Sustaining a long career: despite weak hitting abilities, some catchers make an impact in the major leagues strictly on their defensive expertise

Baseball Digest, Nov, 2002 by Al Doyle

IN A TIME WHEN EVEN middle infielders are expected to hit for power and average, is there any way for a player of modest offensive skills to have a lenghty big league career?

Just look behind the plate to find the answer. Catchers who work well with pitching staffs and play solid defense often spend a decade or more in the majors regardless of their batting average.

This is hardly a new trend, as the story of Bill Bergen demonstrates the value of a skilled receiver.

Despite an all-time low .170 career batting average, Bergen was a regular or platoon catcher for the Reds and Dodgers from 1901 to 1911. He accumulated 3,028 at-bats while having just one season above .200.

Bergen slammed just two home runs during his dead-ball career, and he failed to hit above .175 from 1906 to 1911.

A .212 lifetime average wasn't enough to keep Billy Sullivan from catching in the majors for 14 seasons. Fellow dead-ball receiver Lou Criger regularly caught Cy Young despite a .221 career mark, and it wasn't uncommon for other regular catchers to hit under .200 over the course of a season.

When stolen bases and bunt singles were an important part of offensive strategy, a catcher's defensive skills were more important than his bat. After the introduction of the live ball in 1920, the good-field, weak-hitting catcher was far less common.

The breed made something of a comeback from 1942 to 1945, when hundreds of major leaguers were drafted into the U.S. armed forces. With the reduction in offense and a general shortage of talent, weak-hitting catchers who could handle pitchers and play defense were able to find work with a number of teams.

Those who demand proof that a catcher's offensive statistics can play a secondary role to what he does behind the plate should examine Jim Hegan's career.

No one else with a .228 lifetime average has been named to five All-Star teams, and this took place in a time before expansion. Yogi Berra and Roy Campanella may have been the hardest-hitting backstops of the late '40s and early '50s, but Hegan was tops defensively when it came time to don shin guards and a chest protector.

As the Indians starting catcher for a decade, Hegan played a vital role on two of the franchise's three pennant winners in its first 90 years of existence--and it wasn't a matter of luck or coincidence.

Just ask Hall of Famer Bob Feller about Hegan's importance to the Cleveland pennant winners, and he'll repeatedly compliment his old catcher and proclaim that Hegan was one of the Tribe's most valuable starters. That's high praise for a man who never hit above .249 over a full season.

Hegan was one of those rare players who picked up rave reviews for his glove from teammates and opponents alike. Bill Dickey was quoted as saying, "When you can catch like Hegan, you don't have to hit."

With his knowledge of catching, Hegan never lacked for a job as a major league coach after he retired as a player. When the best defensive catchers of all time are the topic of conversation, Hegan is still one of the most popular choices more than 40 years after his final game.

Wes Westrum was another postwar catcher who played regularly for contending teams. He spent a decade (1947-57) with the New York Giants, despite a .217 lifetime average.

In addition to his glove and pitch-calling skills, Westrum also hit for power, with two 20-home run seasons to his credit. Although his batting average was near the bottom of the league, Westrum was a patient hitter who had nearly as many career walks (489) as hits (503).

Bob "Buck" Rodgers wasn't a big run producer, but he was usually behind the plate for the Los Angeles/California Angels from 1962 to 1969.

From 1965 to 1967, Rodgers appeared in more than 130 games each season (a huge total for a catcher) while batting .209, .236 and .219. He later managed the Brewers, Expos and Angels.

The need for quick catchers with good arms grew as base stealing made a comeback in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

While weak bats may have prevented some defensive aces from starting roles, they often enjoyed long careers as backup or platoon catchers.

Mike Ryan's batting average never strayed very far above the .200 level in his decade-long time in the majors. His .193 lifetime mark is one of the lowest in baseball history.

Despite that, Ryan played for the Red Sox, Phillies and Pirates from 1964 to 1974. Like many other catchers, he remained in uniform as a coach after his career ended.

Phil Roof played for eight teams from 1961 to 1977. His .215 lifetime average wasn't high enough for a starting job, but Roof's career was far longer than average.

Marlins manager Jeff Torborg caught no-hitters for Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. The beating his hands took from those fireballers may have contributed to Torborg's .214 career average.

Bob Uecker has relied on his unique sense of humor to sustain a 32-year career as a baseball announcer and TV personality.

Often the butt of his own jokes, one of Uecker's favorite topics is his .200 lifetime average as a catcher with the Braves, Cardinals and Phillies. What Uecker leaves out in his stories are the defensive skills that allowed him to play in the majors.