Benito Santiago Rivera,is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2005,most prominently as a member of the San Diego Padres,with whom he was a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner as well as a three-time Gold Glove Award winner. The five-time All-Star was considered the premier catcher in the National League (NL) during his tenure with the Padres. In 2015,Santiago was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame.
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett,also nicknamed "Old Tomato Face",was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs,from 1922 to 1940. He spent the final season of his career as a player-coach with the New York Giants in 1941. After his playing career,Hartnett continued his involvement in baseball as a coach and as a minor league manager.
Luis Ernesto Salazar Garcia is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player,coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball from 1980 to 1992 as a third baseman and outfielder for the San Diego Padres,Chicago White Sox (1985–86),Detroit Tigers (1988),and the Chicago Cubs (1989–92).
Henry Ramón Blanco is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach and former player. He is currently the catching and strategy coach for the Washington Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2013,appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Colorado Rockies,Milwaukee Brewers,Atlanta Braves,Minnesota Twins,Chicago Cubs,San Diego Padres,New York Mets,Arizona Diamondbacks,Toronto Blue Jays,and Seattle Mariners. He later served as quality assurance coach for the Cubs. Although a light-hitting player,he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in Major League Baseball.
Eduardo Rafael Pérez is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball catcher. Since 2007,he has served as a coach for the Atlanta Braves. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Braves,Cleveland Indians,and Milwaukee Brewers. During his tenure with the Braves,Pérez was notable for being the personal catcher for Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux and for being named the Most Valuable Player of the 1999 National League Championship Series.
Paul Rapier Richards was an American professional baseball player,manager,scout and executive in Major League Baseball. During his playing career,he was a catcher and right-handed batter with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1932),New York Giants (1933–1935),Philadelphia Athletics (1935) and Detroit Tigers (1943–1946). After retiring,he became the manager of the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles (1955–1961). He also served as the general manager for the Orioles,the Houston Colt .45s / Astros and the Atlanta Braves.
Robert Earl Brenly is an American baseball sportscaster and a former professional baseball player,coach and manager. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants. After retiring as a player,Brenly worked as a broadcaster with the Chicago Cubs,then as a coach with the Giants,then as a broadcaster for Fox. He was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2001 season,and won the franchise's only championship his first year,becoming the fourth rookie manager to win a World Series and first since 1961. In 2004,Brenly was released by the Diamondbacks and again became a broadcaster with the Cubs until 2012. He now serves as a color commentator for Diamondbacks broadcasts.
Johnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player,coach,and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles,Atlanta Braves,Philadelphia Phillies,Los Angeles Dodgers,and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981. During his playing career,Oates was a light-hitting player who was valued for his defensive skills and played most of his career as a reserve player. It was as a big league manager that Oates experienced his greatest success,when,under his leadership,the Texas Rangers won three American League Western Division titles.
Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is a Jamaican-American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and designated hitter from 1981 to 1999 for the San Francisco Giants (1981–1987),California Angels,Minnesota Twins (1991–1992),Kansas City Royals (1997) and New York Yankees (1998–1999). His first MLB coaching position after his playing career was with the Oakland Athletics from 2012 to 2014. He also coached for the Boston Red Sox,Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets. Davis was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He is the first ballplayer born in Jamaica to appear in an MLB game.
Bruce Edwin Benedict is an American former professional baseball player,coach and scout. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1989.
Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty,nicknamed "Beeg Boy",is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1963 to 1979,most prominently as a member of the Atlanta Braves where he helped the franchise win its first National League Western Division title in 1969. Carty had a career batting average of .299 and,was the 1970 National League (NL) batting champion with a .366 batting average. He earned his starting role in the 1970 All-Star Game as a write-in candidate.
Cecil Randolph Hundley Jr. is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants,Chicago Cubs,Minnesota Twins,and the San Diego Padres. Hundley played the majority of his career with the Cubs and was considered their leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite being a light-hitter,Hundley was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era,and the best Cubs catcher since Gabby Hartnett in 1940.
Virgil Lawrence "Spud" Davis was an American professional baseball player,coach,scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals,Philadelphia Phillies,Cincinnati Reds,and Pittsburgh Pirates. Davis' .308 career batting average ranks fourth all-time among major league catchers.
Delbert Rice Jr. was an American professional baseball player,coach and manager. He played for 17 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1961,most notably for the St. Louis Cardinals. Although Rice was a relatively weak hitter,he sustained a lengthy career in the major leagues due to his valuable defensive abilities.
William Lavier Killefer,nicknamed "Reindeer Bill" was an American professional baseball player,coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns,Philadelphia Phillies,and Chicago Cubs. Killefer,who was nicknamed "Reindeer Bill" due to his speed afoot,is notable for being the favorite catcher of Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander and,for being one of the top defensive catchers of his era. After his playing career,he continued to work as a coach and a manager for a Major League Baseball career that spanned a total of 48 years.
James Wren "Zack" Taylor was an American professional baseball player,coach,scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Brooklyn Robins,Boston Braves,New York Giants,Chicago Cubs,New York Yankees,and again with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although Taylor was not a powerful hitter,he sustained a lengthy career in the major leagues due to his valuable defensive abilities as a catcher. After his playing career,he became better known as the manager for the St. Louis Browns owned by Bill Veeck. His baseball career spanned 58 years.
Damon Scott Berryhill is an American former professional baseball catcher and former manager of the AAA Gwinnett Stripers. He played ten seasons for the Chicago Cubs,the Atlanta Braves,the Boston Red Sox,the Cincinnati Reds,and the San Francisco Giants of the Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 1997. He threw right and was a switch hitter.
Robert Arthur O'Farrell was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for 21 seasons with the Chicago Cubs,St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. O'Farrell also played for the Cincinnati Reds,albeit briefly. He was considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of his generation.
James Kenneth O'Dea was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1935–38),New York Giants (1939–41),St. Louis Cardinals (1942–46),and Boston Braves (1946).
Timothy P. Blackwell is an American former professional baseball player,coach,and minor league manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1983 for the Boston Red Sox,Philadelphia Phillies,Chicago Cubs,and Montreal Expos. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. Blackwell was known as a light-hitting,defensive specialist with good pitch-calling skills and possessed a strong,accurate throwing arm.
