Wow...I think I need to do some reading, because all this time I've read that longer rods are better, but maybe that's for V8 engines? I even read about the 198 rod in a 225 trick too.
In the past I've read that longer rods flattens out the torque curve. Back in my Ford days (in the early 90's), the theory was proven with long rods in 302's. If cost wasn't an issue, it was the the way to go. The goal was to improve the rod ratio.
I did a preliminary search on the topic and found the following article, but I know I should keep reading.