Greatest Offensive Catchers

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Ok, name your top 10 greatest hitting (offensive) catchers ever. You can count base running and base stealing is you wish as well.

[KCGHOST]

1. Mike Piazza
2 Bill Dickey
3 Yogi Berra
4 Buck Ewing
5 Mickey Cochrane
6 Gabby Hartnett
7 Johnny Bench
8 Carlton Fisk
9 Jorge Posada
10 Ted Simmons

[Myankee4life]

Piazza
Bench
Berra
Dickey
Posada
I-Rod
Carter
Campanella
J.Gibson
Fisk

That's 10 off the top of my head. It's in no order though.

[Baseball Guru]

Mike Piazza
Bill Dickey
Yogi Berra
Mickey Cochrane
Josh Gibson
Buck Ewing
Gabby Hartnett
Carlton Fisk
Johnny Bench
Roy Campanella

[leecemark]

1) Piazza
2) Bench
3) Berra
4) Cochrane
5) Ewing
6) Lombardi
7) Tenace
8) Hartnett
9) Carter
10) Dickey

[soberdennis]

In order
Bench
Gibson
Piazza
Berra
Cochrane
Fisk
Dickey
Hartnett
Campanella
Rodriguez

[The Dude]

No Order, First 10 I could think of:
-Mike Piazza
-Yogi Berra
-Johnny Bench
-Ted Simmons
-Mickey Cochrane
-Gene Tenace
-Roy Campanella
-Ivan Rodriguez
-Gary Carter
-Ernie Lombardi

[willshad]

1. Piazza
2. Berra
3. Dickey
4. Bench
5. Simmons
6. Campanella
7. Torre
8. Pudge
9. Cocharine
10. Fisk

Id love to see the justification for the guy who put Bench over Piazza. The guy has a .960 OPS on the road for his CAREER. How many catchers have done that for even one season? Benchs' single season best is .932.

[CTaka]

1. Piazza
2. Tenace
3. Cochrane
4. Lombardi
5. Campanella
6. Bench
7. Dickey
8. Hartnett
9. Berra
10. Bresnahan

I'd guess that Gibson would probably be either 1 or 2, but I don't know how to rank him. Besides, if I put Gibson in there, then I'd have to drop Bresnahan :twocents:

[yanks0714]

1) Mike Piazza > Good enough to make him a HOF first ballot.
2) Yogi Berra > The 1950's weren't Mickey's team, they were Yogi's team.
3) Mickey Cochrane > Overlooked as a hitter because he didn't have great power.
4) Ernie Lombardi > If he'd had just average speed...
5) Johnny Bench > Best all around catcher ever in MLB.
6) Gabby Hartnett > Seldom mentioned when talking the great catchers.
7) Roy Campanella > Alternated good/bad years. When he was good, he was very good.
8) Ted Simmons > Would get more respect but was overshadowed by Bench.
9) Bill Freehan > Considering the era he played vastly underrated.
10) Bill Dickey > This low because he was essentially platooned and was a 'Home Hitter' but a darn good one.

If I could be sure of it, Josh Gibson could be #1 or #2,

Joe Torre spent too many years playing 1B or 3B to be rated strictly as a catcher.

Pudge Rodriguez is/was a greatoffensive player. But I strongly suspect Pudge of the dreaded 'S' word.

Buck Ewing was proably a tremendous hitter but his time at cather, like Torre, is too limited to rank him fairly.

I may very well be remiss in not including Gary Carter/Carlton Fisk in this list, especially Carter.

Gene Tenace. Well, he may well belong up there in the top 10 considering his OBP. I just can't bring myself to do so though.

[John Shoemaker]

1. Mike Piazza
2. Johnny Bench
3. Carlton Fisk
4. Yogi Berra
5. Gary Cater
6. Lance Parrish
7. Bill Dickey
8. Mickey Cochrane
9. Roy Campanella
10. Ivan Rodriguez

Actually the best hitting catcher I ever saw was Jimmie Foxx but he only caught 108 games before moving to first base.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

1. Mike Piazza
2. Johnny Bench
3. Carlton Fisk
4. Yogi Berra
5. Gary Cater
6. Lance Parrish
7. Bill Dickey
8. Mickey Cochrane
9. Roy Campanella
10. Ivan Rodriguez

Actually the best hitting catcher I ever saw was Jimmie Foxx but he only caught 108 games before moving to first base.

You actually saw Jimmie Foxx play in person?!!

[Chadwick]

1. Josh Gibson
2. Mike Piazza
3. Yogi Berra
4. Mickey Cochrane
5. Johnny Bench
6. Bill Dickey
7. Buck Ewing
8. Gary Carter
9. Gabby Hartnett
10. Ernie Lombardi

[John Shoemaker]

You actually saw Jimmie Foxx play in person?!!

Yes in the mid and late 20's and the early 30's.

[leecemark]

--You saw him play 80 years ago! You must have the biggest longevity advantage of any Fever member:applaud:.