The best Catchers in Major League Baseball history

The best Catchers in major league baseball history:

 

10) Thurman Munson:  Winner of the 1970 Rookie of the Year Award, and named the American League MVP in 1976, Munson was a seven time All Star selection. The winner of three Gold Gloves, he threw out 44% of base runners attempting to steal, and is credited with saving 34 runs in his career. Munson caught 1,278 games in eleven seasons for the Yankees from 1969-1979, batting .292 with 113 home runs and 701 RBI’s. Also, in 16 World Series games he hit .373 and drove in 12 runs.

 

9) Mickey Cochrane: A two time All Star, Cochrane was named American League MVP in 1928 and 1934. He has a career batting average of .320 with a .419 on-base percentage, 119 home runs, and 830 RBI’s. He threw out 39% of basestealers while catching 1,421 games in 13 seasons for the A’s and Tigers from 1925-1937.

 

8) Ernie Lombardi: A seven time All Star and winner of the 1938 National League MVP award, Lombardi caught 1,544 games in 17 seasons from 1931-1947, mainly with the Reds and Giants. He had a .306 career batting average, 190 home runs, 990 RBI’s, and threw out 48% of attempted base stealers.

 

7) Roy Campanella: Selected as the National League MVP in 1951, 1953, and 1955, Campanella was named to eight All Star teams. He threw out 57% of basestealers while catching 1,183 games in 10 seasons from 1948-1957 for the Dodgers. His career batting numbers include a .276 average, 242 home runs, and 856 RBI’s.

 

6) Gary Carter: Winner of three Gold Gloves, Carter is credited with saving 106 runs and caught 35% of attempted basestealers while catching 2,056 games in 20 seasons from 1974-1992, mainly with the Expos and Mets.  An eleven time All Star, he batted .262 with 324 home runs and 1,225 RBI’s.

 

5) Gabby Hartnett: Catching 1,793 games in 20 seasons from 1922-1941 for the Cubs and one year with the Giants, Hartnett led the National League catchers in caught stealing percentage six times, with a career mark of 56%. A six time All Star, he had a career batting average of .297 with 236 home runs and 1,179 RBI’s. Hartnett won the 1935 National League MVP award. 

 

4) Bill Dickey:  An eleven time All Star for the Yankees, Dickey threw out 47% of runners attempting to steal and led American League catchers in range factor per game for six seasons.  In 17 years from 1928-1946 Dickey caught 1,708 games, while batting .313 with 202 home runs and 1,209 RBI’s.

 

3) Ivan Rodriguez: A thirteen time Gold Glove winner and fourteen time All Star, Rodriguez won the 1999 American League MVP award.  Catching 2,427 games in 21 seasons from 1991-2011, primarily for the Rangers and Tigers, he threw out 46% of runners attempting to steal and is credited with saving 167 runs in his career. Rodriguez batted .296 with 311 home runs and 1,332 RBI’s.

 

2) Johnny Bench: Winner of ten Gold Gloves and a fourteen time All Star, Bench won the National League MVP award in 1970 and 1972. Catching 1,742 games in 17 seasons for the Reds, he threw out 43% of basestealers and also saved 97 runs in his career. Bench’s career marks include a .267 average, 389 home runs, and 1,376 RBI’s.

 

1) Yogi Berra:  Selected to the All Star team 15 times, Berra won the American League MVP award in 1951, 1954, and 1955. He caught 1,699 games in 19 seasons and threw out 49% of basestealers to go along with a .285 career batting average, 358 home runs, and 1,430 RBI’s.

Lazy Ellsbury owes Yankee fans a refund

New York Yankee centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, earning $21,142,857 this season, should give some of that dough back to Yankee fans who spent their hard earned money to buy tickets to Saturday's game against the Mariners.

Seattle's Ketel Marte was on first base when Robinson Cano hit a routine ground ball single into center field. Ellsbury lazily trotted in to field the ball, allowing Marte to score from first base. He never slowed, meaning that the scouting report on Ellsbury pointed out that he is a lackadaisical outfielder with a weak throwing arm. This meant an opportunity for a fast runner like Marte to score a run against the Yankees - a run that they should not have had, and a run that cost the Yankees the game.

Ellsbury, who has missed a ton of games in his career due to minor injuries, could at least hustle on routine plays. For $21,142,857 a year he owes at least that much to the fans.  I shudder to think what would have happened to Ellsbury if Billy Martin had been the Yankees' manager on Saturday.

Yankees Girardi might as well throw away his binder

Yankees' manager Joe Girardi might not be using his trusty binder as much these days.

The numbers were impossible to ignore, but for the second time in five games Girardi refused to be seduced by them and didn’t start Ichiro Suzuki against Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester.

“I looked at possibly sitting down one of the other lefty hitters against Lester,’’ Girardi told reporters. “You look at Ellsbury and he has had success and you look at Brett Gardner and he has been playing extremely well and important at the top of our lineup.  Soriano has had a double and homer in two games he has played against him this year. Part of it is, possibly you would like to give one of your lefties a day off and I am going to play the guys we have been playing every day.’’

So, Ichiro took a seat despite having a .340 (18-for-53) average against Lester. That came after Ichiro wasn’t in the lineup Tuesday night in Toronto against lefty Mark Buehrle, against whom he was batting .421 (24-for-57).  I know the game has a heartbeat, but even I would have made sure Suzuki was in the lineup against Lester and Buehrle.

Soriano went 0-for-3 and is now hitting .273 (6-for-22) against Lester.

Girardi was correct saying Gardner has been very important to the top of the lineup, but he is 3-for-13 (.231) against Lester after going 1-for-2 with a walk. Ellsbury went 1-for-3 and is 4-for-9 (.444) against his former teammate.

A regular player in the big leagues since 2001, Soriano has had trouble adjusting to not playing every day. His last homer was May 17 and he is without a homer in 62 at-bats. His skills have eroded, and this is likely his last year in the majors.  The Yankees are unlikely to get any significant production out of him for the remainder of the season.