Welcome to Detroit Sports Forum!

By joining our community, you'll be able to connect with fellow fans that live and breathe Detroit sports just like you!

Get Started
  • If you are no longer able to access your account since our recent switch from vBulletin to XenForo, you may need to reset your password via email. If you no longer have access to the email attached to your account, please fill out our contact form and we will assist you ASAP. Thanks for your continued support of DSF.

Greatest Catcher in History

tycobb420

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
2,782
This should be an easy one since Bench was light years ahead of the others.

Other winners:

1b- Lou Gehrig
2b- Roger Hornsby
3b- Mike Schmidt
SS- Honus Wagner
RF- Babe
CF- Ty Cobb
LF- Ted Williams
 
Respective rto his era and two MVP's Bench over Piazza.
 
Roy could mash and he threw out runners at a 51% clip which is third all-time. The accident cut his career short just like Mickey Cochrane... I know Bench is probably better because of his longevity but i just want a vote for Roy on the board..
 
I voted for Cochrane. The guy was awesome and would probably be the undisputed best of all time had his career not been ended early.
 
I went with Pudge. If you look at his career through his time here (19yrs which is two years longer than Bench played), he was unbelievable. Look at the years he had from '94-'04 in particular and I don't there's another catcher outside of Piazza that's close to those numbers. Pudge was a MUCH better defender, did it in the AL, and played in the Texas heat for a most of that time. That puts him over the top for me. He should have probably retired a few years ago, but even now he's putting up average numbers for a catcher and he's nearly 40yrs old w/ over 2500 games under his belt.
 
Voted for Bench, b/c a few those 70s era Reds teams were comprised almost entirely of All-Stars, under Sparky just awed me, as did the late 60s-early 70s SF Giants had with McCovey and Mays, First thing that I would go to in the summers back then, in the Sunday sports section of the Detroit News, was the MLB team batting-pitching boxes, b/c they would only be published once per week, and SF would always have such unbelievably gaudy team offensive stats, when compared to the rest of the NL and the AL as well.
 
Never saw Bench, as I'm too young. Pudge is the best defensive catcher I've ever seen, in terms of throwing out runners and blocking the ball early in his career. Plus he could rake and won an AL MVP, so he gets my vote. He is probably the greatest Latino player ever to play baseball.
 
I voted for Yogi. Loved Yogi as a kid, but in all honesty, it is probably Johnny Bench. Piazza has something to say if just talking offense, but Bench was the total package offensive power and defense.
Pudge might have as much defense and even a shade more than Bench, but not the power.
If Campy didn't have that car accident that left him paralyzed, he might have been the best ever.
Mickey Cochrane was the best of the early era(s) catchers .320 lifetime, Gabby Hartnett was tops in the NL .297 lifetime.
Got to give Bill Dickey his due as well, and Ernie Lombardi was slower than molasses and won a batting title iirc. He might have got one infield hit every 5 years.
 
Ok well since I respect you baseball knowledge from a historical stand point, where are you ranking these guys we'll say 1-5 for all time catchers, KC. (Taking into account defense and offense)
 
Career Away Stats

Piazza 124.70 RC/650 .960 OPS 17.51 PA/HR 12.82 PA/BB

Cochrane 114.52 RC/650 .881 OPS 55.75 PA/HR 8.11 PA/BB

Dickey 108.30 RC/650 .851 OPS 53.75 PA/HR 10.65 PA/BB

Hartnett 99.49 RC/650 .826 OPS 31.44 PA/HR 10.45 PA/BB

Berra 92.61 RC/650 .803 OPS 29.03 PA/HR 14.35 PA/BB

Bench 88.13 RC/650 .801 OPS 22.39 PA/HR 11.54 PA/BB

Lombardi 85.83 RC/650 .794 OPS 29.65 PA/HR 16.46 PA/BB

Campanella 84.62 RC/650 .784 OPS 24.62 PA/HR 11.04 PA/BB

Rodriguez 81.74 RC/650 .769 OPS 34.86 PA/HR 22.56 PA/BB

G. Carter 79.91 RC/650 .752 OPS 28.16 PA/HR 13.92 PA/BB
 
Johnny Bench Yogi Berra Roger Bresnahan Roy Campanella Gary Carter Mickey Cochrane Bill Dickey Buck Ewing Rick Ferrell Carlton Fisk Josh Gibson Gabby Hartnett Ernie Lombardi Biz Mackey Mike Piazza Ivan Rodriguez Louis Santop Ray Schalk
Hard to believe that this list does not have two of the all time best defencive catchers all time in the game. And they share something in common. As at the time they played in the same world series as the Number 1 and 2 defencive catchers. Btw one of them is real,real,real wel know to this board.
For some time they went back and forth as to who was the best. In fact they were so close at one time whoever made the last error went into second place!
Really until Bench came along Lombardi was getting a push from Another Johnny. Johnny Edwards was a pretty good catcher for the Reds.
But in 1968 Freehan and McCarver made WS history by being the only catchers to be in a series as the number 1 and 2 rated defencive catchers to ever face one another! And the word was they were #1 and 2 all time t that pointas well. My source came off the old TV during the AL and NL WS. One year, could have been 1985 seems like the Cardinals were in the series. Really I have never seen it in print and did know of it when the 68 series was on.
I had all most forgot about Jonny Edwards. At one time Johnny Bench was no better than 3rd on his on team of Reds. WOW talk about a player that took over.
BTW Johnny took over for Johnny.
Read more: http://www.yamaharaptorforum.com/phpBB/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=2953&start=0#ixzz1d9ZcENZU
 
Beez said:
Ok well since I respect you baseball knowledge from a historical stand point, where are you ranking these guys we'll say 1-5 for all time catchers, KC. (Taking into account defense and offense)

Beez,
I would rank the catchers offensive and defensive 1 to 5 in this order,
1. Bench
2. Yogi
3. Campy
4. Cochrane
5. Pudge
6. Gibson
7. Dickey
8. Piazza
9. Hartnett
10. Fisk
11. Carter
12. Lombardi

What is a shame, are that the Negro Leagues players stats are incomplete or skewed somewhat through short seasons, quality player depth.
If they weren't, Josh Gibson could very well be at the top of this list.
Freehan and Parrish are in the 15th range give or take a spot or two, in the Simmons, Howard, Torre, Munson range.
all this is just my opinion.
 
Beez said:
Ok well since I respect you baseball knowledge from a historical stand point, where are you ranking these guys we'll say 1-5 for all time catchers, KC. (Taking into account defense and offense)

I'd go...
Bench
Yogi
Campy
Cochrane
Pudge/Piazza
 
Back
Top