5 most legendary Phillies catchers of all time
4. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies 2006-2016
The Phillies had an incredible pitching staff during the Golden Era of 2007-11, especially during the 2008 postseason run. However, a great pitcher needs a great catcher, and Carlos Ruiz AKA Chooch was that catcher.
For 11 years, Ruiz caught for some of the best pitchers in franchise history. He also compiled a .266/.352/.393 line and .745 OPS over 1,069 games. His 21.8 bWAR ranks second among modern-era Phillies catchers.
Over 46 postseason games with the Phillies, Ruiz made 401 putouts and 24 assists in 429 chances, with only four errors. He also hit four home runs, eight doubles, scored 19 runs, and drove in 15. His postseason plate discipline was a thing of beauty; he drew 24 walks and only struck out 16 times.
Chooch also has the distinction of behind the dish for an MLB record-tying (Jason Varitek) four no-hitters: Roy Halladay’s pair of no-hitters in 2010 (one a perfect game), a combined no-hitter in 2014, and Cole Hamels’ no-hitter in 2016 (in what turned out to be his final Phillies game before being traded to the Cubs).
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.
2. Darren Daulton, Phillies 1983, 85-97
Darren Daulton was a Phillies lifer right up until the second half of his final MLB season in 1997, though his best years were clustered in the middle.
Drafted in the 25th round of the 1980 draft, Daulton was a more unexpected success than Bob Boone, who’d been a sixth-round pick in 1969. He was never a Gold Glove catcher like his predecessor, but he was also a better hitter than his Boone.
In 2008, Jim Fregosi noted:
“Talent-wise, Boonie played on much better teams, which allowed him to be able to just catch and play defense and not swing the bat. But Dutch didn’t just catch every day. He also hit fourth in the lineup and had to carry the offense. Longevity and career-wise, there’s no question Boone had a better career. But in a short period of time, Dutch was the guy. I’d take Dutch because of his leadership qualities and the offensive player he became.”
Daulton was a three-time All-Star between 1992-95, and led the NL with 109 RBI in 1992, winning his first and only Silver Slugger award. He’s one of only four catchers in MLB history to lead their league in RBI (Roy Campanella, Gary Cater, Johnny Bench), and none have done so since.
During the Phillies’ 1993 pennant season, Daulton again drove in 100+ RBI and hit 24 home runs. His 117 walks that year are tied for eighth-most by a Phillie in any season in franchise history. 1992-93 were his only seasons of 20+ HR, 100+ RBI baseball.
In 12 postseason games in 1993, Daulton never made an error. He had 85 putouts and seven assists in 92 chances. He also hit a pair of home runs, three doubles, scored six times and drove in seven runs.
Unfortunately, knee injuries seriously impacted the remaining years of Daulton’s career, and it got worse from there. His post-baseball life was marred by multiple DUIs and an arrest for battering his wife. He spent time in jail and rehab, battling his demons.
In 2013, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma – which claimed the life of Phillies catcher Tug McGraw – and required brain surgery. His cancer returned in 2017, and he passed away at 55.
1. Mike Lieberthal, Phillies 1994-2006
Like Daulton’s, Mike Lieberthal‘s great career is somewhat unappreciated because it coincided with a less-than-stellar Phillies era.
However, Lieberthal shouldn’t be penalized for that, considering how productive his individual career was. Over 13 years with the Phillies in his 14-year career, he hit .275/.338/.450 with a .788 OPS over 1,174 games.
Lieberthal is more of a slugger than most of the Phillies catchers on and off this list. He hit 150 career home runs, all with the Phillies, including seven double-digit HR seasons between 1997-2005.
Defensively, Lieberthal’s only double-digit error season was his first as full-time catcher in 1997. He went on to be a back-to-back All-Star in 1999-2000 and won the 1999 NL Gold Glove for his work.
Ultimately, Lieberthal gets the top spot because he took it; his 1,139 games caught is the most in Phillies history, and he ranks first among franchise catchers in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, AVG, and SLG.
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