All-Time Rankings: Catcher

[TruffleShuffle]

I wish Ted Simmons got more HoF love than he does / did.

 

I agree... more walks than strikeouts, and a career OPS+ of 118 from a defense-first position. Plus an 8-time all star. IMO he's the best catcher not in the HOF already.

[jjgman21]

edit - replied to wrong post.

 

I did a report on the scandal in eighth grade. if I am not mistaken, the guilty players all agreed the had to keep it from Ray because he would've reported it immediately. with all the talent, he was by all accounts the 'heart and soul' of that fanastic ballclub. a steadfast, straight and good man, great leader, etc etc etc.

 

I also think he won a civil suit agains the eight. shouldn't have because there is no way they could prove they would have won and generated greater earnings, but I think he won.

[TruffleShuffle]

Bump in hopes that some of the people who are talking about the all-time Cubs will join in this discussion as well.

[Rob]

Bump in hopes that some of the people who are talking about the all-time Cubs will join in this discussion as well.

 

Already did. =P

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

Wow! That was not very easy.

 

1. Bench

2. Berra

3. Cochrane

4. Dickey

5. Hartnett

6. Fisk

7. Piazza

8. Lombardi

9. Schang

10. Simmons

 

Note: Campanella was left off because of games played or lack there of. It is a shame his life was cut short.

[TruffleShuffle]

Note: Campanella was left off because of games played or lack there of. It is a shame his life was cut short.

 

His life wasn't cut short (he died in 1993 at age 72), but his baseball career did end at age 35 due to an automobile accident that paralyzed him from the waist. It's also a shame that he had to play in the Negro Leagues from 1941-1947. If he'd had a chance to play a full major league career, he'd be regarded possibly the best catcher ever to play the game.

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

Note: Campanella was left off because of games played or lack there of. It is a shame his life was cut short.

 

His life wasn't cut short (he died in 1993 at age 72), but his baseball career did end at age 35 due to an automobile accident that paralyzed him from the waist. It's also a shame that he had to play in the Negro Leagues from 1941-1947. If he'd had a chance to play a full major league career, he'd be regarded possibly the best catcher ever to play the game.

 

I was thinking he died when I wrote that even though I knew he was paralyzed from that accident. He might have been the best had he had a chance, but I couldn't judge based on that.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

1. Bench

2. Ivan Rodriguez

3. Piazza

4. Fisk

5. Cochrane

6. Berra

7. Hardnett

8. Campanella

9. Carter

10. Simmons

[Irrelevant Dude]

1. Gabby Hartnett

2. Randy Hundley

3. Jody Davis

4. Michael Barrett

5. Joe Girardi

6. George Mitterwald

7. Barry Foote

8. Damon Berryhill

9. Scott Servais

10. Steve Swisher

No respect for Jody!

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

1. Gabby Hartnett

2. Randy Hundley

3. Jody Davis

4. Michael Barrett

5. Joe Girardi

6. George Mitterwald

7. Barry Foote

8. Damon Berryhill

9. Scott Servais

10. Steve Swisher

No respect for Jody!

 

He is listed at number three on that list.

[Fred Hornkohl]

1. Bench

2. Ivan Rodriguez

3. Piazza

4. Fisk

5. Cochrane

6. Berra

7. Hardnett

8. Campanella

9. Carter

10. Simmons

 

Hardnett ??

 

For shame, Vance !!

[Irrelevant Dude]

1. Gabby Hartnett

2. Randy Hundley

3. Jody Davis

4. Michael Barrett

5. Joe Girardi

6. George Mitterwald

7. Barry Foote

8. Damon Berryhill

9. Scott Servais

10. Steve Swisher

No respect for Jody!

 

He is listed at number three on that list.

