Ronald Edward Santo was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974. In 1990,Santo became a member of the Cubs broadcasting team providing commentary for Cubs games on WGN radio and remained at that position until his death in 2010. In 1999,he was selected to the Cubs All-Century Team. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett,also nicknamed "Old Tomato Face",was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs,from 1922 to 1940. He spent the final season of his career as a player-coach with the New York Giants in 1941. After his playing career,Hartnett continued his involvement in baseball as a coach and as a minor league manager.
Henry Ramón Blanco is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach and former player. He is currently the catching and strategy coach for the Washington Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2013,appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Colorado Rockies,Milwaukee Brewers,Atlanta Braves,Minnesota Twins,Chicago Cubs,San Diego Padres,New York Mets,Arizona Diamondbacks,Toronto Blue Jays,and Seattle Mariners. He later served as quality assurance coach for the Cubs. Although a light-hitting player,he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in Major League Baseball.
Eugene George Oliver was an American professional baseball player who appeared 786 games in Major League Baseball,as a catcher,first baseman,outfielder and pinch hitter,from 1959 to 1969. Oliver played for the St. Louis Cardinals,Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1963–67),Philadelphia Phillies (1967),Boston Red Sox (1968) and Chicago Cubs (1968–69). He batted and threw right-handed. stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 225 pounds (102 kg).
Gerald Wayne Grote is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1963 through 1981,most prominently as a member of the New York Mets where he was a two-time All-Star player and was a member of the team that became known as the Miracle Mets for their upset victory over the powerful Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series. Grote was considered to be one of the best defensive catchers of his era.
Todd Randolph Hundley is an American former Major League Baseball catcher and outfielder. He was a two-time All-Star who played for 14 seasons with the New York Mets,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Chicago Cubs.
Daniel Allen Wilson is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1992 through 2005,most notably as a member of the Seattle Mariners where he played 12 of his 14 seasons. The 1996 All-Star selection began his career with the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Mariners where,he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in major-league history. At the time of his retirement in 2005,Wilson held the American League record for career fielding percentage by a catcher. In 2012,Wilson was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame alongside his battery-mate,Randy Johnson.
Robert Arthur O'Farrell was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for 21 seasons with the Chicago Cubs,St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. O'Farrell also played for the Cincinnati Reds,albeit briefly. He was considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of his generation.
Christopher John Cannizzaro was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1960 to 1974 for the St. Louis Cardinals (1960–61),New York Mets (1962–65),Pittsburgh Pirates (1968),San Diego Padres,Chicago Cubs (1971),and Los Angeles Dodgers (1972–73).
Barry Clifton Foote,is an American former professional baseball player,scout,coach,and minor league manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos (1973–1977),Philadelphia Phillies (1977–1978),Chicago Cubs (1979–1981),and New York Yankees (1981–1982). Although he was highly regarded as a younger player,he suffered numerous injuries and played most of his baseball career as a reserve player.
RenéRivera is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners,Minnesota Twins,San Diego Padres,Tampa Bay Rays,New York Mets,Chicago Cubs,Los Angeles Angels,Atlanta Braves,Cleveland Indians,and Washington Nationals.
Geovany Soto is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 2005 to 2017,most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where he appeared in the MLB All-Star Game and was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2008. He also played for the Texas Rangers,Oakland Athletics,Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox.
The 1969 Chicago Cubs season was the 98th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise,the 94th in the National League and the 54th at Wrigley Field. The season involved the Cubs gaining renown as "the most celebrated second-place team in the history of baseball." In the first season after the National League was split into two divisions,the Cubs finished with a record of 92–70,8 games behind the New York Mets in the newly established National League East. Caustic 64-year-old Leo Durocher was the Cubs manager. The ill-fated season saw the Cubs in first place for 155 days,until mid-September when they lost 17 out of 25 games.
John Dominic Boccabella is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1974 with the Chicago Cubs,Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants.
The 1966 Chicago Cubs season was the 95th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise,the 91st in the National League and the 51st at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished tenth and last in the National League with a record of 59–103,36 games behind the NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs would not lose 100 or more games in a season for another 46 seasons. One of the defining trades in Cubs history occurred on April 21,when the Cubs acquired future Cy Young Award winner Ferguson Jenkins in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 1970 Chicago Cubs season was the 99th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise,the 95th in the National League and the 55th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished second in the National League East with a record of 84–78 by five games,which was the closest by game margin that the Cubs finished between 1945 and 1984.
The 1966 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 84th year in Major League Baseball,their ninth year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season,and their seventh at Candlestick Park. The Giants finished second in the National League with a record of 93 wins and 68 losses,a game-and-a-half behind their arch-rivals,the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nicholas John Hundley is an American former professional baseball catcher and current front office executive. He is currently a special assistant to the general manager for the Texas Rangers. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres,Baltimore Orioles,Colorado Rockies,San Francisco Giants,and Oakland Athletics. He was drafted in 2005 by the Padres in the second round,and made his major-league debut in 2008.
Donald Leroy Landrum was an American professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies,St. Louis Cardinals,Chicago Cubs,and San Francisco Giants,from 1957 to 1966. During his playing days,he stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall,weighing 180 pounds (82 kg),while batting left-handed and throwing right-handed.
Alexander Thomas Avila is an American former professional baseball catcher. Between 2009 and 2021 he played for the Detroit Tigers,Chicago White Sox,Chicago Cubs,Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals. Avila is the son of former Tigers general manager Al Avila.
