Personal Catchers

(Provided by Michael Mavrogiannis, author of Excruciating Baseball Lists)

Which Batteries (Catchers and Pitchers) tended to start together? The below data includes all games played 1969-2003, as well as 1963 and 1965-1968 for the A.L. Batteries selected according to the formula (M - P * C / T) >= 10, where T = team games, P = games started by the pitcher, C = games started by the catcher, and M = mutual starts by the pitcher and catcher. In essence, any battery which started together 10 more times than would have been expected if their individual starts had been distributed randomly is considered to include a personal catcher.
The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at 20 Sunset Rd., Newark, DE 19711.

YearTeamGamesPitcher (starts)As batteryCatcher (starts)
1966CLE162Sam McDowell (28)
24
Del Crandall (39)
1967CLE162Luis Tiant (29)
25
Joe Azcue (80)
1968CLE162Luis Tiant (32)
29
Joe Azcue (90)
1968CLE162Stan Williams (24)
22
Duke Sims (71)
1969ATL162Phil Niekro (35)
34
Bob Didier (108)
1969BAL162Tom Phoebus (33)
16
Clay Dalrymple (23)
1970ATL162Phil Niekro (32)
20
Bob Didier (48)
1970BOS162Sonny Siebert (33)
26
Tom Satriano (47)
1971MIL161Bill Parsons (35)
17
Phil Roof (32)
1972BAL154Mike Cuellar (35)
17
Ellie Hendricks (27)
1972CAL155Andy Messersmith (21)
21
Jeff Torborg (54)
1972CHA154Wilbur Wood (49)
48
Ed Herrmann (108)
1972MIN154Jim Kaat (15)
15
Phil Roof (48)
1974ATL163Carl Morton (38)
21
Paul Casanova (29)
1975BAL159Mike Cuellar (36)
30
Ellie Hendricks (64)
1975MIL162Jim Slaton (33)
19
Charlie Moore (41)
1975SDN162Randy Jones (36)
30
Fred Kendall (72)
1976DET161Mark Fidrych (29)
29
Bruce Kimm (52)
1976PHI162Steve Carlton (35)
31
Tim McCarver (37)
1977PHI162Steve Carlton (36)
36
Tim McCarver (39)
1978MIL162Mike Caldwell (34)
28
Charlie Moore (74)
1978PHI162Steve Carlton (34)
34
Tim McCarver (34)
1979ATL160Phil Niekro (44)
29
Bruce Benedict (69)
1979BAL159Dennis Martinez (39)
35
Dave Skaggs (46)
1979MIL161Mike Caldwell (31)
30
Charlie Moore (89)
1979MIL161Moose Haas (28)
26
Charlie Moore (89)
1979MIL161Jim Slaton (30)
27
Charlie Moore (89)
1979MIL161Lary Sorensen (34)
34
Buck Martinez (67)
1979MIL161Bill Travers (27)
25
Buck Martinez (67)
1979NYN163Pete Falcone (31)
17
Alex Trevino (33)
1979PHI163Steve Carlton (35)
27
Tim McCarver (31)
1980MIL162Mike Caldwell (33)
29
Charlie Moore (77)
1980MIL162Moose Haas (33)
31
Buck Martinez (75)
1980MIL162Lary Sorensen (29)
25
Buck Martinez (75)
1980MIL162Bill Travers (25)
25
Charlie Moore (77)
1982HOU162Joe Niekro (35)
23
Luis Pujols (56)
1982PHI162Marty Bystrom (16)
14
Ozzie Virgil (26)
1983CIN162Mario Soto (34)
33
Alex Trevino (50)
1984HOU162Joe Niekro (38)
23
Alan Ashby (53)
