Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Trivia of the Past Months

June 2009

JOHNNY BENCH AWARD

A selection committee reviews all offensive and defensive statistics through the first 2/3 of the season and narrows the list to 10 semi-finalists by May 15.

At this time, information is gathered on the 10 semi-finalists and compiled into a comprehensive biography of each catcher. Additional criteria include: POP time, team ERA, GPA, leadership skills, interaction with teammates, calling their own game and community involvement.

A vote from the national selection committee then narrows the list to three finalists. Another vote, during the College World Series, is taken to determine the winner. All finalists are brought to Wichita for the awards banquet at the end of June. [See History of JB Award]

2009 Johnny Bench Award Semifinalists

Buck Afenir, University of Kansas, Sr.
Billy Alvino, High Point University, Sr.
Griffin Benedict, Georgia Southern University, Sr.
Dan Burkhart, Ohio State University, Soph
Jeffrey Farnham, New Mexico State University, Sr.
Mark Fleury, University of North Carolina, Jr.
Chris Henderson, George Mason University, Jr.
Greg Lagreid, Washington State University, Sr.
Francis Larson, University of California Irvine, Jr.
Josh Phegley, Indiana University, Jr.
Tony Sanchez, Boston College, Jr.
Matt Williams, Duke University, Sr.
J.T. Wise, University of Oklahoma, Sr.

** RED Indicates a FINALIST

May 2009

There have been 137 players who have have played both ends of a battery (pitcher - catcher) at some point in their MLB careers. Many have played other fielding positions as well. In fact one could make up a complete positional team of those versatile backstops.

There have been 41 career catchers who have pitched in a game. Amos Booth holds the record amongst these forty-one with 95 2/3 Innings Pitched in a Career and 86 Innings Pitched in a Season.

Five times there have been catchers who CAUGHT and PITCHED in the SAME GAME: Frank Bowerman (9/23/1904), Roger Bresnahan (8/3/1910), Rick Cerone (7/19/1987 and 8/9/1987), and Rick Dempsey (7/2/1991). None of the four won these games .

The catcher career pitching records for Games Pitched (15), Games Started (9), Batters Faced (449), and Complete Games (6) are all held by Amos Booth.

Jim Keenan holds the catcher career pitching ERA record with an Earned Run Average of 2.37.

April 2009

A Major League team usually carries two and sometimes three catchers on its active roster. Within each team's Minor League organization there are 10-12 catchers at various levels (AAA, AA, A, Rookie, etc.) to provide depth and for the future. Below are each team's depth at the Major League and AAA levels coming out of the 2009 Spring Training.

Full-Time	☼	National League
Backup	Ω	ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Competition	◄►	Chris Snyder	☼
Up-and-Coming	▲	Miguel Montero	Ω
On the Way Down	▼	James Skelton	▲
In the Minors	m	ATLANTA BRAVES
American League		Brian McCann	☼
BALTIMORE ORIOLES		David Ross	Ω
Gregg Zaun	☼	Clint Sammons	▲m
Matt Wieters	▲m	CHICAGO CUBS
Chad Moeller	Ω	Geovany Soto	☼
BOSTON RED SOX		Koyie Hill	Ω
Jason Varitek	☼	Paul Bako	Ω
George Kottaras	Ω	Jake Fox	▲m
Dusty Brown	▲m	Welington Castillo	▲m
CHICAGO WHITE SOX		CINCINNATI REDS
A.J. Pierzynski	☼	Ramon Hernandez	☼
Cole Armstrong	▲m	Ryan Hanigan	Ω
Corky Miller	▼m	Wilkin Castillo	Ω
Tyler Flowers	▲m	Craig Tatum	▲m
CLEVELAND INDIANS		COLORADO ROCKIES
Kelly Shoppach	◄►	Chris Iannetta	☼
Victor Martinez	◄►	Yorvit Torrealba	Ω
Chris Gimenez	▲m	Wilin Rosario	▲m
Wyatt Toregas	▲m	FLORIDA MARLINS
Carlos Santana	▲m	John Baker	☼
DETROIT TIGERS		Ronny Paulino	Ω
Gerald Laird	☼	Mike Rabelo	▲m
Matt Treanor	Ω	Brett Hayes	▲m
Dusty Ryan	▲m	HOUSTON ASTROS
Alex Avila	▲m	Ivan Rodriguez	☼
KANSAS CITY ROYALS		Humberto Quintero	Ω
Miguel Olivo	◄►	J.R. Towles	▲m
John Buck	◄►	Jason Castro	▲m
Bryan Pena	Ω	Frederico Hernandez	▲m
LOS ANGELES ANGELS		LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Mike Napoli	◄►	Russell Martin	☼
Jeff Mathis	◄►	Brad Ausmus	Ω
Ryan Budde	Ω	Danny Ardoin	Ω
Bobby Wilson	Ω	A.J. Ellis	▲
Hank Conger	▲m	Lucas May	▲m
MINNESOTA TWINS		MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Joe Mauer	☼	Jason Kendall	☼
Mike Redmond	Ω	Mike Rivera	Ω
Drew Butera	▲	Angel Salome	▲m
Wilson Ramos	▲m	NEW YORK METS
Jose Morales	▲m	Brian Schneider	☼
NEW YORK YANKEES		Ramon Castro	Ω
Jorge Posada	☼	Robinson Cancel	▲m
Jose Molina	Ω	PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Francisco Cervelli	▲m	Carlos Ruiz	☼
Chris Stewart	▲m	Chris Coste	Ω
OAKLAND ATHLETICS		Joel Naughton	▲m
Kurt Suzuki	☼	Lou Marson	▲m
Landon Powell	Ω	PITTSBURGH PIRATES
SEATTLE MARINERS		Ryan Doumit	◄►
Kenji Johjima	☼	Jason Jaramillo	Ω
Rob Johnson	Ω	Steven Lerud	▲m
Jeff Clement	▲m	Robinzon Diaz	▲m
Jamie Burke	▼m	SAN DIEGO PADRES
Adam Moore	▲m	Nick Hundley	☼
TAMPA BAY RAYS		Henry Blanco	Ω
Dioner Navarro	☼	Jose Lobaton	▲m
Shawn Riggans	Ω	Eliezer Alfonzo	▲m
John Jaso	▲m	SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
TEXAS RANGERS		Bengi Molina	☼
Jarrod Saltalamacchia	☼	Steve Holm	Ω
Taylor Teagarden	Ω	Pablo Sandoval	▲m
Max Ramirez	▲m	Buster Posey	▲m
TORONTO BLUE JAYS		ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Rod Barajas	☼	Yadier Molina	☼
Michael Barrett	▼m	Jason LaRue	Ω
Raul Chavez	▲m	Justin Knoedler	▲m
J.P. Arencibia	▲m	Bryan Anderson	▲m
FREE AGENTS		WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Paul Lo Duca	Ω	Jesus Flores	◄►
Johnny Estrada	Ω	Wil Nieves	◄►
Guillermo Quiroz	Ω	Josh Bard	▼m
Rob Bowen	Ω	Luke Montz	▲m
Toby Hall	Ω

March 2009

Noted baseball statistician Bill James has determined that around 50% of a catcher's defensive job is catching would-be base stealers. That being said, the below tables represent each league's best and worst caught stealing percentages (CS%) in 2008. (Minimum 50 stolen base attempts [SB+CS]).

