32. Carlton Fisk
When arguing who the greatest catcher in MLB history was, Carlton Fisk will inevitably get a lot of votes. Considering how he performed during his career, and his standing amongst the all time greats, it is entirely understandable that he would be considered the best catcher to play the game.
Even though Fisk was one of the best catchers to ever play the game, one could argue that he was actually underappreciated during his playing career. He had eight twenty home run seasons, and 13 seasons with twenty or more doubles. Fisk even stole double digit bases four times, tying his career high with 17 steals as a 37 year old in 1985. Yet, in his 24 year career, Fisk only made eleven All-Star Games and had only one top five finish in the MVP award.
When his career came to an end, Fisk had one of the best careers of anyone that spent their career behind the plate. He produced a .269/.341/.457 batting line, hitting 376 home runs and 421 doubles, driving in 1,330 runs. While not amongst the true elite performers, Fisk ranks in the top 100 in home runs and RBI, an impressive accomplishment for a catcher.
Fisk was also fairly underrated defensively. Although he only won one Gold Glove, he ranks sixth with 11,369 putouts, 12th with 147 double plays as a catcher and 38th with 1,043 assists. Although he did not have the greatest arm, Fisk ranks 37th with 665 runners caught stealing. He was certainly a solid defensive backstop.
Carlton Fisk is best remembered for his iconic home run in Game Six of the 1975 World Series, when he waved his home run against the Cincinnati Reds fair. He was also arguably the greatest catcher in MLB history.
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