Jon Erich Rauch (born September 27, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. At , he is tied with Sean Hjelle as the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist in baseball. Early years Rauch attended and graduated from Oldham County High School. He grew up in Westport, Kentucky. Rauch played college baseball at Morehead State University, where he double majored in physics and business. He was also a member of the social fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kentucky Zeta Chapter. Professional career Chicago White Sox Rauch, weighing , was drafted in the third round of the 1999 amateur draft by the Chicago White Sox. He debuted with the White Sox on April 2, . In 2002, Rauch's first stint in the big leagues resulted in a 6.59 ERA in eight games and six starts. He did not play in the majors in , then returned to the majors in after a strong Triple-A campaign. However, against major league batters he again posted a high ERA of 6.23. In July 2004, Rauch was traded to the Montréal Expos along with Triple-A reliever Gary Majewski for Carl Everett. Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals On August 13, 2004, Rauch hit a home run against the Houston Astros off Roger Clemens, making him the tallest man ever to hit a home run in Major League Baseball. Despite a strong finish to the season in Montreal, Rauch was sent to the minors when the Expos moved to Washington. After putting up better numbers in the minors, Rauch finished the season with the Nationals, used mostly as a reliever, and going 2–4 with a 3.60 ERA. In , Rauch had his best season, posted a 4–5 record, a 3.35 ERA, and appearing in 85 games, second most in the NL. In , Rauch led the Major Leagues in appearances with 88. He finished the year with an 8–4 record, four saves, and a 3.61 ERA. His eight victories led the team in wins, a rarity in baseball for a relief pitcher. On February 2, , Rauch signed a two-year contract with the Nationals, worth a total of $3.2 million. Before being traded, Rauch spent most of the year as the closer in place of injured Chad Cordero. Rauch was the winning pitcher in the first game in the history of Nationals Park. Arizona Diamondbacks On July 22, 2008, Rauch was