His name and background would draw enough attention. Loek van Mil grew up in Holland, carving a unique path to becoming a professional baseball player. But if he makes the majors with the Los Angeles Angels this season, he’ll be known for another reason: At 7-foot-1, he would become the tallest major leaguer in history.
1. Jon Rauch (6-11) » The ex-Nationals reliever — and tallest player in major league history — was 27 before he spent a full season in the bigs, but he’s developed into a reliable reliever now with Toronto.
2. Randy Johnson (6-10) » Perhaps because of his size, Johnson took a while to mature as a pitcher. But when he did — at age 29 — he turned in a Hall of Fame career, winning 303 games with a career 3.29 ERA.
3. Chris Young (6-10) » The Mets picked him up the ex-San Diego starter in the offseason; he’s 48-34 in seven seasons, but his control is an issue. His big problem, though, is health. Shoulder and elbow problems have sidelined him two straight years.
4. Eric Hillman (6-10) » He pitched three seasons, all with the Mets, and finished with a 4-14 record and 4.85 ERA. That was good enough to get him … four seasons in Japan. A torn rotator cuff ended his career.
5. Mark Hendrickson (6-9) » The Orioles lefty actually is tied with three others for this spot, but none of them played in the NBA. Hendrickson played with five NBA teams between 1996 and 2000 before turning to baseball. He’s played for five MLB franchises as well.
