I’ll begin with a confession. That is an article I began writing originally of the yr earlier than deciding it’d make an much more enjoyable SABR 54 presentation. Sadly (or possibly thankfully), the conference judges didn’t share my opinion, which is the way it ended up again right here on the SABR Baseball Playing cards weblog, to not point out why a lot of it appears like a slide deck!
The inspiration for the subject got here from the well-known 1969 Topps Larry Haney reversed picture error card that triggered Haney to look left-handed. One readily available (no pun supposed) the error seemingly felt innocent to anybody who even observed it on the time. However however, check out the American League West standings that yr. Haney’s Pilots completed final, a full 33 video games out of first place. In the meantime, the staff Haney final appeared with as a righty, the Baltimore Orioles, received 109 video games and cruised to the American League pennant.
Nonetheless ridiculous it could appear guilty Topps for Seattle’s depressing one-and-done season, there’s an terrible lot of baseball historical past that claims in any other case.
Benny DiStefano
The final lefty to catch within the majors was Benny DiStefano of the Pittsburgh Pirates who caught three video games in 1989. The Pirates misplaced all three.
Mike Squires
Previous to DiStefano the final southpaw to don the instruments of ignorance was Mike Squires of the White Sox, who appeared behind the plate twice in 1980. The Sox dropped each video games.
Tom Chism
Backing up a yr, lefty Tom Chism took on plate duties for Baltimore. It was one of many uncommon video games the American League champs dropped that yr.
So when you’re preserving rating at dwelling, that’s a six-game dropping streak, nonetheless energetic by the way in which, for left-handed catchers. However wait, there’s extra.
Chris Quick
In what may at first appear to be a typo, All-Star pitcher Chris Quick was Philadelphia skipper Gene Mauch’s beginning catcher in a sport in opposition to San Francisco in 1961.
What’s extra, Quick wasn’t the one pitcher penciled in out of place that day. The beginning lineup, for strategic causes, featured a file 4 pitchers.
By now, I most likely don’t even need to let you know the Phillies misplaced the sport, additionally ending the season in final place for good measure.
Dale Lengthy
Previous to Quick, appropriately sufficient, the final left-handed catcher was Dale Lengthy of the Chicago Cubs, who caught two video games in 1958. Attempt to not be shocked, however the Cubs misplaced them each.
Distinctive among the many catch-as-catch-can backstops profiled up to now, Lengthy truly managed a baseball card on the place, courtesy of the 1955 Topps Double Headers set.
The cardboard picture was uncommon sufficient as to warrant a proof on the again.
They had been pondering of constructing a catcher out of lefthanded Dale—thus this uncommon image of him. He’s a prime prospect for the Buc First Base job this yr.
The “they” in query was not simply any “they” however the Mahatma himself, Department Rickey!
As was the case with Larry Haney fourteen years later, Lengthy logged no precise innings as a left-handed backstop in 1955. Nonetheless, his Topps card confirmed him as one, which meant just one factor. The Bucs, just like the Pilots in 1969, completed lifeless final.
Olaf Henriksen
Lengthy’s appearances behind the plate had been preceded by a drought of practically half a century. Nonetheless, even again in 1911 the outcome was the identical as ever. With left-hander Olaf Henriksen behind the dish in opposition to Chicago, the Purple Sox misplaced the sport.
Homer Hillebrand
Six years earlier than Henriksen, Homer Hillebrand lived as much as his title, simply not by hitting any homers. (His profession whole was zero.) Relatively, it was by establishing behind dwelling plate for 3 dwelling video games in Pittsburgh in 1905. Naturally, the Bucs went 0 and three.
Joe Wall
The place the dropping streak lastly hit a wall was, appropriately sufficient, with Joe Wall. Whereas with Brooklyn, the lefty in some way caught 5 video games in three days, squeezing in a practice journey from Pittsburgh to Chicago in between.
Brooklyn took two of the video games at the same time as Wall himself was of little assist. His line within the two wins: 0 for 9 with 4 strikeouts and an error behind the dish. Wall additionally caught two video games for the New York Giants the yr earlier than. The Giants dropped each.
