As Major League Baseball appraoches a brand new season, let us break down the best catcher in Major League Baseball History. Yours truly and my humble correspondent, Max O'Neil, take a look at whom we agree is the best catcher in MLB history. We get the pleasure of choosing only one, however. Keep following for more positions and possibly another catcher. However, Max and yours truly agree that Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees is the greatest catcher of all time.

Here is why Berra is the greatest and earns the sopt on this roster. Yogi Berra played in 2,120 games over the course of his 19-year career in the Bronx (Yankees) from 1946-1963 plus four games in Queens (Mets) in 1965. He had a .285 average over the course of his career, compiling 2,150 hits.

More than statistics, Berra was part of some the greatest Yankee teams ever back when New York City was the hub of baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Yankees. Yogi and the Yankees won 13 World Series together.

Lawrence Peter Berra was behind the plate for the 1956 World Series Game 5, which is famous for being Don Larsen’s perfect game.

Berra is also famous outside of baseball for his many quotable Yogisms such as “It’s Déjà vu all over again” or, refrring to a restaurant in St. Louis, “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded," and “Always go to other people’s funerals or they won’t go to yours.”

Lawrence Berra is a member of the MLB All-Century team as well as a three-time MVP winner. Yogi’s iconic Number 8 is retired by the Yankees. In 1972, Yogi was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with Sandy Koufax, who is already a starting pitcher on the VAVEL all-time roster, and Early Wynn. Yogi’s relationship with Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner is a very funny and interesting one as Yogi took over for Billy Martin as Yankees manager in 1984 after one of the many times that former Yankees owner Steinbrenner fired Martin as manager. One of the many mediums in which this scenario is documented in is also one of this humble correspondent’s favorites, the ESPN mini series, “The Bronx is Burning."

Yogi Berra is most definitely the greatest catcher and one of the greatest overal players ever to play the game. In order to agree with this statement, a comparison must be done: Johnny Bench versus Yogi Berra. Bench was arguably the second best catcher. Let us compare and contrast the statistics.

Bench played about 30 more games; however, Berra has more hits, a better career batting average, and more years of hitting .300 at four to just one for Bench. Bench, though, led Berra in walks (891 to 704), strikeouts (1,278 to 414), doubles (381 to 321), and even home runs (389 to 358). Finally, Bench won 10 Golden Glove Awards when Berra won none.

The defining thing, though, that gives Berra the edge for this roster is that Berra is known for his quotes and lines. "Yogisms," as it was referred to, became quite a hit. Some are even widely used today. 

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Missy Metz
Hello, my name is Missy. Hopefully you enjoy reading my articles! You can follow me on twitter or google plus. I am a Tampa native.