Ranking the Catchers With a commanding presence behind the plate and a rocket arm, Johnny Bench was the best defensive catcher in history. But that wasn’t all. The powerful right-handed slugger won a pair of Most Valuable Player awards and led the Reds to six division titles, four pennants, and two championships. He hit…
test Jim Sundberg Positions: CatcherBats: R Throws: RHeight: 72 Weight: 190Born: Friday, May 18, 1951 in Galesburg, IL USADebut: 4/4/1974Last Game: 9/24/1989Full Name: James Howard Sundberg Notable Events and Chronology for Jim Sundberg Career Jim Sundberg The best defensive catcher in the American League in the 1970s, squeaky-clean Jim Sundberg won six Gold Glove…
1985 – Pitcher Bret Saberhagen gives the Kansas City Royals their first World Series victory with a complete game 6 – 1 decision in Game 3. The St. Louis Cardinals had won the Series’ first two games, played in Kansas City.
1985 – In a four-team trade, the Milwaukee Brewers send catcher Jim Sundberg to the Kansas City Royals and receive pitchers Danny Darwin from the Texas Rangers and Tim Leary from the New York Mets. The Mets receive pitcher Frank Wills from Kansas City, who also sends catcher Don Slaught to Texas, who sends catcher Bill Hance to Milwaukee.
John Wathan breaks Ray Schalk’s 1916 record for stolen bases by a catcher with his 31st stolen base of the season. The Royals’ backstop accomplishes the feat when he swipes third base in the seventh inning of Kansas City’s 5-3 victory over Texas at Arlington Stadium.
On June 24, 1979, 20-year-old future Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson makes his major league debut for the Oakland A’s in the first game of a doubleheader, a 5-1 loss to Texas. Henderson picks up a single, a double, and his first stolen base in four at-bats against the Texas Rangers. Later in the season,…
1973 – In the January amateur draft, the Philadelphia Phillies select P Dick Ruthven, the Texas Rangers take C Jim Sundberg, and the Chicago Cubs pick P Donnie Moore. The Cincinnati Reds pick Southern Mississippi punter Ray Guy in the third round, but he chooses the NFL instead.