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In Cooperstown, baseball’s greatest catchers await Buster Posey’s arrival

Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Ted Simmons, and Joe Mauer are all open to the idea of the former Giants star joining one of baseball's most exclusive clubs.

A baseball batter prepares to swing as the catcher crouches behind home plate, with an umpire leaning in. The scene is partially shadowed, emphasizing the players.
Buster Posey won three World Series titles in San Francisco, but his Hall of Fame credentials are up for debate. | Source: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

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COOPERSTOWN, NY — Johnny Bench, the dean of the Hall of Fame catching fraternity, initially gave an ultra-quick response when asked if Buster Posey deserves to be a Hall of Famer.

“A lock,” Bench said. “He’s a lock.”

And why?

“Well,” Bench said, “he won the Rookie of the Year. He won the MVP. He won the World Series titles. Yeah, that’s going to give him a lot of credentials, but I’ve never really looked up Buster’s numbers.”

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At that point of his interview with The Standard, arguably the greatest catcher in baseball history pulled out his tablet and called up Posey’s stats.

“Lifetime .302,” Bench began. “Got out quite a little early, 12 years, 158 home runs, only 729 RBIs.

“So maybe not.”

Four men are smiling at the camera, standing in front of a wall displaying plaques. One wears a red "Big Machine" shirt, and another has a "George Brett" nametag.
Johnny Bench, George Brett, Reggie Jackson and Mike Schmidt hit a combined 1,817 home runs in their major league careers. | Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard

Just to clarify, Bench wasn’t dismissing the Giants’ decorated catcher’s Hall of Fame candidacy as much as suggesting it could be a good debate. His wavering stance perfectly typifies how difficult it can be to gauge Posey’s career against the all-time catchers.

Even the great Bench, 77, who was inducted back in 1989, doesn’t have a full grasp on how to view a catcher’s resume.

“Again, it’s the way each voter is going to judge,” said Bench, who wore a bright red “Big Red Machine” jersey at Saturday’s Hall of Fame parade and received a large ovation when introduced at Sunday’s induction, which featured Vallejo’s CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, and Billy Wagner along with the posthumous inductions of Dave Parker and Dick Allen. “Each voter is going to judge it differently.”

Posey is eligible for the Hall’s class of 2027, meaning two years from now, he could be honored at baseball’s sacred grounds of Cooperstown, along the scenic shores of Lake Otsego, if he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and only the 21st catcher inducted.

Of course, he’d need to take a few days off from his duties as the Giants’ president of baseball operations, which won’t be easy shortly before a trade deadline. But he would certainly make the sacrifice if baseball’s most exclusive club calls.

That weekend could be epic for the Giants’ franchise as former manager Dusty Baker is eligible for the same 2027 class. If Bruce Bochy, who led the Giants to three World Series titles, steps aside from managing the Texas Rangers after this season, he also would be in line for a trip to Cooperstown.

The image displays black-and-white photos of baseball players in "Giants" uniforms, a framed jersey and cap, and text detailing their achievements.
Hall of Fame displays in Cooperstown celebrate Giants legends such as Willie Mays and Monte Irvin. | Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard
The image shows a display case of San Francisco Giants memorabilia, including two jerseys, helmets, and baseballs. The jerseys feature the names "SAN FRANCISCO" and "NAKKEN" with the number 92.
A jersey worn by former Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken was sent to the Hall of Fame. | Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard

Nothing is a slam dunk. With Hall of Fame voting, it hardly ever is. Posey, who retired after the 2021 season and will be eligible to be selected after his five-year waiting period, can never be compared with Bench, a groundbreaking catcher who revolutionized the position, played 17 seasons, hit 389 homers, drove in 1,376 runs, won two MVPs, two World Series rings and 10 Gold Gloves, and earned 14 All-Star selections.

It was a different time. He was a different player. It’s unfair to compare any catcher with Bench. It’s like comparing any center fielder with Willie Mays. It’s impossible to match up.

“It’s clear [Bench is] the meter here,” said Ted Simmons, who broke into the majors at 19 and was a big-league catcher for two decades, mostly in St. Louis. “Everyone, whether they’re a catcher or not, looks to him for balance.”

An estimated 30,000 fans attended Sunday’s induction, which also was attended by 52 returning Hall of Famers. Four of them were catchers: Bench, Simmons, Carlton Fisk, and Joe Mauer, who was enshrined last summer and whose selection on the first ballot by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot has strengthened Posey’s case to get in.

Neither is close to the top of the leaderboard in games caught. Iván Rodríguez is No. 1 at 2,427. Carlton Fisk is No. 2 at 2,226. Simmons and Bench are 16th and 17th, respectively, at 1,771 and 1,742.

