Who In The World Would Ever Want To Be A Catcher???

After seeing Will Smith spend more than ten days out with the MLB concussion protocol, it got me wondering why anyone in their right mind would make catching their profession. But many have answered that call. And over the years, the Dodgers have had some very talented ones. Mike Piazza may have been the best-hitting catcher they have ever produced. Campanella was a great defender and so far, the only Dodger catcher ever to win the MVP Award, and he has three of them.

Some just play there so they can get into the game. I have read stories of catchers who became catchers in high school or little league because the coaches already had very good players at the other positions. Many catchers have gone on to become MLB managers. Some of them were pretty good at that job too. The catcher is the one player who, from his vantage point, can see the entire game play out in front of him.

Some catchers are quiet, while others can be quite the chatterbox. Willie Mays said in an interview that Roy Campanella would talk all the time. And Campy would be talking to the hitter, which for Mays, was very distracting. Mays said he even stepped out of the box and asked him to quit! Of course, Willie was still a very young player at the time, and he addressed Campy as Mr. Campanella.

I was a lefty thrower, so catching was not an option. But, when I was in the Army playing softball, I actually caught. Special Services provided all of the equipment we needed likes bats, gloves, catcher’s mask, balls. I actually got a left-handed catcher’s mitt from Special Services at Ft. Bliss. I used it for our games, and for a softball league I was in off-post. But I never was back there when someone was throwing 95 plus. I did catch a couple of fast-pitch games and even umpired a few when my hand was messed up from getting electrocuted. Long story there. But those pitches were not that fast for the most part.

From watching the Dodgers play over the last 70 or so years, I have come to appreciate how hard it must be daily to play that position. And I have watched the other teams’ catchers and watched how different each catcher really is. There have been some great ones to watch too. I always like to watch how a catcher calls and controls a game. One of my favorites was AJ Ellis. Ellis was one of the better game callers I have seen on the Dodgers. Not a great hitter, but steady.

I have been lucky to watch some of the best the game has ever had to offer, a lot of them on the opposing side. Johnny Bench was probably the most well-rounded. He could hit for average and power, he was a master at calling a game, and you ran on him at your own risk. He earned 10 gold gloves and 2 MVP awards as a catcher. He would later move to third base. 14 time all-star and a Hall of Famer, Bench was a feared hitter when with the Reds who were known as The Big Red Machine. Paired with Tony Perez they were a virtual RBI machine. Bench was also pretty good in the post season. He had 10 homers and 20 RBI”s in 10 series. He was a two-time World Champion, 75-76. Bench is third on the all-time homers by a catcher list with 356 as a catcher.

Santiago was a very good defensive catcher with a decent bat. He played for 17 years in the major leagues. He spent 7 of those years with the Padres. He also played for the Giants, Reds, Marlins, Blue Jays, Royals, Pirates, Phillies and the Cubs. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1987. He was on 5 All-Star teams, earned three gold gloves and four silver slugger awards. Santiago was relatively thin for a catcher, weighing 180 pounds on a 6″1″ frame. Santiago blasted 217 long balls while playing behind the plate.

Ivan ” Pudge” Rodriguez was considered the best catcher of his era. For 21 years he was a model of consistency both with the bat, and defensively. He earned 12 gold gloves, 10 consecutively. He was a member of the 2003 World Champion Marlins and was the MVP in the NLCS that year. He was a 14 time All-Star and earned seven silver slugger awards. He played for the Rangers for 13 years, then 5 with the Tigers, 2 with the Nationals and one each with the Marlins, Yankees and Astro’s. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2017. He is sixth on the all-time leaders in home runs by a catcher with 311.

Yadier Molina

Yadier Molina when he first arrived on the scene in 2004 was considered a very good defensive catcher with an average bat. He would prove to be that and more. By his 5th season, he would become a .300 hitter. He also won the first of 8 consecutive gold gloves. Not a huge power hitter his first several seasons, he would develop a power stroke in 2011 when he hit double digit home runs for the first time. He would only have 20 or more twice in his 19-year career, and only seven times total. He would finish with 176. But his defense was so good. He was an All-Star 10 times and played in St. Louis his entire career. He was in four World Series with the Cards, and they won two. He retired after last season with his good buddy, Albert Pujols. He is pretty much a lock to go into the Hall of Fame.

Since I began watching the game, there have been so many good and great ones that there are too many to mention in a single post. But I would be remiss if I forgot Yogi!

Yogi Berra was not ones traditional looking catcher. Yogi was built like a fire plug. Short and stocky, not fast or quick on his feet, he made himself into a very good catcher. Not the greatest defender, but more than adequate. He never earned a gold glove, but he was an All-Star for 15 straight seasons, and was named to three other All-Star teams when MLB played two a year. He was one of the best hitting catchers ever, unlike his close friend, Joe Garagiola, who was more known as a broadcaster than he was a catcher. Yogi would slug 358 homers in his career. Not all as a catcher, but enough to be in the top-10 all time. He won 3 MVP awards matching his crosstown rival, Roy Campanella.

He was a feared bat in the Yankee lineup and was a central piece in 10 championships. He last played in the series loss to the Dodgers in 1963. He then went into managing and coaching, and had some success. He is also known for his many sayings, or malaprops as many call them. Some are classic. It ain’t over till its over. That place is too crowded, nobody goes there anymore. Yogi was not the clown many made him out to be. He was a ferocious competitor, and he came to beat you.

Over the years the Dodgers had guys like Johnny Roseboro, Joe Pignatano, Tom Haller, Duke Sims, Jerry Grote, Gary Carter, Johnny Oates. Then the homegrown guys like Jeff Torborg, caught Sandy’s perfecto, Carlos Hernandez, Mike Scioscia, one of the best plate blockers in the business, Steve Yeager and now Austin Barnes and Smith.

But I still have not figured out why any of these guys would chose to be beat up that much almost every day. Some catchers moved to other positions and had careers there. Gil Hodges, who was blocked by Bruce Edwards and a kid named Campanella, moved to first base and became a Hall of Famer. Joe Ferguson moved to the outfield and made one of the best assist throws in World Series History. Ted Sizemore moved to second base and won the Rookie of the Year award.

Ted Simmons, Jim Sundberg, Randy Hundley, Todd Hundley, Yasmani Grandal, who is considered one of the best framers in baseball, and who I despise! Yep, still hate the guy Mark! Del Crandall who ended up managing and coaching in the Dodger system. Manny Sanguillen. Never could figure out how he could get so low to receive the ball and still throw runners out. Yep, catchers, a special and rare breed.