{"id":774,"date":"2008-10-23T06:01:54","date_gmt":"2008-10-23T13:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2008\/10\/23\/the-25-catchers-with-the-best-careers\/"},"modified":"2008-10-23T06:02:36","modified_gmt":"2008-10-23T13:02:36","slug":"the-25-catchers-with-the-best-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2008\/10\/23\/the-25-catchers-with-the-best-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"The 25 Catchers With the Best Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are the 25 catchers who had the best careers during the 20th century (as measured by the NEWS HOF Gauge).<\/em><\/p>\n

For a catcher, a NEWS score of 250 is required to say that he has obvious HOF numbers. There are only ten catchers who posted these numbers. That means that the position of catcher and third baseman have the fewest players who achieved HOF numbers (ten in each case).<\/p>\n

Please keep in mind that a player may not have obvious HOF numbers but may still be a deserving Hall of Famer for other reasons.<\/p>\n

All numbers include the 2007 season.
\nBold print = Hall of Famer<\/strong>
\nItalic = active player in 2008<\/em>
\nCWS = Career Win Shares
\nCV = Core Value (sum of win shares for 10 best seasons)
\nNEWS = Career Value = CV + .25(CWS – CV)<\/p>\n

The Catchers with Hall of Fame Numbers (NEWS = 250)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPlayer<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n Years<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nCWS<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nCV<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nNEWS<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1.<\/strong><\/td>\nYogi Berra<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n1946-1965 <\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n375<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n276<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n301<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2.<\/strong><\/td>\nJohnny Bench <\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1967-1983 <\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n356<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		277<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		297<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3.<\/em><\/td>\nMike Piazza<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n1992-<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n325<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n273<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n286<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4.<\/strong><\/td>\nGary Carter<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1974-1992<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n337<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n263<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n282<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5.<\/strong><\/td>\nCarlton Fisk<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1969-1993<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n368<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n240<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n272<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6.<\/td>\nJoe Torre<\/font><\/td>\n1960-1977<\/font><\/td>\n315<\/font><\/td>\n244<\/font><\/td>\n262<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7.<\/td>\nTed Simmons<\/font><\/td>\n1968-1988<\/font><\/td>\n315<\/font><\/td>\n240<\/font><\/td>\n259<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8.<\/strong><\/td>\nMickey Cochrane<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1925-1937<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n275<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n250<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n256<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9.<\/strong><\/td>\nBill Dickey<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n1928-1946<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n314<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n235<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n255<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10.<\/strong><\/td>\nGabby Hartnett<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1922-1941<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n325<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n229<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n253<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Yogi Berra<\/strong> edges out Johnny Bench<\/strong> as having the best career by a catcher in the 20th century. And Mike Piazza<\/strong> and Gary Carter<\/strong> join them as the only catchers to have a NEWS score of 280 or better.<\/p>\n

Seven of the ten catchers on this list are already in the Hall of Fame and Mike Piazza (considered by many as the best hitting catcher of all time) seems to be a lock for election when he becomes eligible. That would leave only Joe Torre<\/strong> and Ted Simmons<\/strong> as catchers with HOF numbers who are not in the Hall.<\/p>\n

Joe Torre <\/strong>spent fifteen years on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot and the highest percentage of votes that he got was 22% in 1997 (his last year on the ballot). But there may be hope for Joe this year. He is one of ten candidates on the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Post-1942\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ballot of the Veterans Committee for 2008. Given his recent success as a manager, I would not be surprised if he was inducted this time around.<\/p>\n

Ted Simmons<\/strong> spent only one year on the BBWAA ballot. He got only 4% of the vote in 1994. He is one of those players who appears to be an outstanding player who is terribly underrated.<\/p>\n

Note that of the ten catchers with HOF numbers, seven played after 1950 while only three played during the first half of the century.<\/p>\n

The Other Catchers in the Top 25<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are the other fifteen players who ranked among the top 25 catchers of the century in terms of career value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPlayer<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nCWS<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nCV<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nNEWS<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11.<\/em><\/td>\nIvan Rodriguez<\/font>
\n<\/em><\/td>\n		309<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n225<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n246<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12.<\/td>\nBill Freehan<\/font><\/td>\n267<\/font><\/td>\n224<\/font><\/td>\n235<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13.<\/em><\/td>\nJorge Posada<\/font>
\n<\/em><\/td>\n		222<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n216<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n218<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14.<\/td>\nGene Tenace<\/font><\/td>\n231<\/font><\/td>\n206<\/font><\/td>\n212<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15.<\/td>\nLance Parrish<\/font><\/td>\n248<\/font><\/td>\n194<\/font><\/td>\n208<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16.<\/strong><\/td>\nRoy Campanella<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n207<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n207<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n207<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17.<\/td>\nThurman Munson<\/font><\/td>\n206<\/font><\/td>\n204<\/font><\/td>\n205<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18.<\/strong><\/td>\nRoger Bresnahan<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		231<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n191<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n201<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19.<\/em><\/td>\nJason Kendall<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n205<\/font><\/em><\/td>\n193<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n195<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20.<\/td>\nDarrell Porter<\/font><\/td>\n222<\/font><\/td>\n181<\/font><\/td>\n191<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
21.<\/td>\nWally Schang<\/font><\/td>\n245<\/font><\/td>\n172<\/font><\/td>\n190<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22.<\/td>\nElston Howard<\/font><\/td>\n203<\/font><\/td>\n174<\/font><\/td>\n181<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
23.<\/strong><\/td>\nErnie Lombardi<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		218<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n167<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n180<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
24.<\/td>\nJavy Lopez<\/font><\/td>\n195<\/font><\/td>\n172<\/font><\/td>\n178<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25.<\/td>\nJim Sundberg<\/font><\/td>\n200<\/font><\/td>\n166<\/font><\/td>\n175<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

There are three catchers on this list who are in the Hall of Fame: Roy Campanella<\/strong>, Roger Bresnahan<\/strong> and Ernie Lombardi<\/strong>. And there are many fans who would argue that Roy Campanella should definitely be in the Hall since he missed many years in his prime due to baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s color barrier.<\/p>\n

There are three players on this list who were active in 2008. Of these, only Ivan Rodriguez<\/strong> appears to have a decent chance of achieving the 250 NEWS score.<\/p>\n

There were no catchers on the 2008 BBWAA ballot for the Hall of Fame. And only one, Thurman Munson, on the 2007 Veteran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Committee ballot. Munson got only 6 votes (7.3%) and appears to have no chance of being elected.<\/p>\n

Finally, there are two catchers in the Hall of Fame who did not make it into the list of the top 25 catchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Player<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nCWS<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nCV<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nNEWS<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ray Schalk<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		191<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		167<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n173<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rick Ferrell<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		206<\/font>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		150<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n164<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

So, these two Hall of Famers plus the three mentioned above give us a total of five catchers in the Hall who do not appear to have HOF numbers according to the NEWS Gauge.<\/p>\n

For more information on the NEWS <\/st1>HOF<\/st1> Gauge, see BASEBALL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BEST: The TRUE Hall of Famers<\/a> <\/strong>on this site.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are the 25 catchers who had the best careers during the 20th century (as measured by the NEWS HOF Gauge).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prof-hobans-hall-of-fame-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}