Catcher	SB	CS	CS%
American League Percent CS by Catcher
Jose Molina, NYY	42	33	44.0
Dioner Navarro, TBA	45	28	38.4
Kurt Suzuki, OAK	55	32	36.8
Joe Mauer, MIN	51	29	36.3
Rod Barajas, TOR	42	22	34.4
Kenji Johjima. SEA	52	25	32.5
Ivan Rodriguez, DET/NYY	52	25	30.7
Kevin Cash, BOS	38	16	29.6
Gerald Laird, TEX	53	21	28.4
Jeff Mathis, LAA	57	20	26.0
Greg Zaun, TOR	40	14	25.9
Jason Varitek, BOS	56	16	22.2
Ramon Hernandez, BAL	99	24	19.5
A.J. Pierzynski, CHA	96	21	17.9
Mike Napoli, LAA	52	11	17.5
Toby Hall, CHA	43	9	17.3
John Buck, KCA	59	12	16.9
A.L. Average is 26.84%

Catcher	SB	CS	CS%
National League Percent CS by Catcher
Jason Kendall, MIL	55	41	42.7
Ben Molina, SFN	68	36	34.6
Yadier Molina, STL	34	18	34.6
Brian Schneider, NYM	42	21	33.3
Chris Snyder, ARI	49	22	31.0
Paul Bako, CIN	55	22	28.6
Ryan Doumit, PIT	68	25	26.9
Geovany Soto, CHN	69	25	26.6
Jesus Flores, WAS	47	17	26.6
Yorvit Torrealba, COL	45	16	26.2
Matt Treanor, FLO	44	15	25.4
Nick Hundley, SD	42	14	25.0
Russell Martin, LAN	70	23	24.7
Carlos Ruiz, PHI	65	20	23.5
Chris Coste, PHI	44	13	22.8
Chris Iannetta, COL	41	12	22.6
Brian McCann, ATL	93	27	22.5
Josh Bard, SD	53	10	15.9
N.L. Average is 27.15%

February 2009

Bill James developed a statistic called Win Shares, which is essentially a method of taking a team's win total, and assigning Shares of the Wins to individual players. Each team has 3.0 Win Shares for each win, a 3-to-1 ratio being the basis of the system. This is the only system which is team-based rather than derived from individual stats. Most systems build from the performance of individuals. The Bill James' system breaks down the performance of the team.

Win Shares system DOES NOT discriminate against players on weak teams. A player who hits .300 with 30 home runs on a bad team rates exactly the same as a player who hits .300 with 30 homers on a good team. Win Share assignments from team to player are divided on the basis of "claim points." Overall 48% of Win Shares are assigned to hitters/baserunners, 35% are assigned to pitchers, and 17% are assigned to fielders.

The following tables show the 10 Catchers with: (1) The Most Career Win Shares; (2) The Most Win Shares in a Season; and (3) The Most Win Shares per 100 Games Played. The first group gives advantage to catchers with very long careers and the last group identifies those with consistently good performances.

Ten Most Career Total Win Shares (WS)

Catcher	WS
Yogi Berra (HOF)	375
Carlton Fisk (HOF)	368
Johnny Bench (HOF)	356
Gary Carter (HOF)	337
Gabby Hartnett (HOF)	325
Mike Piazza	325
Ivan Rodriguez	319
Ted Simmons	315
Joe Torre	315
Bill Dickey (HOF)	314

Ten Best Seasonal Total Win Shares (WS)

Catcher - Year - Team	WS
Mike Piazza 1997 LA-NL	39
Johnny Bench 1972 CIN-NL	37
Bill Freehan 1968 DET-AL	35
Yogi Berra 1954 NY-AL	34
Johnny Bench 1970 CIN-NL	34
Johnny Bench 1974 CIN-NL	34
Carlton Fisk 1972 BOS-AL	33
Bill Dickey 1937 NY-AL	33
Roy Campanella 1951 BRO-NL	33
Roy Campanella 1953 BRO-NL	33

Ten Most Career Win Shares per 100 Games

Catcher	Games	WS	WS/100
Mickey Cochrane (HOF)	1,482	275	18.6
Yogi Berra (HOF)	2,120	375	17.7
Bill Dickey (HOF)	1,789	314	17.6
Roy Campanella (HOF)	1,215	207	17.0
Mike Piazza	1,912	325	17.0
Johnny Bench (HOF)	2,158	356	16.5
Gabby Hartnett (HOF)	1,990	325	16.3
Roger Bresnahan (HOF)	1,446	231	16.0
Jorge Posada	1,483	226	15.2
Bill Freehan	1,774	267	15.1

January 2009

With several aging backstops on the Free Agent market (ie. Ivan Rodriguez, Brad Ausmus, Gregg Zaun, Jason Varitek among others) just how long can these guys continue to catch?

Gabby Street (technically) holds the record for the Oldest Catcher having squatted at age 48 years, 11 months and 20 days. However, his last year as a catcher (1 game) was as a player-manager for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1931. His true last year catching was in 1912 at the age of 30. Deacon McGuire is the True Oldest Active Catcher having caught his last game (#1781) at age 48 years, 6 months and 0 days. He caught for 26 seasons over 29 years (1884-1912).

