Worst All Time Team: Catcher

(2 Pages)
1
2
→

You cannot start a new topic
You cannot reply to this topic

#1 TomRicardo

Vacationland

Group: SoSH Lifetime
Posts: 13,813
Joined: 06-February 06

Posted 26 May 2009 - 02:34 PM

Simple rules. Nominate the worst catcher of all time with 500 PAs or more.

I'll start: Kevin Cash

His career OPS+ of 36 is the envy of the WOAT world.

The godless say to themselves:
'Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.' - Wisdom 2:12

"Back in the day, being offended was a daily occurence in P&G, but no one bitched about it. And if they did, they were hounded mercilessly.
Hell, that's what P&G is for." - Mr. Weebles

http://bookof2010.wordpress.com - Enjoy

#2 TheYellowDart5

SoSH Member

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 5,735
Joined: 16-April 03

Posted 26 May 2009 - 02:55 PM

Chad Moeller should be in the discussion. Career 64 OPS+ in 1,337 AB. An OPS+ of 3 in 2007.

Jeter, anusface
Jeter, Jeter, anusface
Jeter, anusface
—DLew's haiku

"I had a dream last night where one of the ancillary background happenings was that Sam Cassell signed with the Suns and it was announced on Sportscenter. I was disappointed until a pack of dogs came along and entertained me by juggling miniature torches. I know it had to be a dream, because I never watch Sportscenter."
—Tito's Pullover

#3 DaughtersofDougMirabelli

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 1,153
Joined: 17-January 06

Posted 26 May 2009 - 03:02 PM

Orlando Mercado

Career OPS+ 48
Career CS% 22%

Just went from six to midnight.

#4 bsj

Renegade Crazed Genius

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 12,250
Joined: 06-December 03

Posted 26 May 2009 - 03:11 PM

He was a decent defensive catcher, but Choo Choo Coleman merits consideration.

509 career PAs

Career BA: .197
Career OBP: .266
Career SLG: .281
Career OPS+: 53 (Somehow managed one season of 97, along with seasons of -10, 40, and 6)

This post has been edited by bsj: 26 May 2009 - 03:15 PM

<---- My avatar would look much cooler if you had Firefox

#5 MetSox1

Group: Lurker
Posts: 71
Joined: 15-July 07

Posted 26 May 2009 - 03:14 PM

I love adding this one here, because I think he would enjoy it, and I really like the guy...

Bob Euker - Career OPS+ of 62

146 career hits and 167 career strikeouts, didn't hit for power or average.

"People don't know this but I helped the Cardinals win the pennant. I came down with hepatitis. The trainer injected me with it."

"I hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel's suitcase."

#6 Razor Shines

Group: SoSH Lifetime
Posts: 3,340
Joined: 26-June 06

Posted 26 May 2009 - 03:26 PM

Matt Walbeck

over 2,000 PAs, OPS+ of 54, 31% CS.

edit: in theory I think Cash is the correct choice, but I'm voting Walbeck because he was actually allowed to play for so long in the majors, thereby causing more damage.

This post has been edited by Razor Shines: 26 May 2009 - 03:28 PM

The House That Dewey Built: http://www.deweyshouse.com

#7 Cuzittt

Bouncing with Anger

Group: Dope
Posts: 11,699
Joined: 20-November 01

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:01 PM

QUOTE (TomRicardo @ May 26 2009, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Simple rules. Nominate the worst catcher of all time with 500 PAs or more.

Damn arbitrary rules. You did this to avoid nominating Marc Sullivan. Because Sullivan is the obvious answer.

So, I'll nominate Haywood Sullivan who put up 69+ OPS in 7 seasons... and was the father of Marc Sullivan who is the real answer.

"And the pitch that gets thrown is not necessarily the pitch that gets thrown " - paulftodd

#8 SumnerH

Malt Liquor Picker

Group: SoSH Premiere Member
Posts: 2,704
Joined: 18-July 05

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:03 PM

The answer has to be Cash. We in Boston may be a bit blinded because of the career year he put up here, but make no mistake: Cash is not the .225/.309/.338 hitter that we saw. His next best BA is 35 points lower than that and his next best OBP is 50 points lower. To go along with 96 career hits and 38 BB, he has 166 Ks and 22 GIDPs.

The only things really counting against his candidacy are that he's never been caught stealing (in his defense, he's never stolen a base either) and that he did somehow draw an IBB last year.

#9 RingoOSU

okie misanthrope

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 8,616
Joined: 02-June 05

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:06 PM

QUOTE (SumnerH @ May 26 2009, 04:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The only things really counting against his candidacy are that he's never been caught stealing (in his defense, he's never stolen a base either) and that he did somehow draw an IBB last year.

Considering it was future hall of famer Randy Johnson who IBB'ed him, that was probably the highlight of his career.

"Guess what Eric? We aren't really going to rise these players form the dead and play aliens or whatever is in your warped mind." -- Sean Berry

"Well, my idea in 2006 was to trade Big Papi (while his value was high, now its low and sucks) for Ervin Santana. People laughed at that. Who'd be laughing now??" -- Theo Epstein, posting as lurker PedroiaSalsa

"After the next title, I expect the Sox to exhume the Babe's body, staple a Sox cap to his skull, and have his decayed skeleton throw out the first pitch." -- Pandemonium67

Something really funny about Buchholz and Laptops --TomRicardo

#10 E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding

Group: SoSH Lifetime
Posts: 9,678
Joined: 25-April 02

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:18 PM

I'll throw Luke Sewell into the discussion.OPS+ of 70, but what really separates him from the pack are his 150 errors and 91 passed balls in 1,562 games at catcher. From 1927-29 his error totals were 20, 16, 18.

