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Royals reliever mistaken for smaller version of Arrieta

Getty/Ron Vesely/Robert Binder

Tim Collins, a 26-year-old reliever for the Kansas City Royals, didn't pitch during the 2015 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, so he must've been pleasantly surprised when he was sort of recognized during a recent trip to the Pottery Barn.

Outside their dark hair and beards, however, Collins and Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta don't share many similarities. While Collins (a left-hander) has been a core piece of the Royals' bullpen in years past, he doesn't have quite the hardware that Arrieta (a right-hander) began piling up last season, including a no-hitter, Cy Young, and 22 wins.

There's also their difference in height, of course: Arrieta stands 6-foot-4, while "Tiny" Tim Collins - the 23rd-shortest player to ever pitch - measures in at 5-foot-7. Not that Collins needed reminding.

Collins and the Royals avoided arbitration earlier this offseason by agreeing to a one-year, $1.475-million contract for 2016.

- With h/t to MLB Cut 4

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