Ten Oldest Catchers

Catcher	Born	Last Game	YY-MM-DD
Deacon McGuire Grover Hartley Carlton Fisk Jack Ryan Merv Shea Clyde Sukeforth Rick Dempsey Johnny Riddle Bob Boone Chief Zimmer	11/18/1863 7/2/1888 12/26/1947 11/12/1868 9/5/1900 11/30/1901 9/13/1949 10/3/1905 11/19/1947 11/23/1860	5/18/1912 9/30/1934 6/22/1993 10/4/1913 8/19/1944 6/7/1945 9/27/1992 9/11/1948 9/27/1990 9/27/1903	48-06-00 46-02-28 45-05-26 44-10-22 43-11-14 43-06-07 43-00-14 42-11-08 42-10-08 42-10-04

Catching in the big leagues can be grueling for an old guy. In this era, we see more pitches. More pitching changes. More time taken between pitches. More opposing hitters to study. It's not a get-in, get-out business.

When a team relies on a catcher in his mid- to late-30s to carry the load in a 162-game schedule, along with six weeks of warming up dozens of arms in spring training, and maybe the playoffs, that's some high-level squatting.

Imagine how many times in his big-league career Ivan Rodriguez, who turned 37 in November, has bent down, stuck out his mitt and stopped a pitch from knocking him out. A conservative estimate, including spring training, postseason, pregame and between innings: 45,000 squats a year over 18 years, a total of about 800,000, excluding his stints in winter league.

The following table lists the 20 Oldest Active Catchers and their ages at year's end. These all are well-known catchers beyond their primes, some relegated to backup roles. There's only so much squatting a guy can do and it is doubtful that any on this list will find themselves on the above Ten Oldest Catchers list.

Catcher	Born	YY-MM-DD
Brad Ausmus	4/14/1969	39-08-17
Mike Difelice	5/28/1969	39-07-03
Gregg Zaun	4/14/1971	37-08-17
Mike Redmond	5/5/1971	37-07-26
Sal Fasano	8/10/1971	37-04-21
Jorge Posada	8/17/1971	37-04-14
Henry Blanco	8/29/1971	37-04-02
Jamie Burke	9/24/1971	37-03-07
Ivan Rodriguez	11/27/1971	37-01-04
Adam Melhuse	3/27/1972	36-09-04
Jason Varitek	4/11/1972	36-08-20
Paul LoDuca	4/12/1972	36-08-19
Gary Bennett	4/17/1972	36-08-14
Paul Bako	6/20/1972	36-06-11
Raul Casanova	8/23/1972	36-04-08
Chris Coste	2/4/1973	35-10-27
Jason Larue	3/19/1974	34-09-12
Jason Kendall	6/26/1974	34-06-05
Ben Molina	7/20/1974	34-05-11
Chad Moeller	2/18/1975	33-10-13

December 2008

There have been 1,675 career Major League Catchers (plus 426 other position players who caught one or more games). There have been 8,043 Pitchers. That makes 102,344 possible battery combinations. Of the 1,675 catchers only 13 are in the Hall Of Fame (plus 3 Negro League catchers). Of the 8,043 Pitchers only 61 are in the HOF (plus 5 Negro Leaguers). The 13 HOF Catchers and 61 HOF Pitchers are scattered across many teams and many years. But, there have been 36 TRUE HOF BATTERIES:

Hall-of-Fame Catchers Catching Hall-of-Fame Pitchers

Catcher	Pitcher	Starts	Shutouts	Note
Johnny Bench	Tom Seaver	94	6
Yogi Berra	Whitey Ford	212	24	A
Roger Bresnahan	Rube Marquard	1	0	B
Roger Bresnahan	Christy Mathewson	97	15
Roger Bresnahan	Joe McGinnity	106	4
Roger Bresnahan	Vic Willis	12	1
Roy Campanella	Don Drysdale	25	2	C
Roy Campanella	Sandy Koufax	18	2
Mickey Cochrane	Lefty Grove	224	18
Mickey Cochrane	Waite Hoyt	11	1
Bill Dickey	Lefty Gomez	247	25	D
Bill Dickey	Waite Hoyt	19	0
Bill Dickey	Herb Pennock	62	3
Bill Dickey	Red Ruffing	281	24
Buck Ewing	John Clarkson	1	0
Buck Ewing	Tim Keefe	164	15
Buck Ewing	Amos Rusie	16	0
Buck Ewing	Mickey Welch	277	28
Rick Ferrell	Lefty Grove	64	7
Rick Ferrell	Herb Pennock	2	0
Rick Ferrell	Early Wynn	15	1
Carlton Fisk	Steve Carlton	2	0
Carlton Fisk	Dennis Eckersley	62	4
Carlton Fisk	Fergie Jenkins	49	3
Carlton Fisk	Juan Marichal	2	0
Carlton Fisk	Tom Seaver	49	5
Gabby Hartnett	Pete Alexander	64	0
Gabby Hartnett	Dizzy Dean	18	2
Gabby Hartnett	Burleigh Grimes	20	2
Ernie Lombardi	Carl Hubbell	6	0
Ernie Lombardi	Eppa Rixey	14	2
Ernie Lombardi	Dazzy Vance	10	0
Ray Schalk	Red Faber	307	22	E
Ray Schalk	Carl Hubbell	1	0
Ray Schalk	Ted Lyons	48	5
Ray Schalk	Ed Walsh Sr.	23	4

NOTES
A - Also caught Ford's Debut 7/1/1950 NYA @ BOS RELIEF 4.2IP No Decision
B - Also caught Marquard's Debut 9/25/1908 NYG vs CIN START 5IP Loss 7-1
C - Also caught Drysdale's Debut 4/17/1956 BRO vs PHI Opening Day RELIEF 1IP
D - Also caught Gomez's Debut 4/29/1930 NYA @ WAS RELIEF 5IP No Decision
E - Also caught Faber's Debut 4/17/1914 CHA vs CLE START 4.1IP No Decision

November 2008

Although catchers are not known for their home run power, there have been several backstops with significant home run events or catcher record-setting milestones:

First catchers to achieve 10, 20, 30 and 40 home runs in a season

1889 Duke Farrell 11 HR's
1925 Gabby Hartnett 24 HR's
1930 Gabby Hartnett 36 HR's
1953 Roy Campanella 40 HR's

Mike Piazza holds the Career Catcher Homerun Record with 396 HR's (Piazza has 427 career HR's playing any position). He broke Carlton Fisk's record of 351. Johnny Bench has 389 playing any position and 327 as a catcher.

