Let's think about the most important defensive position on the field and level of difficulty. The most important is clearly the pitcher as they're inducted into the HOF solely for their defensive stats. The second most important is the catcher which is arguably the most grueling position putting the most strain on a man's body, especially for those who catch over 130 games each season. Reliable catchers who play above average defense and have caught 1600 plus games in their careers, even those with average offensive stats, should be celebrated and given HOF consideration. Jason Kendall was a 3-time All Star who caught 2025 games ranking 6th all time. Now consider his offense with a 288 career BA, 366 OBP, 189 SBs, 2195 hits, 1030 runs, all in only 15 seasons! Did you know Jason is one of 5 catchers with 2000 games caught and 2000 hits? The other 4 are Ivan Rodriguez, Carlton Fisk, Yadier Molina, and Gary Carter. It's time for the veterans committee to seriously re-think HOF candidacy for our all-time great catchers as they are a dying breed.

Posted by Andy Bowers on 08/8/2025 @ 14:56pm