The Streaks
Earlier than transferring on to the subsequent left-handed catcher, it’s price appreciating the streaks that started with the second sport of an August 24, 1902, Brooklyn-Chicago doubleheader and stays energetic to at the present time. The primary considerations the gamers themselves.
The second considerations solely the playing cards. True, streak could also be a stretch for one thing that’s solely occurred twice, however listed below are the century’s two left-handed catcher playing cards, every reflecting (if not inflicting) a final place end and one ending a franchise.
In reality, six different baseball playing cards from the “Curse Period” present a left-handed catcher, simply not as the principle topic. Topps used what many collectors might need presumed a generic left-handed backstop for the “Foul Ball” playing cards in its 1951 Purple Backs and Blue Backs units. (Some super-sleuthing by Eric White sourced the wrong-handed receiver, or not less than its reverse, to an previous {photograph} of Invoice Dickey.)
As neither Invoice Dickey, by then a coach for the Yankees, nor any of the six gamers on the playing cards completed final in 1951, essentially the most pure clarification is that the curse solely applies when the left-handed catcher is a card’s major topic. Both that, or there isn’t any curse, however that’s preposterous.
Century Wrap-Up
The best left-handed catcher of baseball’s Trendy Period was undoubtedly John Augustine “Jiggs” Donahue, who caught 45 video games behind the dish between 1900 and 1902. In distinction with the opposite backstops up to now profiled, catcher was Donahue’s major place throughout these years.
A little bit of trivia surrounding Donahue is that he’s the final left-handed catcher to homer in a major league contest. Even crazier, he’s additionally the final left-handed catcher to gather an additional base hit. (Benny DiStefano doubled on May 14, 1989, however the hit got here earlier than his ninth-inning transfer to catcher.)
As a remaining observe, Donahue’s T206 card could seem to indicate him as a catcher, although such a factor must be inconceivable provided that his White Sox didn’t end final. Certain sufficient, the cardboard picture depicts him as a primary baseman, the place he switched to full-time after 1902. The identical will probably be true for this subsequent lefty.
The one different left-handed catcher of the trendy period was Fred Tenney, who caught two video games behind the plate for the Boston Nationals in 1901. Although each video games went eleven innings, Tenney wasn’t merely a late-inning alternative. He began and completed each video games, going 0 for 10 and committing an error.
In contrast to the opposite gamers profiled up to now, Tenney’s profession crossed over into the nineteenth century and included not less than one more game at catcher, although not because the starter. In Boston’s remaining sport of the season, for causes which can be seemingly attention-grabbing, Tenney moved from first base to catcher solely to get replaced at first base by the pitcher!
The GOAT
Whereas Jiggs Donahue was the most effective left-handed catcher of the Trendy Period, the best of any period was certainly Jack Clements. Over a 17-year profession through which catcher was his major place, the nineteenth century star batted .289 with energy. Over a three-year span from 1894 to 1896, Clement averaged .374 with an OPS of 1.009!
So far as taking part in period baseball playing cards are involved, solely his ultra-rare 1887 Kalamazoo Bats reveals him as a left-handed thrower. (He’s bare-handed in all different fielding poses.) Whereas Clements’ Philadelphia squad had a powerful yr in 1887, ending second and successful greater than 60% of its video games, the identical couldn’t be stated for the Kalamazoo Bats set. Very like the Seattle Pilots in 1969, the Kalamazoo Bats was one-and-done.
Trendy collectors could acknowledge that the Kalamazoo Bats picture of Clements is identical picture used greater than a century later for his 2011 TriStar Obak baseball card. Not surprisingly then, 2011 marked the top of the road for TriStar Obak.
The Verdict
Left-handed catchers have practically at all times spelled doom, each on the sphere and on cardboard. Put one within the lineup, and also you’ll virtually actually lose. Put one in a pack, and the staff or whole set is doomed. So what hope does an upstart growth staff within the Pacific Northwest have when Topps botches its catcher card and turns the man lefty? May the Pilots have been something however cellar dwellers? Then once more, having a look at that Seattle roster, final place could have been inevitable with or with out a curse.
Creator’s Word: In case you get pleasure from studying about left-handed catchers, right here’s a terrific article on the topic from Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
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