Catchers who Hit a Home Run in their 1st Major League At Bat
Paul Gillespie	CHI-N, September 11, 1942 (3 yrs in MLB, 6 career HR's) @@
Hack Miller	CLE-A, April 23, 1944 (2 yrs in MLB, 1 career HR) ##
Don Leppert	PIT-N, June 18, 1961 (4 yrs in MLB, 15 career HR's)
Cuno Barragan	CHI-N, September 1, 1961 (3 yrs in MLB, 1 career HR) ##
Bob Tillman	BOS-A, May 19, 1962 (9 yrs in MLB, 79 career HR's)
Gene Lamont	DET-A, September 2, 1970 (5 yrs in MLB, 4 career HR's) **
Mike Fitzgerald	NY-N, September 13, 1983 (10 yrs in MLB, 48 career HR's) **
Terry Steinbach	OAK-A, September 12, 1986 (14 yrs in MLB, 162 career HR's)
Mitch Lyden	CHI-N, June 16, 1993 (1 yr in MLB, 1 career HR) ##
Miguel Olivo	CHI-A, September 15, 2002 (current player, 73 career HR's) **
Mike Napoli	LAA-A, May 4, 2006 (current player, 46 career HR)
** Only Homerun hit that year ## Only Homerun in Career @@ Also hit a Homerun in Last Career At-Bat

Catchers who Hit a Home Run in their Last Major League At Bat
Johnny Schulte	BOS-N, September 20, 1932 @ NY-N, ?? Inning 0 Men On ?? Outs, BSN Lost 3-13 (5 yrs in MLB, 14 career HR's, 192 Games career) **
Mickey Cochrane	DET-A, May 25, 1937 @ NY-A, ?? Inning 0 Men On ?? Outs, DET Lost 3-43 (13 yrs in MLB, 119 career HR's, 1482 Games career) ##
Paul Gillespie	CHI-N, September 29, 1945 @ PIT-N, ?? Inning 1 Man On ?? Outs, CHN Won 4-3 (3 yrs in MLB, 6 career HR's, 89 Games career) @@
Kevin Pasley	SEA-A, October 1, 1978 vs TEX-A, 7th Inning 1 Man On, 0 Outs, SEA Lost 4-9 (4 yrs in MLB, 1 career HR, 55 Games career) Ʊ
Jeff Tackett	BAL-A, August 2, 1994 @ MIN-A, 7th Inning 0 Men On 2 Outs, BAL Won 10-0 (4 yrs in MLB, 7 career HR's, 136 Games career)
Todd Zeile	NY-N, October 3, 2004 vs MON-N, 6th Inning 2 Men On 0 Outs, NYN Won 8-1 (17 yrs in MLB, 253 career HR's, 2158 Games career, Began career as a catcher then switched to 3B-2B. Final Game was as a catcher)
** Only Homerun hit that year ## Hall OF FAMER @@ Also hit a Homerun in 1st Career At-Bat Ʊ Only Homerun in career

Catchers With Homers From Both Sides of the Plate in One Game
Wally Schang	PHI-A, September 8, 1916 vs. NY-A
Ted Simmons	STL-N, April 17, 1975 vs. NY-N
Ted Simmons	STL-N, June 11, 1979 vs. LA-N
Alan Ashby	HOU-N, September 27, 1982 vs. SD-N
Mark Bailey	HOU-N, September 16, 1984 vs. SD-N
Donnie Scott	SEA-A, April 29, 1985 vs. MIL-A
Mickey Tettleton	BAL-A, June 13, 1988 vs. DET-A
Mickey Tettleton	DET-A, May 7, 1993 vs. NY-A
Chad Kreuter	DET-A, September 7, 1993 vs. CAL-A
Todd Hundley	NY-N, June 18, 1994 vs. FLA-N
Todd Hundley	NY-N, May 18, 1996 vs. SF-N
Raul Casanova	DET-A, June 6, 1996 vs. BAL-A
Todd Hundley	NY-N, June 10, 1996 vs. ATL-N
Todd Hundley	NY-N, May 5, 1997 vs. COL-N
Todd Hundley	NY-N, July 20, 1997 vs. CIN-N
Jorge Posada	NY-A, August 23, 1998 vs. TEX-A
Jorge Posada	NY-A, July 10, 1999 vs. NYM-N
Jorge Posada	NY-A, April 23, 2000 vs. TOR-A
Jorge Posada	NY-A, June 28, 2002 vs. NYM-N
Jorge Posada	NY-A, March 31, 2004 vs. TAM-A (In Japan)
Jorge Posada	NY-A, May 24, 2005 vs. DET-A

Catchers who have Hit 3 Homeruns in One Game
Mickey Cochrane	PHI-A, May 21, 1925 (A)
Bill Dickey	NY-A, July 26, 1939 (H) - 3 consecutive homers
Andy Seminick	PHI-N, June 2, 1949 (H)
Walker Cooper	CIN-N, July 6, 1949 (H)
Wes Westrum	NY-N, June 24, 1950 (H)
Roy Campanella	BRK-N, August 26, 1950 (A) - 3 consecutive homers
Smokey Burgess	CIN-N, July 29, 1955 (H)
Ed Bailey	CIN-N, June 24, 1956, first game (A)
Johnny Bench	CIN-N, July 26, 1970 (H) - 3 consecutive homers
Bill Freehan	DET-A, August 9, 1971 (A)
Johnny Bench	CIN-N, May 9, 1973 (A)
Gary Carter	MON-N, April 20, 1977 (H) - 3 consecutive homers
Johnny Bench	CIN-N, May 29, 1980 (A)
Gary Carter	NY-N, September 3, 1985 (A) - 3 consecutive homers
Dan Wilson	SEA-A, April 11, 1996 (A)
Mike Piazza	LA-N, June 29, 1996 (A)
Benito Santiago	PHI-N, September 15, 1996 (A) - 3 consecutive
Bobby Estalella	PHI-N, September 4, 1997 (A)
Ivan Rodriguez	TEX-A, September 11, 1997 (H) - 3 consecutive homers
Tyler Houston	MIL-N, July 9, 2000 (H) - 3 consecutive homers
Jason Varitek	BOS-A, May 20, 2001 (A)
Mike Lieberthal	PHI-N, August 10, 2002 (A) - 3 consecutive homers

