Catcher is Baseball's Most Endangered Position

[traderumor]

I guess most of it is too much throwing against your body from 2nd, SS, 3B positions, it is puzzling that a lefty catcher has never emerged over the years.

[Boston Red]

Agree. I guess it would make the throw to third more difficult for a catcher, so perhaps you'd be worried about guys swiping third on you more often. But you might even make up for that on pickoffs at first.

[westofyou]

Agree. I guess it would make the throw to third more difficult for a catcher, so perhaps you'd be worried about guys swiping third on you more often. But you might even make up for that on pickoffs at first.

Most hitters have been traditionally RH thus making all throws a tad difficult. The greatest number of games played by LHs at those positions occurred in the no glove era. The Reds all time leader in games played at third was a LH (Hick Carpenter) I'm fairly certain the last time a LH played 2b for the Reds that it was Hal Chase who was the premier fielding 1b of his era.

[Big Klu]

The last left-handed catcher in MLB was Benny Distefano, a 1B/OF for the Pirates who caught three games in 1989. (August 18, 1989 was the date of his last appearance behind the plate.)

I once read an article about him in the New York Times, and he said that the toughest play for a left-handed catcher to make (and the only one with which he felt he had a real disadvantage) was the tag at the plate.

[westofyou]

The last left-handed catcher in MLB was Benny Distefano, a 1B/OF for the Pirates who caught three games in 1989. (August 18, 1989 was the date of his last appearance behind the plate.)

He said that the toughest play for a left-handed catcher to make (and the only one with which he felt he had a real disadvantage) was the tag at the plate.

Branch Rickey toyed with making Dale Long a LH catcher with the Pirates in the 50's after he retired that story became a common tale he told whenever he was interviewed

[Big Klu]

Most hitters have been traditionally RH thus making all throws a tad difficult. The greatest number of games played by LHs at those positions occurred in the no glove era. The Reds all time leader in games played at third was a LH (Hick Carpenter) I'm fairly certain the last time a LH played 2b for the Reds that it was Hal Chase who was the premier fielding 1b of his era.

George Crowe played 2B for one batter in a game at Wrigley Field vs. the Cubs on June 14, 1958. Crowe and Johnny Temple switched positions with one on and nobody out in the second inning after Bobby Thomson led off with a single. Cubs pitcher John Briggs was the next batter, and the Reds wanted Temple charging the bunt. It worked, as Briggs popped up the bunt attempt into a 3-4 double play. Temple and Crowe switched back to their regular positions for the next batter.

[westofyou]

George Crowe played 2B for one batter in a game at Wrigley Field vs. the Cubs on June 14, 1958. Crowe and Johnny Temple switched positions with one on and nobody out in the second inning after Bobby Thomson led off with a single. Cubs pitcher John Briggs was the next batter, and the Reds wanted Temple charging the bunt. It worked, as Briggs popped up the bunt attempt into a 3-4 double play. Temple and Crowe switched back to their regular positions for the next batter.

Good stuff

CINCINNATI REDS
CAREER
2B
LEFT HANDED THROWERS

GAMES                                G   
1    Hal Chase                      16   
T2   George Crowe                    1   
T2   Edd Roush                       1 

CINCINNATI REDS
CAREER
SS
LEFT HANDED THROWERS

GAMES                                G   
1    Lefty Marr                      3   
2    Jimmy Macullar                  1   


CINCINNATI REDS
CAREER
3B
LEFT HANDED THROWERS

GAMES                                G   
1    Hick Carpenter                890   
2    Lefty Marr                     63   
3    Cy Seymour                      1

No catcher

MLB Catcher

alltime

CAREER
C
LEFT HANDED THROWERS

GAMES                                G   
1    Jack Clements                1073   Keystones/Phillies/Cardinals/Spiders/Braves
2    Sam Trott                     272   Braves/Wolverines/Orioles
3    Pop Tate                      202   Braves/Orioles
4    Sy Sutcliffe                  186   Cubs/Maroons/Wolverines/Spiders/Infants/Senators
5    Bill Harbidge                 128   Dark Blues/Cubs/Trojans/Phillies
6    Mike Hines                     99   Braves/Dodgers/Grays/Braves
7    John Humphries                 75   Giants/Expos/Giants
8    Fred Tenney                    71   Braves
9    Art Twineham                   52   Cardinals
10   Phil Baker                     50   Orioles/Expos/Statesmen
11   Jiggs Donahue                  45   Pirates/Brewers/Browns
12   Dave Oldfield                  35   Orioles/Dodgers/Statesmen
13   Charlie Householder            34   Orioles/Dodgers
14   Fergy Malone                   21   Athletics/Keystones
15   Jack McMahon                   16   Giants
16   Charlie Krehmeyer              12   Cardinals/Colonels/Maroons
17   Joe Wall                        7   Giants/Dodgers
18   Elmer Foster                    5   Athletics/Keystones
T19  Benny Distefano                 3   Pirates
T19  Homer Hillebrand                3   Pirates
T21  Jim Egan                        2   Trojans
T21  Dale Long                       2   Cubs
T21  Mike Squires                    2   White Sox
T24  John Cassidy                    1   Cubs
T24  Charlie Eden                    1   Blues
T24  Lefty Marr                      1   Buckeyes
T24  John Mullen                     1   Athletics
T24  Martin Powell                   1   Wolverines
T24  Billy Redmond                   1   Cream Citys
T24  Mule Shirley                    1   Senators
T24  Chris Short                     1   Phillies
T24  Chick Shorten                   1   Tigers
T24  Joe Wright                      1   Colonels

