Mike Augello and I will put these lists together and then come up with a master list for each position. I added Josh Gibson so he wouldn’t be outdone. Do you see what you are thinking? I know we all have opinions on this.
1. Johnny’s bench – This double MVP and 14 times star set the standard for the job. Scouts were always looking for the next bench to be their safety net. The former Cincinnati Reds wide receiver was a run producer and his 148 RBI year was incredible and still the MLB record for wide receivers in one season.
2. Roy Campanella – My parents told me how good he was as a receiver for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His ten seasons in the big leagues happened for two reasons. The first was his black league seasons and the second was a car accident that left him in a wheelchair. Superb hitter and defensively too. His 41 homerun season was a record until Mets’ Todd Hundley defeated him in 1996.
3. Josh Gibson – My frame of reference is to ask a few Negro League players about it and get their honest feedback. He never played in major league baseball. His power was legitimate. The stats in the Black Leagues weren’t entirely accurate, so be aware of that too. Bill James said he was good defensively and compared to Bench and Fisk for example. His 238 homers were the most important in the black leagues. He hit over 800, but many of those games were in question when it comes to talent level.
4. Gary Carter – “The Kid” was the catalyst for the New York Mets in 1986 and was a star with the Montreal Expos before. He is seventh all-time in receiver homers and was also a strong defensive receiver.
5. Mike Piazza – The best strike catcher ever. His 396 home runs as a receiver are the highlight and clutch shots set him apart, along with his 0.308 lifetime batting average with the Mets and Dodgers.
6. Buck Ewing – He was formidable defensively leading the NL in assists by a receiver on three occasions. During the Deadball era, he led all receivers in home runs with 10s in 1883. He was nine times in the top 10 in slugging percentage. Identified with the New York Giants.
MLB: Buck Showalter Won’t Revolutionize The Mets
7. Brian McCann – He was known for his time with the Atlanta Braves. His power was really good, ranking him 8e all the time at the post. McCann threw runners on a good clip, but he made his fair share of mistakes.
8. Buster Posey – With the San Francisco Giants, he won an MVP with a .302 lifetime batting average. He lost time due to an injury but ended his career strong. He was only the fourth receiver to win a batting title in 2012 with a 0.336 batting average. He also rejected a lot of runners.
9. Gabby Hartnett – He was an excellent defensive receiver with a strong arm. Hartnett was the standard for receivers in his day. He was the first wide receiver to hit 20 home runs for the Cubs.
10. Ted Simmons – Known for being with the Cardinals and Brewers, “Simba” had records with 2,472 hits and 483 doubles, both beaten by I-Rod. He had 122 shutouts in his career.
Comments are closed.