Catchers who Hit an In The Park Grand Slam Home Run
Willard Brown	NY-PL, August 29, 1890 (7 yrs in MLB, 6 career HR's)
Lave Cross	PHI-N, July 6, 1892 (21 yrs in MLB, 47 career HR's)
Parke Wilson	NY-N, September 5, 1893 (7 yrs in MLB, 3 career HR's)
Red Dooin	PHI-N, October 1, 1904 (15 yrs in MLB, 10 career HR's)
Chief Meyers	NY-N, September 11, 1909 (9 yrs in MLB, only HR in 1909)
Tex Erwin	BRO-N, July 2, 1911 (6 yrs in MLB, 11 career HR's)
Mickey Cochrane	DET-A, June 4, 1936 (13 yrs in MLB, 119 career HR's)
Wes Westrum	NY-N, August 2, 1950 (11 yrs in MLB, 96 career HR's)
Tim McCarver	STL-N, June 9, 1963 (21 yrs in MLB, 97 career HR's)
Jim Essian	OAK-A, June 10, 1979 (21 yrs in MLB, 97 career HR's)
Ron Karkovice	CHI-A, August 30, 1990 (12 yrs in MLB, 96 career HR's)
Dan Wilson	SEA-A, May 3, 1998 (12 yrs in MLB, 86 career HR's thru 2003)

October 2008

When is 100 Hits not equal to other 100 Hits? The answer is when the 100 are all Singles while the other is a mixture of Singles, Doubles, Triples, and Homeruns. The difference can be measured; it is a statistic called Slugging Average (SLG). It is computed by counting all of the bases earned divided by the At-Bats. The Seasonal Average for all players is around .380. Great players have Seasons over .500 and poor players are less than .320. The Career Average for all Catchers (1876-2007) is .362 while the Career Average for Hall-Of-Fame players is .440.

25 Best Catcher Slugging Averages (Season)
(400 At-Bats Minimum)

NickName	LastName	Year	Team	Lg	SLG
JAVY	LOPEZ	2003	ATL	NL	0.6871
MIKE	PIAZZA	1997	LAN	NL	0.6385
GABBY	HARTNETT	1930	CHN	NL	0.6299
BILL	DICKEY	1936	NYA	AL	0.6170
MIKE	PIAZZA	2000	NYN	NL	0.6141
ROY	CAMPANELLA	1953	BRO	NL	0.6108
MIKE	PIAZZA	1995	LAN	NL	0.6060
ROY	CAMPANELLA	1951	BRO	NL	0.5901
JOHNNY	BENCH	1970	CIN	NL	0.5868
WALKER	COOPER	1947	NY1	NL	0.5864
CHRIS	HOILES	1993	BAL	AL	0.5847
ROY	CAMPANELLA	1955	BRO	NL	0.5830
MIKE	PIAZZA	1999	NYN	NL	0.5749
MIKE	PIAZZA	2001	NYN	NL	0.5726
BRIAN	McCANN	2006	ATL	NL	0.5724
BILL	DICKEY	1937	NYA	AL	0.5698
BILL	DICKEY	1938	NYA	AL	0.5683
MIKE	PIAZZA	1996	LAN	NL	0.5631
MIKE	PIAZZA	1993	LAN	NL	0.5612
RICK	WILKINS	1993	CHN	NL	0.5605
JOE	TORRE	1966	ATL	NL	0.5604
IVAN	RODRIGUEZ	1999	TEX	AL	0.5583
JOE	TORRE	1971	SLN	NL	0.5552
MICKEY	COCHRANE	1931	PHA	AL	0.5534
ROY	CAMPANELLA	1950	BRO	NL	0.5515

25 Best Catcher Slugging Averages (Career)
(5,000 PA Minimum)

NickName	LastName	SLG
MIKE	PIAZZA	0.5452
JAVY	LOPEZ	0.4911
GABBY	HARTNETT	0.4888
BILL	DICKEY	0.4860
YOGI	BERRA	0.4822
JORGE	POSADA	0.4794
IVAN	RODRIGUEZ	0.4793
MICKEY	COCHRANE	0.4778
JOHNNY	BENCH	0.4758
WALKER	COOPER	0.4636
ERNIE	LOMBARDI	0.4599
CARLTON	FISK	0.4567
BUCK	EWING	0.4557
JOE	TORRE	0.4521
MICKEY	TETTLETON	0.4489
SMOKY	BURGESS	0.4455
LANCE	PARRISH	0.4405
GARY	CARTER	0.4387
TED	SIMMONS	0.4370
GENE	TENACE	0.4287
ELSTON	HOWARD	0.4270
TERRY	STEINBACH	0.4198
BENITO	SANTIAGO	0.4152
BILL	FREEHAN	0.4120
THURMAN	MUNSON	0.4098

September 2008

Perhaps the best offensive skill that a catcher (or any player) can have is the ability to "get on base" rather than make an out. The Coin Of The Realm in a baseball game is the OUT. A team, on average, has 27 of them to either conserve or to squander. Each out in an inning reduces a team's chance of getting about 1/2 of a run. Conversely, getting on base by any means (hit, walk, hit-by-pitch) increases a team's chance of getting about 1/2 of a run more. This is especially so for those batters in the "bottom of the order" (7th thru 9th), which usually includes the catcher. Getting on base (versus making an out) is a measureable statistic; it is called On Base Percentage (OBP). The Average for all players is around .340. Great players have over .400 and poor players are less than .300.

25 Best Catcher On-Base-Percentage (Season)

Nick Name	Last Name	Year	Team	Lg	OBP
MICKEY	COCHRANE	1933	PHA	AL	0.4591
MICKEY	COCHRANE	1935	DET	AL	0.4521
ROGER	BRESNAHAN	1903	NY1	NL	0.4430
MIKE	PIAZZA	1997	LAN	NL	0.4313
JOE	MAUER	2006	MIN	AL	0.4293
WALLY	SCHANG	1921	NYA	AL	0.4280
BILL	DICKEY	1936	NYA	AL	0.4280
MICKEY	COCHRANE	1934	DET	AL	0.4277
DICK	DIETZ	1970	SFN	NL	0.4262
JORGE	POSADA	2007	NYA	AL	0.4261
MICKEY	COCHRANE	1930	PHA	AL	0.4236
MICKEY	COCHRANE	1931	PHA	AL	0.4228
MIKE	PIAZZA	1996	LAN	NL	0.4216
WILBERT	ROBINSON	1894	BLN	NL	0.4212
DARRELL	PORTER	1979	KCA	AL	0.4207
JOE	TORRE	1971	SLN	NL	0.4207
ROGER	BRESNAHAN	1906	NY1	NL	0.4192
FRED	CARROLL	1890	PTP	PL	0.4183
BILL	DICKEY	1937	NYA	AL	0.4168
JORGE	POSADA	2000	NYA	AL	0.4167
CHRIS	HOILES	1993	BAL	AL	0.4160
GENE	TENACE	1977	SDN	NL	0.4145
DOGGIE	MILLER	1894	SLN	NL	0.4144
BILL	DICKEY	1938	NYA	AL	0.4124
JASON	KENDALL	2000	PIT	NL	0.4121

