I'm watching a a lot of random games these opening days thanks to the free MLB package and I'm wondering if this is the year of the catcher. Here's what I'm noticing. Brian McCann, the Braves game-caller, started the season with the first homer of the year in all of baseball. Our catchers in this famous rivalry both hit home runs in their team's openers. Benji Molina just blasted a shot in San Francisco's season debut. Saltalamacchia went deep for the Rangers in the first game for the Rangers. Chris Iannetta sent one into the Chase Field bleachers in the slugfest in Arizona yesterday. If Joe Mauer wasn't injured, I'm sure he'd hit a bomb off of King Felix last night to join this catcher slugfest. But even without the great Mauer, that's six (count 'em! Six!) home runs by the catchers on opening day. I wonder if that's a record. I hope so because I'm all about meaningless records.
I think what I'm trying to express here is that I'm super psyched to be watching baseball again. Aren't you, too?
3 replies on “Random Observation”
I wonder if that’s a record
Wonder no longer!
In 2004, seven catchers homered on their teams’ respective opening days: Charles Johnson, Jose Molina, Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez, Sady Alomar, Benito Santiago and Javy Lopez.
Otherwise, yes, six probably would be a record (the data only goes back to 1954, but there were only 16 teams that year. Having more than three or four homers by catchers would be pretty amazing).
Five catchers hit home runs in 1982, 1994 and 2003. Only one catcher, Yadier Molina, hit an Opening Day homer last year. Posada was one of three catchers to hit homers in their teams’ first games in 2007 and one of two with Piazza to do so in 2001. Varitek was one of three catchers in 2002. This is the first time they’ve both hit Opening Day homers in the same season.
The years in which no catchers hit home runs on Opening Day: 1961, 1970, 1971, 1976 and 1987.
Red Sox catchers to hit home runs on Opening Day: Varitek (2009, 2002), Rich Gedman (1986), Gary Allenson (1981), Bob Montgomery (1974), Carlton Fisk (1973) and Sammy White (1954).
Yankee catchers: Posada (2001, 2007, 2009), Mike Stanley (1994), Matt Nokes (1993), Butch Wynegar (1986), Frank Fernandez (1968), Elston Howard (1963, 1965, 1967) and Yogi Berra (1955-58).
Yes, that’s Yogi Berra hitting an Opening Day homer in four straight years. I bet that’s a record, and not just for catchers either.
Too bad for Tek – he has now gotten 30% of his alloted homers in .6% of this year’s schedule.
I think what I’m trying to express here is that I’m super psyched to be watching baseball again. Aren’t you, too?
Truer words were never spoken.
Also, Paul is a baseball fan hero. Got stats in his eyeeeeeeees…