1986CLE163Phil Niekro (32)
32
Chris Bando (72)
1986CLE163Ken Schrom (33)
31
Andy Allanson (91)
1986MIL161Teddy Higuera (34)
30
Charlie Moore (64)
1986SFN162Mike Krukow (34)
30
Bob Brenly (78)
1987CLE162Tom Candiotti (32)
23
Chris Bando (65)
1987CLE162Phil Niekro (22)
19
Chris Bando (65)
1987MON162Bryn Smith (26)
24
Mike Fitzgerald (87)
1987OAK162Dave Stewart (37)
27
Mickey Tettleton (66)
1988MIN162Allan Anderson (30)
24
Brian Harper (41)
1988SFN162Mike Krukow (20)
19
Bob Brenly (55)
1988TEX161Charlie Hough (34)
30
Gene Petralli (72)
1989MIN162Allan Anderson (33)
29
Brian Harper (86)
1989MIN162Shane Rawley (25)
25
Tim Laudner (57)
1989MIN162Frank Viola (24)
21
Tim Laudner (57)
1989MON162Bryn Smith (32)
26
Mike Fitzgerald (67)
1989OAK162Bob Welch (33)
31
Ron Hassey (70)
1990DET162Jack Morris (36)
32
Mike Heath (99)
1990MIN162Scott Erickson (17)
15
Junior Ortiz (45)
1990MON162Oil Can Boyd (31)
29
Mike Fitzgerald (84)
1990OAK162Dave Stewart (36)
30
Terry Steinbach (77)
1990OAK162Bob Welch (35)
35
Ron Hassey (57)
1991ATL162Tom Glavine (34)
34
Greg Olson (113)
1991CHA162Charlie Hough (29)
20
Ron Karkovice (49)
1991MIN162Scott Erickson (32)
28
Junior Ortiz (41)
1991MON161Dennis Martinez (31)
21
Ron Hassey (34)
1991NYN161Frank Viola (35)
25
Rick Cerone (63)
1992CAL162Bert Blyleven (24)
22
Ron Tingley (46)
1992MIN162Scott Erickson (32)
24
Lenny Webster (32)
1992MON162Dennis Martinez (32)
26
Gary Carter (79)
1992NYN162Dwight Gooden (31)
25
Charlie O'Brien (51)
1993ATL162Greg Maddux (36)
36
Damon Berryhill (85)
1993ATL162John Smoltz (35)
30
Greg Olson (73)
1994ATL114John Smoltz (21)
21
Charlie O'Brien (42)
1994FLO115Charlie Hough (21)
14
Ron Tingley (17)
1994HOU115Greg Swindell (24)
20
Tony Eusebio (41)
1995ATL144Steve Avery (29)
28
Charlie O'Brien (56)
1995ATL144Greg Maddux (28)
22
Charlie O'Brien (56)
1995ATL144John Smoltz (29)
28
Javy Lopez (86)
1995SDN144Andy Ashby (31)
22
Brian Johnson (52)
1996KCA161Tim Belcher (35)
34
Mike Macfarlane (92)
1996KCA161Jose Rosado (16)
14
Mike Sweeney (26)
1996MON162Jeff Fassero (34)
30
Lenny Webster (50)
1996NYA162Andy Pettitte (34)
27
Jim Leyritz (50)
1997ANA162Allen Watson (34)
23
Chad Kreuter (61)
1997ATL162Greg Maddux (33)
31
Eddie Perez (52)
1997BAL162Scott Erickson (33)
29
Lenny Webster (73)
1997HOU162Darryl Kile (34)
27
Tony Eusebio (42)
1997MON162Jeff Juden (22)
22
Chris Widger (78)
1997MON162Pedro Martinez (31)
27
Darrin Fletcher (79)
1997MON162Carlos Perez (32)
26
Darrin Fletcher (79)
1998ANA162Chuck Finley (34)
31
Matt Walbeck (91)
1998ANA162Steve Sparks (20)
18
Phil Nevin (64)
1998ATL162Greg Maddux (34)
32
Eddie Perez (39)
1998BAL162Scott Erickson (36)
33
Lenny Webster (78)
1998BAL162Mike Mussina (29)
29
Chris Hoiles (78)
1998HOU162Shane Reynolds (35)
