All-Time Top 10 Catchers

[TruffleShuffle]

I put Josh Gibson on my list. Hope Negro League players are ok.

 

That changes everything. What's the ruling?

 

no negro leaguers or foreign players. There isn't a fair way to rank them because it's based almost completely on subjectivity. Feel free to mention them, but do put only major league players on your list.

 

And FWIW, I'd put Josh Gibson first on a list of catchers, if we were including negro league players.

[Rob]

1. Bench

2. Berra

3. Campanella

4. Piazza

5. Cochrane

6. Simmons

7. Carter

8. Lombardi

9. Rodriguez

10. Hartnett

 

No fisk?

 

I have a weird love of Lombardi. Honestly, he shouldn't be on the list and Fisk should probably slide in at ten... but I stand by my decision.

[Roast]

Tettleton, Stanley, Chief Meyers, Daulton and others show up on a (min 700 games at catcher) OPS+ leaderboard.

 

Jason Kendall is 13th in Runs Created. Weird.

 

Not really, in his prime he was a real solid player. Problem is, he's a catcher and he relied a lot on speed. And well...yeah.

[Mephistopheles]

1. Josh Gibson

2. Johnny Bench

3. Biz Mackey

4. Roy Campanella

5. Yogi Berra

6. Ivan Rodriguez

7. Mickey Cochrane

8. Mike Piazza

9. Gabby Hartnett

10. Katsuya Nomura

[Transmogrified Tiger]

1. Josh Gibson

2. Johnny Bench

3. Biz Mackey

4. Roy Campanella

5. Yogi Berra

6. Ivan Rodriguez

7. Mickey Cochrane

8. Mike Piazza

9. Gabby Hartnett

10. Katsuya Nomura

 

I'm surprised you put Gibson at 1.

[TruffleShuffle]

1. Josh Gibson

2. Johnny Bench

3. Biz Mackey

4. Roy Campanella

5. Yogi Berra

6. Ivan Rodriguez

7. Mickey Cochrane

8. Mike Piazza

9. Gabby Hartnett

10. Katsuya Nomura

 

I'm surprised you put Gibson at 1.

 

yeah i'm surprised he completely ignored the rules as well. Oh well, if he revises his list I'll use it; if not then I'll just go with the others that I've got.

[Mephistopheles]

they deserve it. just because they didnt play in the majors doesnt mean they cant play or that we cant objectively look at them.

[erik316wttn]

they deserve it. just because they didnt play in the majors doesnt mean they cant play or that we cant objectively look at them.

 

To be fair, it is Truffle's project and he can set the rules he wants.

[AlwaysaCub]

Ernie Lombardi was a pretty amazing character. If you haven't read it, you should get the Bill James Abstract just to read the mini-bio on Lombardi in the player comments.

 

But Fisk was better, and is definitely a top 10 catcher of all time. I put him in the top 6 at least.

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned Randy Hundley despite the fact that he was a Cub, Hundley was one of the better catchers of his era. Wasn't he named to a couple of All-Star teams? What was his nickname?

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned Randy Hundley despite the fact that he was a Cub, Hundley was one of the better catchers of his era. Wasn't he named to a couple of All-Star teams? What was his nickname?

 

Hundley didn't play long enough or hit well enough to enter the conversation.

[SouthSideRyan]

Bench

Berra

Fisk

Rodriguez

Dickey

Hartnett

Carter

Piazza

Campanella

Cochrane

 

Subject to persuasion.

 

I think Dickey's being shamefully underrepresented. Consider his missed time due to the war as well.

[Guest]

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned Randy Hundley despite the fact that he was a Cub, Hundley was one of the better catchers of his era. Wasn't he named to a couple of All-Star teams? What was his nickname?

 

Hundley didn't play long enough or hit well enough to enter the conversation.

 

plus he sired todd.

[javy knows my name]

1. Josh Gibson

2. Johnny Bench

3. Biz Mackey

4. Roy Campanella

5. Yogi Berra

6. Ivan Rodriguez

7. Mickey Cochrane

8. Mike Piazza

9. Gabby Hartnett

10. Katsuya Nomura

 

I'm surprised you put Gibson at 1.

 

yeah i'm surprised he completely ignored the rules as well. Oh well, if he revises his list I'll use it; if not then I'll just go with the others that I've got.

 

Meph don't play by NOBODY'S rules!

[Mephistopheles]

The thing is we can objectively compare them if wanted to. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Absolutely.

[OleMissCub]

1. Josh Gibson

2. Johnny Bench

3. Biz Mackey

4. Roy Campanella

5. Yogi Berra

6. Ivan Rodriguez

7. Mickey Cochrane

8. Mike Piazza

9. Gabby Hartnett

10. Katsuya Nomura

 

No Negro leaguers or foreign players!!!! You're like the 4th person to do that so far.

[OleMissCub]

The thing is we can objectively compare them if wanted to. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Absolutely.

 

You're a mathematics wiz kid it seems. If you could create a formula to compare them, I'd be interested to see that.

[NewUserName]

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned Randy Hundley despite the fact that he was a Cub, Hundley was one of the better catchers of his era. Wasn't he named to a couple of All-Star teams? What was his nickname?

 

Hundley didn't play long enough or hit well enough to enter the conversation.

 

plus he sired todd.

 

 

Without looking at there stats I am guessing that Todd would be a better option than Randy.

 

I never noticed this before but the Yankees have had an incredible amount of Catching talent. Its not just Yankee hype either. They have had at least 4 of the top 15 catchers of all time. Plus a couple of other pretty good ones.

[wekse]

you should probably change the name of the thread to"MLB's all-time top 10 cathers" since you're excluding negro league and foreign players.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

1. Bench

2. Berra

3. Rodriguez

4. Piazza

5. Campanella

6. Hartnett

7. Fisk

8. Carter

9. Simmons

10. Cochrane

[SouthSideRyan]

I need to hear the arguments for Campanella. Is it defensive related? Is there additional credit for starting late due to his race? The career's just too short for me to have him higher.

[Mephistopheles]

I need to hear the arguments for Campanella. Is it defensive related? Is there additional credit for starting late due to his race? The career's just too short for me to have him higher.

 

You realize he was a star in the Negro Leagues for 10 years before he signed with a Major League team, right?

[OleMissCub]

I need to hear the arguments for Campanella. Is it defensive related? Is there additional credit for starting late due to his race? The career's just too short for me to have him higher.

 

- 3 MVP's, tied with Yoga for most ever for a catcher.

- started late (age 26)

- ended early (paralyzed in car accident at 35)

- from all accounts had a complete cannon behind the plate

[SouthSideRyan]

As I said, it's subject to persuasion. I've had a hard time finding negro league stats online(other than what the BR bullpen has to offer), and really don't have the first clue how to translate them.

 

I'm not too willing to give him any extra credit for extra years at the end considering the decline he seemed to be in. I could see an extra few years worth added on to the beginning of his career moving him up a few spots, but I'm pretty skeptical about his viability in the majors in his teens.

[NCCubFan]

You're a mathematics wiz kid it seems.

No, he's a mephematics whiz. :D