"Occupying space is generally the last skill to deteriorate." -- P'tucket rhymes with ...

#11 GreenMonster49

Group: Lurker
Posts: 95
Joined: 18-July 05

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:20 PM

Bill Bergen and his OPS+ of 21 in 3228 PA make Kevin Cash look like Johnny Bench. His ineptitude at the plate makes even Corky Miller jealous. Bergen's career splits are .170/.194/.201, with his high-water mark of 1903 featuring an OPS+ of 41.

#12 Rice4HOF

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 872
Joined: 21-January 02

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:25 PM

As soon as I saw this thread, I was going to rush in and nominate Marc Sullivan without bothering to look up his stats. He is the very definition of nepotism.
But by cuzittt's reply I assume his managers (Houk? McNamara?) realized this and didn't give him the opportunity to amass too many PAs.

As far as Kevin Cash, has a worse player ever had as many potential memorable moments? He hit a HR (all of about 200 feet) in front of 115,000+ fans (myself inclused) at the coliseum last year, and then hit a HR in his first career postseason at bat. Too bad he had more ABs later on or he'd have been on the alltime shortlist of players with an unbreakable record of a career 5.000 playoff OPS.

Edit: spelling. Hard to type on an iPhone while standing on a train

This post has been edited by Rice4HOF: 26 May 2009 - 04:30 PM

Rice in '09!! 15 years was worth the wait!

#13 RingoOSU

okie misanthrope

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 8,616
Joined: 02-June 05

Posted 26 May 2009 - 04:34 PM

QUOTE (GreenMonster49 @ May 26 2009, 04:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was considering nominating him, but his wikipedia article made him sound like the best defensive catcher of his era... can any experts of that time period confirm?

#14 TomRicardo

Vacationland

Group: SoSH Lifetime
Posts: 13,813
Joined: 06-February 06

Posted 26 May 2009 - 06:45 PM

QUOTE (Cuzittt @ May 26 2009, 05:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He was nominated for Greatest of All Time for his amazing nepotism skillz.

#15 Smead Jolley

Group: NEW Unsubscribed User
Posts: 1,012
Joined: 30-September 08

Posted 26 May 2009 - 09:05 PM

QUOTE (bsj @ May 26 2009, 04:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He was a decent defensive catcher, but Choo Choo Coleman merits consideration.
...

(postgame show)
Ralph Kiner - "What's your wife's name, and what's she like?"
Choo Choo - "Her name is Mrs. Coleman, and she likes me, bub!!"

I'd probably go with Bergen here. I don't care how good his glove was.

Benny Bengough was a pretty tragic hitter (OPS+ of 59), but he got an MVP vote in '25 while hitting .258 with no power, so I'm guessing he was a good defensive catcher.

Under Capitalism, man exploits man.
Under Communism, it's the other way around.

#16 brs3

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 1,656
Joined: 20-May 08

Posted 26 May 2009 - 10:27 PM

Moe Berg

ballplayer, a spy, and the subject of a great quote, "He can speak seven languages but he can't hit in any of them." Played 15 season, 9 of which he put up an OPS+ of less than 50...to the point his career OPS+ was 49! 2 very SSS seasons included a negative OPS+. 1800+ ABs.

This post has been edited by brs3: 27 May 2009 - 03:20 AM

GO RE DS OX

#17 mclusky

Group: SoSH Supporter
Posts: 746
Joined: 19-March 06

Posted 27 May 2009 - 01:16 AM

QUOTE (RingoOSU @ May 26 2009, 05:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was considering nominating him, but his wikipedia article made him sound like the best defensive catcher of his era... can any experts of that time period confirm?

You don't need to be an expert to infer that Bergen had to be a hell of a glove man to play almost 1,000 games with a career .170 batting average. They didn't have VORP in 1901, but they had eyes.

And Luke Sewell -- is there a joke here I can't figure out? He played 1,500 games and got MVP votes in four different seasons.

The answer is probably someone who played during the war, like this guy.

#18 JuniorWells

Group: Lurker
Posts: 78
Joined: 21-July 05

Posted 27 May 2009 - 03:38 AM

now THIS is a great idea for a topic! i was sure that bob montgomery would have a place in the discussion, but damn if he didn't actually have some halfway decent numbers for his career in about 1,100 ab's. can i nominate him for worst color announcer in red sox history? how did ned martin cope.

"No one knows anything." -- William Goldman

"Don't speak!" -- "Bullets Over Broadway"

Apartment404.Blogspot.com -- For some your daily dose of schadenfreude

#19 Lose Remerswaal

Leaves after the 8th inning

Group: SoSH Lifetime
Posts: 12,912
Joined: 15-November 02

Posted 27 May 2009 - 07:26 AM

QUOTE (MetSox1 @ May 26 2009, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love adding this one here, because I think he would enjoy it, and I really like the guy...

Bob Euker - Career OPS+ of 62

Is he any relation to Bob Uecker? As in "I must be in the Front Row"?

I was also going to nominate Marc Sullivan. I'm looking for a worthy name to list

Edit: Mike Ryan, hero (and #1 catcher) of the 1967 Impossible Dream team:

2098 PA, 1920 AB, 28 HR, .532 Career OPS Career OPS+ of 51.

He did throw out 44% of steal attempts, but I think % numbers were higher then

This post has been edited by Lose Remerswaal: 27 May 2009 - 07:34 AM

"Swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions! For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball's World Championship!"Joe Castiglione, 10/27/04 11:40PM EDT

#20 ifmanis5

Group: NEW Unsubscribed User
Posts: 3,459
Joined: 29-September 07

Posted 27 May 2009 - 07:43 AM

Andy Etchebarren. Based on looks alone.

Sons of Sam Horn: Worst All Time Team: Catcher - Sons of Sam Horn