The knock on Japanese players used to be that they were too small and underpowered to make it in North America's big leagues. But with the recent success of the Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki, that argument has been laid to rest.
Want further proof? Look no further than shortstop David Eckstein of the World Series champion Anaheim Angels.
Listed at just 173 cm -- although Eckstein says even he's not sure of his exact height, as sometimes he's listed at 5'6" and sometimes its 5'7" -- the pesky infielder has been driving pitchers crazy with his ability to get on base and then keep them off balance with his quickness.