that once Fernandomania died down after 1981, the Dodgers may have stopped weighing their southpaw. There's no other explanation for the 210 pounds that he's credited with packing.

Terry Forster (6-3, 270)

During the 1985 season, when Forster pitched for the Braves, late night talk icon David Letterman called the lefty reliever "the fattest man in professional sports ... a balloon ... a fat tub of goo." Joe Torre, Forster's manager at the time, said: "Terry used to go jogging in spring training after we played the game. He'd go on this long run in shorts, with a bandanna on. Half the time, he'd come back with mustard on his shirt."

Luis Tiant (5-10, 190)

Known for his jerky, spinning windup, joyful flair, and love of cigars, the Cuban-born Tiant looked bigger than his list size and pitched bigger, too. He finished his career with 229 wins and more than 2,400 strikeouts. Never the most svelte hurler, Tiant earned extra pocket change later in his career as a primary pitchman for Yankees Franks, famously saying, "It's great to be with a weiner!".

Rod Beck (6-1, 230)

One of the most dominant closers of the `90s, Beck notched 286 saves with the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Padres. Nicknamed "Shooter," the ever-expansive Beck lived in an RV outside a minor league stadium while he working his way back to the majors, and frequently drank beers with fans who stopped by.

Jonathan Broxton (6-3, 288)

He's certainly big enough to have more than one nickname, and by our count, he has at least four: "The Ox," "Big Jon," "The Biggest Man In The World" and "Johnny Double-D." The humongous righty has pitched mostly as a set-up man since 2005, but with a fastball that was once clocked at 101 MPH, chances are he'll be looming as a closer at some point.