The Atlanta Braves have been my passion for the last 23+ years. I have watched lean years, average years, and a whole lot of AMAZING years. Over this time I have been blessed to see some of my favorite players ever grace the Fulton-County Stadium and Turner Field crowds with many memorable moments.
Today we move on to the Catchers. Throughout the years we as Braves fans have been blessed to see a number of star catchers in Atlanta, and a few that have left some great memories.
10. Damon Berryhill - A key cog in our '92 and '93 teams, he provided 18-86 in just over 640 at-bats. Not bad for a platoon catcher who just happened to switch-hit.
9. Ernie Whitt - I added Ernie because I enjoyed watching him in the early-mid 1980's in Toronto. By the time he was a Brave, he was well past his prime. Clutch late game hitter on some great 80's Jays teams.
8. Henry Blanco - Hank White was a solid backup and seemed to pick up the odd important hit during his stay. I loved his game behind the plate and gave a huge target, also had a gun for an arm.
7. Francisco Cabrera - Could easily be #2 on my list just because of the immediate thought that comes to mind when I hear the name. Drove in the infamous "Sid Slid" NLCS game winning run in 1992. Easily my favorite Braves moment. However, Frankie was horrible, and didn't really play much more of a role during his Braves career.
6. Greg Olson - Greg with one G. Was our all-star catcher in 1990, but is best known for the 1992 collision with Ken Caminiti at the plate that broke his leg. Olson became the rallying point around my favorite Braves season ever. The cast with the Tomahawk is something I will remember forever!
5. Johnny Estrada - "Chips" was thought to be a throw-in in the Kevin Millwood trade to Philadelphia but was actually an all-star in 2004 and actually received MVP votes. I liked his game and he seemed to be a great teammate. Great transition player between the years of #1, and #2 on this list.
4. Eddie Perez - What is, or was not to love about Eddie? I enjoyed him as a player, and still love him as a fixture in the Braves coaching staff in the bullpen. Eddie was a defensive wizard who provided a few late inning heroics of his own. Ultimate team player, still a leader on this team.
3. David Ross - Not only is he the best back-up catcher in the bigs now, he may be the best back-up of ALL-TIME. All the guy does is give you amazing game-calling, with a rocket arm and a powerful bat. He knows his role on the team and is the perfect compliment to the everyday catcher.
2. Javy Lopez - It truly is a testament to the #1 on this list that I could put Javy at #2. All Javy did was give us power, multiple endless memories during our greatest time as a franchise, and perhaps my favorite walk-up music ever. Whenever I hear "Limelight"by RUSH, I get goosebumps and think of how many times that music was the warning that we all had that something big was about to happen. I caught 2 baseballs that he hit in Montreal and they are a favorite in my vast and ever-growing collection. One of my favorite players.
1. Brian McCann - Wow! To dethrone Javy Lopez on my list, you have to be great, and trust me Brian McCann is that. MLB's best catcher and truly one of the sports biggest stars, sadly a fact not noticed by National media. Clutch should be renamed "McClutch" with Brian around. From the monumental playoff HR off of Roger Clemens to the numbers that he is putting up daily now, the guy gets better and better. As Chipper Jones says, this is McCann's team. That my friends is high praise. 6 years, 6 all-star games including last years MVP. Can you just imagine how great his numbers would be if our lineup actually got on base? Yikes!
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