Exactly my point! :D

[jjgman21]

it's such a difficult question because you can't throw defense out the window like with alot of other positions and there are alot of longevity problems. for instance, Piazza is far and away the best offensive catcher of all time with about a 20 point edge in OPS+ over all the others, but I don't think you can put him in the top five. Pudge is great defensively, but 10-15 points below alot of the other guys. Bench was great both offensively and defensively, but only caught for about 13 years even though he broke in when he was 19.

 

I mentioned earlier in the thread that what Fisk did was amazing because of longevity, but what Dickey and Hartnett did was perhaps more incredible because they caught for 20 years with old timey equipment, and maintained incredible offensive number right up until retirement.

 

Campy had a great five or six year run. what happened at the beginning and ending of his career is a damn shame, but there's no way of knowing if he would have been as good early in his career considering his average offense at age 26 when he broke in. his career was tragically cut short, but he wasn't that good at that time anyway. so its really hard for me to put him on the my list.

 

Simmons had a run offensively in his prime that was probably only matched by Piazza, but his longevity hurts him because he hung on way too long after he lost the offense. plus he's a Cardinal.

 

just too much to consider to rank the catchers.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

1. Bench

2. Ivan Rodriguez

3. Piazza

4. Fisk

5. Cochrane

6. Berra

7. Hardnett

8. Campanella

9. Carter

10. Simmons

 

Hardnett ??

 

For shame, Vance !!

 

Oh well. It's called typing with a 2-year-old in your lap.

[Fred Hornkohl]

1. Bench

2. Ivan Rodriguez

3. Piazza

4. Fisk

5. Cochrane

6. Berra

7. Hardnett

8. Campanella

9. Carter

10. Simmons

 

Hardnett ??

 

For shame, Vance !!

 

Oh well. It's called typing with a 2-year-old in your lap.

 

All right, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and retracting my chastisement. I truly hope to have that same handicap 2 years from now. :wink:

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

1. Bench

2. Ivan Rodriguez

3. Piazza

4. Fisk

5. Cochrane

6. Berra

7. Hardnett

8. Campanella

9. Carter

10. Simmons

 

Hardnett ??

 

For shame, Vance !!

 

Oh well. It's called typing with a 2-year-old in your lap.

 

All right, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and retracting my chastisement. I truly hope to have that same handicap 2 years from now. :wink:

 

I hope you will as well!

[TruffleShuffle]

If anyone else wants to play, get your entry in. I'll post my entry tomorrow, and then we'll start with first basemen.

[SouthSideRyan]

Wait for me! Working on it right now.

[SouthSideRyan]

Bench

Berra

Fisk

Hartnett

Piazza

Bresnahan

Ewing

Dickey

Rodriguez

Lombardi

 

I'm open to arguments if anyone wishes to.

 

And wow, my 500th post actually had content in it. Sort of.

[AlwaysaCub]

1. Yogi Berra

2. Johnny Bench

3. Mike Piazza

4. Mickey Cochrane

5. Roy Campanella

6. Bill Dickey

7. Carlton Fisk

8. Gary Carter

9. Gabby Hartnett

10. Pudge Rodriguez

 

I don't think Mike Piazza gets any love. He's the best hitting catcher ever, even accounting for era. I mean, he played basically his entire career in the two best pitchers parks in the NL, Shea and Dodger Stadium, and still put up incredible numbers.

 

Also, I think Gary Carter has been underrated.

[TruffleShuffle]

1. Yogi Berra

2. Johnny Bench

3. Mike Piazza

4. Mickey Cochrane

5. Roy Campanella

6. Bill Dickey

7. Carlton Fisk

8. Gabby Hartnett

9. Pudge Rodriguez

10. Gary Carter

 

I'll do the NSBB consensus ranking now.

[TruffleShuffle]

The consensus:

 

1. Johnny Bench

2. Yogi Berra

3. Mike Piazza

4. Carlton Fisk

5. Mickey Cochrane

6. Bill Dickey

7. Gabby Hartnett

8 (tie). Roy Campanella

Ivan Rodriguez

10. Gary Carter