25 Best Catcher On-Base-Percentage (Career)

Nick Name	Last Name	OBP
MICKEY	COCHRANE	0.4192
WALLY	SCHANG	0.3931
GENE	TENACE	0.3879
ROGER	BRESNAHAN	0.3864
BILL	DICKEY	0.3821
JORGE	POSADA	0.3801
RICK	FERRELL	0.3778
MIKE	PIAZZA	0.3766
JASON	KENDALL	0.3742
MIKE	GRADY	0.3738
FRED	CARROLL	0.3702
GABBY	HARTNETT	0.3696
MIKE	STANLEY	0.3695
SPUD	DAVIS	0.3689
MICKEY	TETTLETON	0.3688
CHIEF	MEYERS	0.3668
CHRIS	HOILES	0.3661
JOE	TORRE	0.3648
MUDDY	RUEL	0.3645
SMOKY	BURGESS	0.3616
ROY	CAMPANELLA	0.3602
BOB	O'FARRELL	0.3602
ERNIE	LOMBARDI	0.3582
JOE	FERGUSON	0.3576
DARREN	DAULTON	0.3571

August 2008

The sixteen catchers entered the HOF by three different committees. Eight catchers (Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Gary Carter, Mickey Cochrane, Bill Dickey, Carlton Fisk, and Gabby Hartnett) were voted in by the Baseball Writers Association of America - BBWAA; five were admitted through the Veterans Committee (Roger Bresnahan, Buck Ewing, Rick Ferrell, Ernie Lombardi and Ray Schalk); and three entered via the Negro League Committee (Josh Gibson, Biz Mackey, and Louis Santop).

The very first catcher elected to the HOF was Buck Ewing in 1939. His eighteen year career began in 1880 with Troy of the National League. He caught in 636 games out of the 1315 games played. He holds the catcher record for most career triples with 178 and he had a lifetime batting average of .303 which puts him 5th on the all-time catcher list.

The first catcher elected by the BBWAA was Mickey Cochrane in 1947 which was the sixth year that his name appeared on the ballot. Cochrane's thirteen year career began in 1925 with Philadelphia (AL) and he caught 1451 games out of the 1482 played. His lifetime batting average of .320 is the highest of any catcher.

The longest span of time (in years) between elections to the HOF by a catcher was 14 years. Ray Schalk & Gabby Hartnett entered in 1955 and Roy Campanella was voted in 1969. The shortest span of time was one year when Bill Dickey entered in 1954 and in 1955 when Hartnett & Schalk entered.

The thirteen non-Negro League HOF catchers have almost encompassed the entire history of baseball (1876-2006). Buck Ewing started in 1880 and the chain of HOF catcher years progressed without a break except for 1966 when no HOF catcher played. The chain went from Ewing (1880-1897) to Bresnahan (1897-1915) to Schalk (1912-1929) to Hartnett (1922-1941) to Cochrane (1925-1937) to Dickey (1928-1946) to Ferrell (1929-1947) to Lombardi (1931-1947) to Berra (1946-1965) to Campanella (1948-1957) to Bench (1967-1983) to Fisk (1969-1993) to Carter (1974-1992). When guaranteed HOF'ers Piazza (1992-n) and Rodriguez (1991-n) enter the HOF the chain will have continued. I wonder which Rookie Catcher playing this season will someday be elected to the HOF to keep the chain unbroken.

There are a few catchers that should be in the HOF and are not for a host of reasons. They are (in no particular order): Wally Schang, Spud Davis, Joe Torre, Bill Freehan, and Ted Simmons. The first four (Schang, Davis, Torre and Freehan) will never get in because their time has passed for consideration by the Veteran's Committee. However, Simmons can still be enshrined when the Veteran's Committee considers him in his VC Eligibility year (2011). Torre will probably go in as a Manager, but he should be in as a player.

July 2008

Gabby Hartnett was the very first catcher in All-Star history to come to bat, when he appeared in the first All-Star Game in 1933.

The only player to have hit a home run in his very first at-bat (Sep 12, 1986) and his first All-Star at-bat (Jul 12, 1988) was catcher Terry Steinbach (MIN-A). Both Johnny Bench and Javy Lopez hit homers in their first All-Star at bat but not their first MLB at bat.

Sandy Alomar Jr. has the highest career All-Star batting average (for catchers) with .417 (Minimum 5 games) which Sandy accomplished in six games. Sherm Lollar is in second place with a career All-Star average of .400 (nine games).

In the 1981 and 1984 All-Star games Gary Carter was named as the Most Valuable Player. He hit two homeruns in the 1981 Summer Classic.

Ivan Rodriguez was the youngest catcher to start an All-Star Game when he was voted to start in 1993. Pudge was 21 years old at the time. He had been previously named as an alternate the year before in 1992.

The Highest Career All-Star Slugging Percentage by a Catcher is held by Gary Carter with .750 which he produced in nine games (15 Total Bases in 20 At-Bats).

Johnny Bench and Gary Carter jointly hold the catcher records for Most Career Homeruns in All-Star games with 3.

The catcher record for Most Career All-Star RBI's is held by Johnny Bench with six. Gary Carter and Mike Piazza each have five. Ivan Rodriguez holds the catcher record for Most Career All-Star Hits with 11.

Yogi Berra holds the catcher record for starting the Most All-Star Games with 17 (1948-1961). He was selected for 18 All-Star games.

