• In 1870's New York Mutuals catcher Nat Hicks started creeping closer to batters. Before him, catchers stood far behind the hitters, fielding pitches on the bounce.
• In 1877 Harvard baseball captain Fred Thayer adapted a fencer's mask to be used by catchers, but it wasn't until 1890 that major leaguers accepted the screened-in luxury.
• Moses Fleetwood Walker, a catcher for the 1884 Toledo American Association club, became the very black player in major league baseball.
• In 1885 catchers (and umpires) first used chest protectors.
• In 1887 Charles Zimmer is the first catcher to play consistently behind the batter (2-3 feet).
• In 1887 Draper and Maynard was the first company to market a glove specifically for catchers.
• Giants catcher Roger Bresnahan introduces the shin guard in 1907.
• White Sox catcher Fred Payne had several teeth knocked out in a game on August 18, 1911 against Philadelphia and was forced to leave the game after being hit in the face by a foul ball being returned from the grandstand. Give that fan a contract.
• On August 3, 1914 Les Nunamaker, Yankees catcher, becomes the only player in the twentieth century to gun down three runners attempting to steal in one inning.
• On July 19, 1915, the Washington Senators stole eight bases in one inning against Cleveland catcher Steve O'Neil.
• Herold "Muddy" Ruel was credited with labeling catching equipment as "Tools of Ignorance", although some say it was Bill Dickey - the debate continues to this day.
• On September 8, 1916 Philadelphia A's catcher Wally Schang became the first player in major league history to hit a home run batting right-handed and left-handed in the same game.
• On June 9, 1922 the Courtesy Runner rule was invoked in the Yankees - White Sox game. In the top of the 6th, Wally Schang singled to short and was hurt sliding into 1B. He was carried off the field and replaced with Al DeVormer. The next batter ended the inning. As the bottom of the inning started, Schang returned to his catching duties. In the top of the 8th, DeVormer again ran for Schang, but this time he stayed in the game behind the plate.
• A piece of catcher's equipment played a major role in deciding the outcome of the final game of one of the most exciting World Series ever. On October 10, 1924, in the bottom of the 12th, with the scre tied at 3-3 and one out, Washington catcher Muddy Ruel lifted a high pop foul which should have been an easy out. However, his catching oponent Hank Gowdy of the Giants stepped into his own mask, stumbled and was unable to make the catch. Ruel then doubled and eventually scored the winning run. (Contributed by Chuck Carey SABR member from Alan Roth Chapter in Los Angeles).
• In 1941 Mickey Owen dropped the third strike that blew the World Series for the Dodgers.
• In 1947 the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history was slugged by Yogi Berra for the Yankees.
• On September 21, 1952 Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella hit the last homerun ever in Braves Field (Boston, MA).
• Joe Garagiola (1946-54) said "The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running."
• On September 30, 1972 Oakland A's catcher Gene Tenance hit the last homerun ever in Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, MO). No catcher has ever hit the very first homerun in any ballpark.
• Other fielders were regulated on glove size in 1939, but as late as 1965 baseball was still ruling on the types of mitts catchers could use.
• On September 23, 1950, Philadelphia's reserve catcher Joe Astroth knocked in a record-tying six runs in the sixth inning of a 16-5 win over Washington,
• Cardinals receiver Tim "Buckethead" McCarver won a bit of respect for catchers everywhere in 1966. Catchers, who tend to not be very speedy, rarely stretch hits into triples. McCarver's 13 triples were an NL high, marking the first time a catcher had led a league in that department.
• When Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium opened on April 10, 1971, the Phillies revamped the traditional "first pitch" ceremony. Catcher Mike Ryan received his pitch dropped from a helicopter above the field.
• On May 15, 1973, California Angels backup catcher Jeff Torborg catches the third no-hitter of his career. He previously backstopped gems for Bill Singer and Sandy Koufax while with the Dodgers. This one is a 3-0 blanking of Kansas City and the first no-hitter for teammate Nolan Ryan.
• On November 5, 1978, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Manny Sanguillen was involved in one of the strangest trades in history. Oakland A's manager Chuck Tanner was still under contract. To obtain the rights to hire Tanner, the Pirates traded Sanguillen and $100,000 to Oakland for their Manager Tanner.
• When asked to describe his career high point, Bob Uecker said, "I walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an intrasquad game in spring training."
• Doug Gwosdz, a San Diego catcher between 1981-84, was given a nickname from his unusually spelled surname. Gwosdz was called "Eyechart."
• Through 1997, the only player to hit a home run in his first big league at-bat during the regular season and his first at-bat in an All-Star game was Twins catcher Terry Steinbach. Steinbach homered in his first at-bat on September 12, 1986 and in his first All-Star game at-bat on July 12, 1988.
• In 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza became the first catcher (and 25th player overall) to hit 40 homers and 200 hits in a season.

