That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

5 most legendary Phillies catchers of all time

By Gabrielle Starr

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 1: Mike Lieberthal #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks during a baseball game against the San Diego padres on May 1, 1999 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 1: Mike Lieberthal #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks during a baseball game against the San Diego padres on May 1, 1999 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Phillies Bob Boone
PHILADELPHIA, PA – CIRCA 1977: Catcher Bob Boone #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Boone played for the Phillies from 1972-81. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

3. Bob Boone, Phillies 1972-1981

Bob Boone was the man behind the plate for the Phillies’ first championship in franchise history.

With the Phillies, Boone finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1973, was a three-time All-Star, and won back-to-back Gold Gloves in 1978-79. He’d go on to win five more Gold Gloves with the California Angels, after the Phillies were crazy enough to trade him.

The reason Boone doesn’t rank higher on this list is his offense, or lack thereof. He was a far better catcher than he was a hitter. Over 10 years and 1,125 games in Philadelphia, he compiled a .259/.325/.370 line and .695 OPS. He only hit double-digit home runs three times in his entire 19-year career.

"“Boonie really had no peer. What separated Boone was how he handled the pitching staff. He couldn’t hit a lick. He had an awful year in 1980, but I still counted on him to handle my pitching staff. He put the numbers down as good as anybody you’d want to see. And he made the pitchers pitch a game that sometimes they didn’t believe in. He did his homework. Daulton’s bag is leadership, but Boonie didn’t take a backseat to leadership because of his handling of the pitching staff. Offensively, there’s no contest with Dutch. But it’s still a team game.” Dallas Green, Phillies manager 1979-1981"

Another reason Boone isn’t given his due is that he had the unfortunate luck of overlapping with legendary catcher Johnny Bench. The Reds catcher won 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards between 1968-77, leaving no room in the NL for Boone.

However, Boone’s 11,260 career putouts is ranked 10th all-time, while Bench’s 9,249 rank 21st. Boone also ranks third all-time in innings played, with a whopping 18,459.

Boone is part of an MLB dynasty. He’s the son of Ray Boone and the father of Bret and Aaron Boone, current Yankees manager. Each of the four Boones has been an All-Star at least once in their careers.

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