Pittsburgh Pirates Countdown: Top Five Catchers in History

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With a team as storied as the Pittsburgh Pirates, there have been quite a few excellent players to walk through the clubhouse. Beginning back in 1882 as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association, the Pirates migrated over to the National League in 1887, where they have been ever since.

Including those years as the Alleghenys and that time in the American Association, the Pirates are about to enter their 133rd season in franchise history. There have been quite a few highs, particularly in the 1970’s as the Pirates made the playoffs six times that decade, winning two World Series titles. There was the heartbreak of watching Sid Bream‘s slow run around the basepaths, sliding in safe to send the Braves to the Series. Then there were the low points of the early 1950’s and the decade of the 2000’s, as the Pittsburgh Pirates were an afterthought.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates in the midst of a resurgence, and with a bright future ahead of them, it is time to look back at some of the players that have made an impact on the Pirates throughout their history. As part of a weekly countdown, we will be taking a look back at the top Pirates players at each position, starting today with catcher. With those 133 years, there will be quite a few candidates to choose from around the diamond, so our list may not be the same as yours. However, that is the joy of lists and rankings such as these – the debate and discussion they generate.

So, here are my top five catchers in Pittsburgh Pirates history. If there is someone you feel should be on the list, let us know in the comments!

Next: Spanky proves his value

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5. Mike LaValliere (1987-1993)

If one was to base this list strictly on career Wins Above Replacement, Mike LaValliere would not have made the list. He actually places seventh all time on the Pittsburgh Pirates career catching WAR list with a 12.7, between George Gibson and 19th century backstop Doggie Miller. That number seems oddly low, given his actual value for the Pirates.

LaValliere’s contributions to the success of the early 1990’s are not easily quantified statistically. Offensively, he was decent, producing a .278/.363/.351 batting line, hitting 13 home runs while drawing 243 walks against 158 strikeouts. In fact, in his career, LaValliere never struck out more than 37 times in a season.

Where Mike LaValliere truly shined was behind the plate. He won a Gold Glove in 1987, leading the National League with a 45.2% caught stealing rate and 15 total zone runs saved. He even shined in the more traditional statistics, ranking second in fielding percentage and fourth in double plays as a catcher.

That defensive prowess continued throughout his tenure with the Pirates. During his seven years in Pittsburgh, Fangraphs considers him to be the third best defensive catcher in Pirates history with a 23.0 dWAR. Truly, Mike LaValliere was a defensive asset, and managed to be a solid performer at the plate. Regardless  of his overall WAR rankings, LaValliere deserves a spot on this list.

Next: The Greatest Pinch Hitter of All Time

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3. Fred Carroll (1885-1889, 1891)

Fred Carroll is a player that most fans, even the true hardcore, die-hard fans, may not know about, despite playing almost his entire career in Pittsburgh. In fact, Carroll played in three different leagues in Pittsburgh, leaving the Pirates in 1890 to join the Pittsburgh Burghers of the Player’s League before returning to the Pirates for one last year.

Carroll was, for his time, quite the offensive threat. In his six years for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he produced a .281/.365/.406 batting line, hitting 19 home runs and stealing 102 bases. He led the National League in 1889 with a .486 on base percentage and a .970 OPS. Carroll was not just an excellent hitter as a catcher in his era – he was considered one of the better offensive players in his day, regardless of position as he routinely placed in the top five in almost every batting category.

Yet, for as good as Fred Carroll was offensively, his defense puts him down this list. While Carroll actually led the National League with a .944 fielding percentage in his rookie year, and twice finished in the top five in the category for the Pirates, he had quite the difficult time corralling pitches. In fact, Carroll allowed 95 passed balls in 1886 (amazingly, that was second, as Chris Fulmer had 113 for the Baltimore Orioles).

One of the original ‘offense first’ catchers, Carroll still places in the top five all time in Wins Above Replacement for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His offensive standing was enough to put him in the top three in the countdown.

Next: The man behind the glove

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2. Manny Sanguillen (1967,1969-1976,1978-1981)

Back in the heyday of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970’s, Manny Sanguillen was the man behind the dish most nights. A three time All-Star, Sanguillen had a solid bat and an excellent glove, helping to keep the Pirates among the elite of the national League for the better part of the decade.

At the plate, Sanguillen produced solid numbers throughout most of the decade, excluding the 1977 season he spent with the Oakland A’s. With the Pirates, San guillen had a career .299/.329/.403 batting line with 59 home runs. While not a power threat, Sanguillen still had excellent bat control, and a solid ability to put the ball in play.

Defensively, Manny Sanguillen was special. He routinely ranked among the top catchers in the National League during the 1970’s, and likely deserved to win at least one Gold Glove during his career. His throwing arm, which helped him to a 39% caught stealing rate during his career, was strong enough where Sanguillen was one of the players the Pittsburgh Pirates used to replace Roberto Clemente in right during the 1973 season.

Sanguillen may have been the best overall catcher that the Pirates have had, in terms of his all around play, but he just missed the top spot on this list.

Next: The lone bright spot in the dark days

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1. Jason Kendall (1996-2004)

During the dark days, when the Pittsburgh Pirates were seemingly stuck in an endless cycle of rebuilding years and hoping that their prospects would pan out, Jason Kendall was a true force offensively. He was a rarity when he first came to the majors – a catcher with legitimate speed who had a bit of pop. That is, before his truly horrific ankle injury that he suffered in 1999.

Even after that injury, Kendall had a few more seasons with double digit home runs and stolen bases, but he was about done as a power threat after the 2001 season. Yet, despite that, Kendall posted a .306/.387/.418 batting line for the Pirates, hitting 67 of his 75 career home runs and stealing 140 bases.

Defensively, Kendall was not exactly great. While he was typically among the league leaders in putouts and assists, the opposition also ran on Kendall with impunity. While he may have led the National League in runners thrown out three times with the Pirates, base stealers also constantly tested his arm, even stealing 136 bases against him in 1996.

Jason Kendall may be a case of what could have been if he had not gotten injured. While he still carved out a solid career, and is the career leader in Wins Above Replacement at catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his career may have been even better if not for that injury. Despite that, he was still good enough to be considered the best catcher in Pirates history.