June 2008

Some of the Catcher Records Currently held:

Games Caught in a Season (160) - Randy Hundley (CHI-N) 1968

Games Caught in a Career (2226) - Carlton Fisk (1969-1993)

Most Years with 100 or More Games Caught (15) Bob Boone

Batting Average - Season (.362) - Bill Dickey (NY-A) 1936

Batting Average - Career (.320) - Mickey Cochrane (1925-1937)

Slugging Average - Season (.639) - Mike Piazza (LA-N) 1977

Slugging Average - Career (.545) - Mike Piazza (1992-2007)

Home Runs - Season (42) - Javy Lopez (ATL-N) 2003

Home Runs - Career (427) - Mike Piazza (1992-2007)

Highest Fielding Average - Career (1000+ Games) (.9932) Bill Freehan DET, 1,581 games

Most Assists - Career (1,835) Deacon McGuire

Most Assists - Season (214) Pat Moran (BOS-N) 1903

Most Assists - 9-Inning Game (Since 1900) (8) Wally Schang BOS-A 5/12/1920

Most Passed Balls in a Game (12) - Gid Gardner (Was-AA) 5/10/1884

Catching for the Most Teams Career (10) - Deacon McGuire

Most Consecutive Errorless Games (252) - Mike Matheny (STL-N) 8/2/2002 - 8/1/2004

Most Errors - Career (Since 1900) 234 Ivey Wingo

Most Errors - Season (Since 1900) 40 Red Dooin, PHI-N 1909

Most Errors - Inning (Since 1900) 3 Jeff Reed MON-N 7/28/1987; Jeff Sweeney NYA 7/10/1912; John Peters CLE 5/16/1918

Most Stolen Bases Off Catcher - Inning (8) Steve O'Neill (CLE-A) 7/19/1915 and Mike Gonzalez (NY-N) 7/7/1919

Most Runners Caught Stealing 9-Inning Game (Since 1900) (6) Bill Bergen (BRO-N) 8/23/1909 and Wally Schang (PHI-A) 5/12/1915

Most Runners Caught Stealing - Inning (3) Les Nunamaker (NY-A) 8/3/1914 3rd inning

Most No-Hitters Caught - Career (4) Jason Varitek 2001, 2002, 2007 & 2008

May 2008

11 of the 30 major league managers today are former catchers. According to Bob Brenly, sitting behind the plate directing pitchers and watching the whole field naturally grooms a baseball player to become a manager.

The 2008 managers who are former catchers are:
Bruce Bochy (Giants)
Bob Geren (A's)
John Gibbons (Blue Jays)
Joe Girardi (Yankees)
Joe Maddon (Devil Rays)
Bob Melvin (Diamondbacks)
John Russell (Pirates)
Mike Scioscia (Angels)
Joe Torre (Dodgers)
Eric Wedge (Indians)
Ned Yost (Brewers)

To date there have been 114 ex-catcher managers in the major leagues [See Complete List].

For these 114 skippers the average number of years managing is 5.2 and 670 games. They won an average of 331 and lost 342 games for a winning percentage of .492.

The Highest Career Winning Percentage (200 or more games managed) is held by Al Lopez with a .584 record (1,410 Wins out of 2,425 games). In second place is Hall Of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane with .582 (348 out of 600 Games).

The former catcher Manager with the most years managing is Connie Mack who directed teams for 53 years in 7,755 games. He won 3,731 games and he won 5 World Series, all of which are records. Current Yankee manager Joe Torre is in 2nd place with 4 World Series victories. In all former catcher managers have won 19 World Series.

One measure of a manager's performance is WINS ABOVE/BELOW EXPECTED WINS using a team's runs scored versus the team's runs allowed. [See each manager's page).
Through 2007 the ex-catcher with the best performance as a manager is Joe Torre who has racked up 58.7 more wins than expected.

April 2008

P - Roger Bresnahan (HOF)
C - Buck Ewing (HOF)
1B - Jimmie Foxx (HOF)
2B - Hardy Richardson
3B - Ezra Sutton
SS - Bert Campaneris
LF - Jim O'Rourke
CF - Paul Hines
RF - King Kelly (HOF)
DH - Wayne Nordhagen
PH - Cal McVey
Mgr - Cap Anson (HOF)
Coach - Cookie Rojas

There have been 41 career catchers who have pitched in a game. Amos Booth holds the record amongst these forty-one with 95 2/3 Innings Pitched in a Career and 86 Innings Pitched in a Season.

Five times there have been catchers who CAUGHT and PITCHED in the SAME GAME: Frank Bowerman (9/23/1904), Roger Bresnahan (8/3/1910), Rick Cerone (7/19/1987 and 8/9/1987), and Rick Dempsey (7/2/1991). None of the four won these games .

The catcher career pitching records for Games Pitched (15), Games Started (9), Batters Faced (449), and Complete Games (6) are all held by Amos Booth.

Jim Keenan holds the catcher career pitching ERA record with an Earned Run Average of 2.37.

March 2008

There are 93 catchers on the 2008 40-man Spring Training rosters. In addition, there are 27 more with minor league contracts and an invite to vie for a roster spot this Spring. Plus, there are a few Free Agents of note looking for a team (Sandy Alomar, Damian Miller, Mike Piazza, Todd Pratt, and Kelly Stinnett). The following are some of the catcher competitions vying for an Opening Day slot or key catcher conditions:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Kansas City Royals: John Buck and Miguel Olivo both have power and both are contending for the starting role. But, Olivo led the majors with 16 passed balls last year for Florida which won't help the Royals 11th ranked defense..
Los Angeles Angels: Starter Mike Napoli and backup Jeff Mathis need to improve if they're going to be any help to Mike Scioscia's Angels.
Minnesota Twins: Joe Mauer must stay off the disabled list and try to duplicate his 2006 MVP-type season because the Twins are depending on him to carry the offense.
Seattle Mariners: Jeff Clement will be competing with Jamie Burke to be the backup to their No. 1 guy, Kenji Johjima this season. Jeff has power potential but Jamie has the defensive skills which should give him the edge.
Tampa Bay Rays: Josh Paul was signed to a minor league contract. He had been the primary backup the last two seasons. A longtime favorite of manager Joe Maddon, Paul will compete with Shawn Riggans and Mike Difelice to be the backup to Dioner Navarro.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Chicago Cubs: Geovany Soto was so impressive last season in his 54 games in the Majors that he's slated to open the year as the Cub's No. 1 backstop. Henry Blanco will be the backup.
Milwaukee Brewers: Damian Miller, who played for the Brewers the past three seasons was not offered an invitation for the 2008 season. He'll probably retire. The Brewers signed free agent Jason Kendall as their No. 1 catcher. The backup job will be up for grabs among the trio of Eric Munson, Mike Rivera and Vinny Rottino.
Washington Nationals: Johnny Estrada signed a one-year deal and will enter spring training as the No. 1 catcher with Paul Lo Duca recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Humberto Cota will most likely be the backup with Jesus Flores returning to the minors.