Since 1901

CAREER
C
LEFT HANDED THROWERS

GAMES                                G   
1    Jiggs Donahue                  45   Pirates/Brewers/Browns
2    Jack Clements                  10   Braves
3    Joe Wall                        7   Giants/Dodgers
T4   Benny Distefano                 3   Pirates
T4   Homer Hillebrand                3   Pirates
T6   Dale Long                       2   Cubs
T6   Mike Squires                    2   White Sox
T6   Fred Tenney                     2   Braves
T9   Mule Shirley                    1   Senators
T9   Chris Short                     1   Phillies
T9   Chick Shorten                   1   Tigers

Jack Clements

[Boston Red]

Don Mattingly started two games at third in 1986 for the Yankees. Not sure what that was all about, but it's interesting!

And he made this unusual play that a righty probably could not have made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpgtX95o0ZU

Answering my own question, apparently Mike Pagliarulo was hurt, and Sweet Lou had no one else to turn to at the position.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/08/ant...third-base-mlb

[traderumor]

The last left-handed catcher in MLB was Benny Distefano, a 1B/OF for the Pirates who caught three games in 1989. (August 18, 1989 was the date of his last appearance behind the plate.)

I once read an article about him in the New York Times, and he said that the toughest play for a left-handed catcher to make (and the only one with which he felt he had a real disadvantage) was the tag at the plate.

Ah, I know that name. He played on the Brooklyn Babe Ruth World Series team in one of, maybe even the first series that was held in my hometown. Our Babe Ruth program hosted several of those, I think it was the 13-15 age group, and my boss, who was the Little League park director and supervisor of umpires, was his host family. So, when he made the majors, he got some VIP treatment from Benny. Of course, he had a very insignificant career, but interesting bit of trivia there. Thanks for sharing.

[traderumor]

Oh, and hello to some of you old timers. I have not been hanging out around here much. Good to see some familiar faces, hope you are all doing well.

[westofyou]

Don Mattingly started two games at third in 1986 for the Yankees. Not sure what that was all about, but it's interesting!

And he made this unusual play that a righty probably could not have made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpgtX95o0ZU

Answering my own question, apparently Mike Pagliarulo was hurt, and Sweet Lou had no one else to turn to at the position.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/08/ant...third-base-mlb

Exactly

Mike Pagliarulo had a hamstring injury and the backup was SS Wayne Tollenson, who they had picked up in July. The Yankees had 7 SS that year and could not find a suitable replacement for Tollenson while Pags was on the bench. They were playing the Mariners and were 5 games behind Boston (the closest they had been in 6 weeks so Pinella put him there in a double switch in a 13-12 win and then started him there the next two games for offense (moving Tolleson back to SS) they lost 1-0 and 6-2 and he never played it again

[KeefeCato]

Don't forget Alan Knicely,Alex Trevino,Brook Fordyce and Guillermo Garcia.
I watched the Yankees first game after Munsons death on youtube the other day. I had no idea Brad Gullden caught the first game after Munson.

[Big Klu]

Don't forget Alan Knicely,Alex Trevino,Brook Fordyce and Guillermo Garcia.
I watched the Yankees first game after Munsons death on youtube the other day. I had no idea Brad Gullden caught the first game after Munson.

Wow. I had always been under the impression that it was Rick Cerone.

Edit: Cerone became the Yankees' starting catcher the next season, in 1980. He was actually with the Blue Jays in 1979.

[Big Klu]

Ah, I know that name. He played on the Brooklyn Babe Ruth World Series team in one of, maybe even the first series that was held in my hometown. Our Babe Ruth program hosted several of those, I think it was the 13-15 age group, and my boss, who was the Little League park director and supervisor of umpires, was his host family. So, when he made the majors, he got some VIP treatment from Benny. Of course, he had a very insignificant career, but interesting bit of trivia there. Thanks for sharing.

Was that the Babe Ruth World Series tournament that used to be played in Newark?

[Ron Gant]

Good lord, some of you guys are old lol.