29
Tony Eusebio (45)
1998MIL162Scott Karl (33)
29
Mike Matheny (91)
1998MIN162LaTroy Hawkins (33)
19
Javier Valentin (42)
1998NYA162David Cone (31)
30
Joe Girardi (76)
1998NYA162Andy Pettitte (32)
29
Joe Girardi (76)
1998NYA162David Wells (30)
26
Jorge Posada (85)
1998OAK162Tom Candiotti (33)
33
A.J. Hinch (109)
1998OAK162Blake Stein (20)
19
Mike Macfarlane (53)
1998SDN162Kevin Brown (35)
34
Carlos Hernandez (102)
1998SDN162Sterling Hitchcock (27)
14
Jim Leyritz (20)
1999ANA162Omar Olivares (20)
20
Matt Walbeck (79)
1999ARI162Randy Johnson (35)
29
Damian Miller (78)
1999ATL162Greg Maddux (33)
33
Eddie Perez (85)
1999CHA162Mike Sirotka (32)
29
Mark Johnson (67)
1999COL162Pedro Astacio (34)
28
Henry Blanco (78)
1999KCA161Jeff Suppan (32)
21
Tim Spehr (53)
1999MIN161LaTroy Hawkins (33)
23
Javier Valentin (59)
1999NYA162Andy Pettitte (31)
27
Joe Girardi (64)
1999OAK162Gil Heredia (33)
23
Mike Macfarlane (56)
1999SLN161Kent Bottenfield (31)
30
Eli Marrero (77)
1999TBA162Wilson Alvarez (28)
20
Mike Difelice (50)
2000ATL162Greg Maddux (35)
14
Paul Bako (17)
2000ATL162Greg Maddux (35)
14
Fernando Lunar (17)
2000BOS162Pete Schourek (21)
19
Scott Hatteberg (43)
2000FLO161Ryan Dempster (33)
25
Mike Redmond (65)
2000LAN162Chan Ho Park (34)
29
Chad Kreuter (64)
2000NYA161David Cone (29)
15
Chris Turner (23)
2000OAK161Kevin Appier (31)
19
Sal Fasano (41)
2000SDN162Woody Williams (23)
22
Wiki Gonzalez (72)
2000SFN162Livan Hernandez (33)
31
Bobby Estalella (89)
2000SFN162Kirk Rueter (31)
28
Doug Mirabelli (71)
2000TBA161Bryan Rekar (27)
24
Mike Difelice (57)
2001ATL162Greg Maddux (34)
34
Paul Bako (45)
2001CHN162Jon Lieber (34)
24
Joe Girardi (61)
2001HOU162Shane Reynolds (28)
24
Tony Eusebio (40)
2001LAN162Chan Ho Park (35)
35
Chad Kreuter (58)
2002ARI162Miguel Batista (29)
27
Rod Barajas (41)
2002ARI162Curt Schilling (35)
30
Damian Miller (90)
2002ATL161Greg Maddux (34)
31
Henry Blanco (64)
2002BOS162Tim Wakefield (15)
14
Doug Mirabelli (41)
2002CIN162Chris Reitsma (21)
15
Corky Miller (35)
2002HOU162Dave Mlicki (16)
14
Greg Zaun (40)
2002SFN162Ryan Jensen (30)
22
Yorvit Torrealba (40)
2002SLN162Matt Morris (32)
21
Mike Difelice (51)
2003ATL162Greg Maddux (36)
33
Henry Blanco (42)
2003BOS162Tim Wakefield (33)
32
Doug Mirabelli (43)
2003CHA162Mark Buehrle (35)
28
Sandy Alomar (57)
2003CHA162Esteban Loaiza (34)
33
Miguel Olivo (98)
2003HOU162Jeriome Robertson (31)
24
Greg Zaun (26)
2003KCA162Chris George (18)
18
Mike Difelice (54)
2003MIL162Wayne Franklin (34)
25
Keith Osik (71)
2003MIL162Matt Kinney (31)
31
Eddie Perez (91)
2003MIL162Ben Sheets (34)
27
Keith Osik (71)
2003SEA162Jamie Moyer (33)
32
Dan Wilson (92)


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