February 2008

Several catchers will be striving to achieve personal, catcher or player career milestones in the 2008 season. Here are just some of them:

OFFENSE

Mike Piazza (Free Agent) 400 Homeruns as a catcher (Currently has 376)

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 300 Homeruns as a player (Currently has 288)

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 4,000 Total Bases as a player (Currently has 3,953)

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 2,500 Hits as a player (Currently has 2,495)

A.J. Pierzynski (CHA) 1,000 Hits as a player (Currently has 950)

DEFENSE

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 2,100 & 2,200 Games Caught (Has 2,061)

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 13,000 Putouts as a Catcher (Has 12,510)

Brad Ausmus (HOU) 13,000 Putouts as a Catcher (Has 12,045)

Jason Kendall (MIL) 11,000 Putouts as a Catcher (Has 10,390)

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 600 Runners Caught Stealing (Has 579)

Brad Ausmus (HOU) 500 Runners Caught Stealing (Has 469)

Jason Kendall (MIL) 400 Runners Caught Stealing (Has 397)

Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 17,370 Innings Caught for 3rd Place (Has 17,267)

Mike Lieberthal (Free Agent) 10,000 Innings Caught (Has 9,828)

Jason Kendall (MIL) 800 Assists as a Catcher (Has 768)

Paul LoDuca (WAS) 500 Assists as a Catcher (Has 484)

MISCELLANEOUS

Jason Kendall (MIL) 225 Hit-By-Pitch (Currently has 218 and ranks 5th all-time behind #1 Craig Biggio with 285)

January 2008

One measure of a catcher's defensive ability is his Percentage of Base Stealers Caught (CS%). For the would-be thieves success means stealing a base more than 75% of the time. For the catcher success at stopping these thieves would be a CS rate greater than 25% (keeping the thieves below 75%).

In 2007 the Best Performance by a Catcher at stopping these thieves was by Yadier Molina of the Cardinals. He stopped 54% of these rascals. Below is a list of the Top 15 Catchers in 2007 for those backstops who had 50 or more Stolen Base Attempts (SBA)

Catcher Team G SB CS SBA CS%

Yadier Molina STL 107 23 27 50 0.5400

Kenji Johjima SEA 133 46 40 86 0.4651

David Ross CIN 108 36 25 61 0.4098

Gerald Laird TEX 119 59 39 98 0.3980

Chris Snyder ARI 103 52 29 81 0.3580

Russ Martin LAN 145 82 41 123 0.3333

Miguel Olivo FLA 119 51 25 76 0.3289

Victor Martinez CLE 121 70 33 103 0.3204

Carlos Ruiz PHI 111 57 26 83 0.3133

Brian Schneider WAS 122 53 24 77 0.3117

Ivan Rodriguez DET 127 47 21 68 0.3088

Bengie Molina SFN 129 53 23 76 0.3026

Dioner Navarro TBA 112 71 30 101 0.2970

Ronnie Paulino PIT 129 74 27 101 0.2673

Brad Ausmus HOU 114 47 17 64 0.2656

Since 1956 there have been many seasons where catchers have excelled at nabbing base runners intent on stealing. The very best performance (minimum 50 SBA's) for Catching Base Stealers 1956-2007 was by Gus Triandos of the Baltimore Orioles in 1957. He caught 2/3 (66%) of every attempt. The below list is the Top 25 Seasonal Performances in the last 52 years:

Catcher Year Tm SB CS SBA CS%

Gus Triandos 1957 BAL 21 42 63 0.6667

Bob O'Farrell 1922 CHN 41 70 111 0.6306

Jason LaRue 2001 CIN 27 42 69 0.6087

Dick Bertell 1963 CHN 29 44 73 0.6027

Larry McLean 1911 CIN 37 55 92 0.5978

Thurman Munson 1971 NYA 23 34 57 0.5965

Earl Battey 1960 WS1 29 41 70 0.5857

Henry Blanco 2000 MIL 28 39 67 0.5821

Bob Boone 1982 CAL 46 64 110 0.5818

Ellie Rodriguez 1971 MIL 30 41 71 0.5775

Rick Dempsey 1977 BAL 30 41 71 0.5775

Clay Dalrymple 1967 PHI 22 30 52 0.5769

Mike Ryan 1968 PHI 25 34 59 0.5763

Ivan Rodriguez 2001 TEX 23 31 54 0.5741

Johnny Bench 1969 CIN 30 40 70 0.5714

Johnny Bench 1972 CIN 24 31 55 0.5636

Jerry Grote 1969 NYN 31 40 71 0.5634

Ivan Rodriguez 1998 TEX 38 49 87 0.5632

Jim Sundberg 1977 TEX 43 55 98 0.5612

Clay Dalrymple 1961 PHI 36 45 81 0.5556

Yogi Berra 1957 NYA 29 36 65 0.5538

Tim McCarver 1967 SLN 30 37 67 0.5522

Jimmy Archer 1911 CHN 49 60 109 0.5505

Ray Fosse 1973 OAK 41 50 91 0.5495

Yogi Berra 1958 NYA 23 28 51 0.5490

The Career Best CS% by a Catcher is by Roy Campanella whose astounding 57% is way ahead of every other catcher in the 1956-2007 period. The following list is the Top 25 career totals:

Catcher SB CS SBA CS%

Roy Campanella 181 242 423 0.5721

Clay Dalrymple 321 306 627 0.4880

Yogi Berra 154 141 295 0.4780

Dick Bertell 150 137 287 0.4774

Ivan Rodriguez 639 579 1218 0.4754

Gus Triandos 237 207 444 0.4662

Sherm Lollar 190 163 353 0.4618

Del Crandall 275 229 504 0.4544

Steve Lake 185 154 339 0.4543

Joe Azcue 244 201 445 0.4517

Thurman Munson 533 427 960 0.4448

Elston Howard 285 221 506 0.4368

Mike Ryan 234 181 415 0.4361

Johnny Bench 610 469 1079 0.4347

Earl Battey 276 212 488 0.4344

Buck Rodgers 283 215 498 0.4317

Henry Blanco 281 210 491 0.4277

Jerry May 177 131 308 0.4253

Randy Hundley 399 293 692 0.4234

Johnny Roseboro 406 297 703 0.4225

Hal Smith 156 112 268 0.4179

Bob Kearney 224 159 383 0.4151

Ellie Rodriguez 334 235 569 0.4130

Ron Karkovice 401 281 682 0.4120

Jim Sundberg 1012 708 1720 0.4116