John Lee Bench is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career,which lasted from 1967 through 1983,with the Cincinnati Reds,primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of the Reds team known as the Big Red Machine that dominated the National League in the mid-1970s,winning six division titles,four National League pennants and two World Series championships.
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.
Gary Edmund Carter was an American professional baseball catcher whose 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Nicknamed "the Kid" for his youthful exuberance,Carter was named an All-Star 11 times,and was a member of the 1986 World Series Champion Mets.
Baudilio JoséDíaz Seijas was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1977 to 1989,most prominently with the Cleveland Indians where he rose to prominence as an American League (AL) All-Star player in 1981 and,later with the Philadelphia Phillies where he was a member of the 1983 National League pennant winning team. He earned his second All-Star game berth with the Cincinnati Reds in 1987. Diaz began his career with the Boston Red Sox. He was the first Venezuelan to play regularly as a catcher in Major League Baseball. In 2006,Díaz was posthumously inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.
Joseph Paul Torre is an American professional baseball executive,serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief baseball officer from 2011 to 2020. A former player,manager and television color commentator,Torre ranks fifth all-time in MLB history with 2,326 wins as a manager. With 2,342 hits during his playing career,Torre is the only major leaguer to achieve both 2,000 hits as a player and 2,000 wins as a manager. From 1996 to 2007,he was the manager of the New York Yankees and guided the team to six American League (AL) pennants and four World Series championships.
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.
Gerald Wayne Grote is an American former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets,catching every inning of the franchise's first two World Series appearances,and would appear in two more World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a two-time All-Star for the National League and is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.
John Junior Roseboro was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 until 1970,most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. A four-time All-Star player,Roseboro is considered one of the best defensive catchers of the 1960s,winning two Gold Glove Awards. He was the Dodgers' starting catcher in four World Series with the Dodgers winning three of those.
Charles Edward Johnson Jr. is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins,the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998),the Baltimore Orioles (1999–2000),the Chicago White Sox (2000),the Colorado Rockies (2003–2004),and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005).
Darrin Glen Fletcher is an American former professional baseball catcher and sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1989 to 2002 for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Philadelphia Phillies,Montreal Expos,and Toronto Blue Jays.
Gabor Paul Bako II is an American former professional baseball catcher. He is an example of a baseball "journeyman",having played for 11 different teams during his 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career. During his playing days,he was listed at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg).
Richard Allen Dietz was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1966 to 1973,most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Giants where he was an All-Star player and was a member of the team that won the 1971 National League Western Division title. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. After his playing career,Dietz worked as a minor league manager in the Giants organization.
August Rodney Mancuso,nicknamed "Blackie",was an American professional baseball player,coach,scout and radio sports commentator. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals,New York Giants,Chicago Cubs (1939),Brooklyn Dodgers (1940) and Philadelphia Phillies (1945).
Wesley Noreen Westrum was an American professional baseball player,coach,manager,and scout. He played for 11 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants from 1947 to 1957 and was known as a superb defensive catcher. He served as the second manager in the history of the New York Mets,replacing Casey Stengel in 1965 after the latter fractured his hip and was forced to retire.
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.
Luis Bienvenido Pujols Toribio is a Dominican former professional baseball player coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1977 to 1985,most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he helped the franchise win its first-ever National League Western Division title and postseason berth in 1980. He also played for the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers. Although Pujols didn't produce impressive offensive statistics,he excelled defensively which enabled him to sustain a nine-year career as a back-up catcher.
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.
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.
The Whiz Kids is the nickname of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. The team had a number of young players:the average age of a member of the Whiz Kids was 26.4. The team won the 1950 National League pennant but failed to win the World Series.