Suicides, Murder, Untimely Deaths and Mayhem

• Of the 80 ballplayers who committed suicide, 13 percent were catchers, second only to pitchers (45 percent).
• Only one player, Willard Hershberger a Cincinnati Reds catcher, committed suicide during his playing season.
• 1891 Frank Gustav Bell shot to death in Cincinnati.
• 1895 William H. "Bill" Colgan killed in a train accident, while he was coupling railroad cars.
• 1895 Frank M. Bowes shot to death in New York City.
• 1900 Frederick Joseph Zahner drowned.
• 1900 Marty Bergen found dead by his father, Michael, nearly decapitated from a slash with a straight razor. Marty's wife and two children found dead nearby from multiple blows from an ax. Ruled a murder-suicide.
• 1901 Charles Snyder fractured his skull and died while he was being evicted from a hotel.
• 1901 James William Duncan downed.
• 1907 Nathaniel W. Hicks asphyxiated by gas in a hotel room.
• 1913 Jeremiah "Jerry" Peter Harrington stabbed to death while trying to break up a barroom brawl.
• 1921 Larry McLean shot dead by a Boston bartender. McLean was tallest catcher ever (6'5").
• 1923 Francis E. McManus shot dead in Syracuse, NY.
• 1927 Drummond Nicoi Brown shot dead in Parkville, MO.
• 1945 Harry O'Neill killed in the battle of Iwo Jima. He caught one game for Philadelphia Athletics in 1939.
• 1956 Tommy Gastall drowned when his plane crashed into Chesapeake Bay. He was 22 y/o and played two seasons with Baltimore.
• 1979 Thurman Munson died in a plane crash while practicing landings in his new jet near Canton, Ohio.
• 1990 Bo Diaz was crushed to death by a satellite dish, which he was adjusting on the roof of his house in Caracas, Venezuela.

Whacky & Wild Records Involving Catchers

(from The Baseball Hall Of Shame's Warped Record Book by Bruce Nash & Allan Zullo)

• MOST HOME RUNS HIT OFF A LAUNDRY BUILDING IN ONE GAME (3) - In a 1950 game against the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field, Dodger catcher Roy Campanella had a spotless day at the plate by blasting three towering homes that all hit a laundry building across the street. In leading his team to a 7-5 victory, Campy had put Cincy hurler Ken Raffensberger through the wringer, and hung him out to dry.
• MOST BATTERS TO STRIKE OUT IN THEIR HALF OF AN INNING (5) - Houston Astros catcher Cliff Johnson was having all sorts of trouble catching the fluttering knuckleball of pitcher Joe Niekro during a 1976 spring training game against the Twins. That should have been good news for Minnesota, but Johnson's failure brought embarrassment because Niekro struck out the side - all five batters. Johnson committed five passed balls including two on third strikes that allowed both batters to reach first safely. By the time Johnson was able to hang on to a third strike in the inning, five Twins had whiffed.
• WACKIEST FINISH TO A HOME-RUN TROT - Boston Red Sox catcher Sammy White walloped a grand slam in 1952 against the St. Louis Browns to win the game 11-9. Thrilled beyond belief, White proudly trotted around the bases at Fenway Park, then capped off his four-bagger with a flourish. About 10 feet from home, he dropped to his hands and knees and slowly crept up to the plate. When he finally got there, the crazy catcher leaned over and kissed home!
• MOST CONSECUTIVE BALLS MISSED BY A CATCHER (23) - Chicago White Sox catcher Billy Sullivan missed 23 straight balls that were tossed by pitcher Ed Walsh. No wonder. Walsh was throwing them more than 500 feet straight down! On August 10, 1910 Walsh stood at a window near the top of the Washington Monument and began hurling baseballs to Sullivan on the ground below. Sullivan figured he'd easily snag most of the missiles, but a stiff wind kept whipping the balls away from him and he didn't even come close to catching a single one.
• MOST BASES GIVEN UP BY A CATCHER ON A PASSED BALL (3) - Giants catcher Ernie Lombardi who was very slow-footed, let a pitch get away for a passed ball in a 1943 game against the Pirates. While he lumbered after the ball, fleet-footed Vince DiMaggio, who was on first base, scampered to second then on to third when he saw that Lombardi had yet to retrive the ball. DiMaggio saw that home plate was not covered (the pitcher Bill Sayles was shocked into immobility) and figured he could crawl faster than Lombardi could run, so he dashed home scoring the winning run.
• MOST TIMES A CATCHER WAS CONKED ON THE HEAD DURING A GAME (3) - Cleveland Indians backstop Rollie Hemsley had a painful game in 1940 against the Philadelphia Athletics. A foul tip knocked him to the ground and momentarily seeing stars. Later A's batter Benny McCoy swung so hard that he spun completely around and his bat whacked Hemsley on the back of the head. The catcher went down again and barely regained his feet. He insisted on staying in the game. He was still woozy when another foul tip conked him on his already-bruised noggin. Once again he fell to the ground and forgot his name. Rollie shook off his third head-bonk and finished the game.

If you have interesting trivia you'd like included send me an email and I'll add it.