Indians’ Byrd previously a dwarf

CLEVELAND, OH — Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd recently admitted to taking human growth hormone (HGH) from 2001 to 2005 while playing for Philadelphia, Kansas City, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Angels. The 36-year-old right-hander said he took the drug for a medical condition, but claimed he never injected it without a doctor’s prescription. According to medical reports discovered in an investigation by SSNN, the “unnamed medical condition” refers to the fact that, until 2001 when the doping began, Byrd was officially classified as a dwarf.

The Little People of America (LPA) defines dwarfism as a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4′10″ or shorter. Byrd, now 6′1″, started his major league career in 1995 with the New York Mets. Team records list Byrd’s height that season as 4′7″. Byrd’s height listing remained there until 2001, when the Kansas City Royals listed him at 5′3″. Byrd’s height increased steadily from ‘01 through ‘05, before leveling off at his current listing of 6′1″ with the Cleveland Indians.

Byrd struggled from the mound early on in his career, as his diminutive frame lacked the strength to consistently find the strike zone. Additionally, because he played in the National League where pitchers must also hit, there were issues at the plate. The lack of miniature bats and an ego that kept Byrd from accepting walks – despite his tiny, tiny strike zone – hindered his progress.

Leo Mazzone, Byrd’s pitching coach in Atlanta during the ‘97 and ‘98 seasons remembers the difficulty well. “Paul’s was a tough situation. He faced a tall order as a…wait, that’s a poor choice of words. It’s just that…as a midget– er, dwarf! I mean dwarf! Or is it little person? Hell, I never remember what to call them.”