Angels' Unveil Tallest Player in Baseball History

Courtesy: Orange County Register (Bill Plunkett)

Prospects are always looking to stand out in Spring Training. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have one that will do just that - even if he doesn't play well.

Meet Loek (pronounced "Luke") van Mil, a 7-foot-1 Dutch right-hander looking to make a splash in his first full season with a new organization. After being signed by the Minnesota Twins in 2005, he was sent to the Angels as the player to be named later in the Brian Fuentes deal.

Right now, van Mil's biggest claim to fame is being the tallest player in professional baseball history - two inches taller than Jon Rauch, who previously held that distinction.

In actuality, Loek is just a shortened version of his name. His full name is Ludovicus Jacobus Maria van Mil...because a big man should have a big name.

So far, neither the length of his limbs nor his name did much to slow down opposing hitters last season. He split time between High-A and Double-A, posting a 1-3 record with a 5.97 ERA. He'll likely begin this year at Double-A Arkansas.