Posey? Way down the list, No. 100 at 1,093. Mauer is 154th at 921.

In Mauer’s case, he was universally deemed Cooperstown-bound through seven seasons in Minnesota when he hit .327 while winning three batting crowns, three Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and the 2009 MVP award.

A baseball catcher in white gear tags a sliding runner in gray near home plate as an umpire watches closely, ready to make a call.
Posey's defense behind the plate was a major reason why the Giants were able to win three World Series titles. | Source: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Then his career detoured because of a knee injury and later a concussion, which prompted a transition to first base. He remained a good hitter, but his numbers as a first baseman didn’t warrant a ticket to Cooperstown as much as his time served behind the plate.

Likewise, Posey sustained significant injuries in a devastating 2011 home-plate collision, and he had his share of concussions. He also played first base, but mostly was a catcher during his 12 seasons. Mauer played 15 seasons, but their numbers are similar.

Posey hit .302 (Mauer .306) with an .831 OPS (Mauer .827), 158 homers (Mauer 143) and 729 RBIs (Mauer 923).

“What was the speculation about Mauer?” asked Simmons. “Only one thing. Did he have the longevity to have been fully assessed? If both hadn’t gotten injured, they’d be easy picks. That will become the only issue, it seems to me, that someone like Posey has to overcome. As an objective observer, what’s the problem? What’s the controversy? His accomplishments are staggering. If (voters) will go similarly in the way they did with Mauer, they’ll come up with the obvious.”

Five men in suits and sunglasses sit together, with a backdrop of the National Baseball Hall of Fame logo. They seem to be attending an event.
Hall of Fame catchers Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, and Joe Mauer sat in the same row at the enshrinement ceremony in Cooperstown this weekend. | Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard

Simmons is a yes vote on Posey. So is Mauer.

“For me, if I had a vote, I’d be checking the yes box for sure,” Mauer said. “Buster knows what the demands are on you at that position, not only the defensive side but the offensive side. It’s really special when a guy can handle those the way Buster did. He was in the middle of some really great teams there in San Francisco, and to be able to control both sides of the game the way he did was definitely impressive for me.”

While Posey was a common denominator on three World Series championship teams, Mauer’s teams played in 10 playoff games and lost them all.

But no two catchers are exactly alike, and each is valued based on his own qualities. Posey has exceptional rate stats but doesn’t measure up to many Hall of Famers with his counting stats, including his 1,500 hits. On the other hand, he has a 45.0 career WAR, according to Baseball Reference, ranking 16th all-time among catchers — excluding those from the Negro Leagues (which doesn’t have complete numbers) — and 10th in WAR when calculating a catcher’s best seven years.

Among those who played catcher in at least 50 percent of their games and had at least 5,000 plate appearances, Posey ranks third in OPS+, which takes into account ballpark and era conditions. As any Giants fan knows, Posey’s home at Third and King was not exactly conducive to hitting.

A display case features baseball jerseys, caps, and memorabilia from the Giants, accompanied by vintage photos and descriptions of players Mel Ott and Carl Hubbell.
Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard
The image shows a San Francisco Giants jersey on display, surrounded by baseball memorabilia, including a cap, a lineup card, photos, and descriptive text panels.
Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard

“We played in different leagues, but I admired Buster from afar,” Mauer said. “I’m a fan of the game and guys representing the game and their cities well. Every time we played San Francisco, from the other side of the dugout, you could sense the respect he received from his teammates, as kind of a quiet leader. He did it well.”

Mauer received just enough support from voters to get elected; 75 percent is required, and he got 76.1 percent. It’ll be up to 10-year members of the BBWAA to determine Posey’s fate on the ballot.

“Statistically, Posey is a classic borderline Hall of Fame candidate because he doesn’t have quite the counting stats and longevity that you look for,” said Larry Stone, past president of the BBWAA and longtime reporter at the Seattle Times. “But when you take into account his full body of work, including the postseason, the position he plays, and his peak performance as one of the top catchers in the game for an extended stretch, I would lean toward voting for him.”

Jayson Stark, winner of the 2019 Career Excellence Award, given annually to a writer for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing,” is more certain on how he’ll vote.

“I think Buster Posey is an easy first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Stark said. “I know what the counting numbers are. If those are the numbers we’re looking at, we’re looking at the wrong stuff. Buster Posey was clearly one of the greatest catchers of his time, for a decade, and that’s what we’re supposed to look at and judge. Those numbers don’t define him.

“Buster is going to mark a turning point in how we look at Hall of Famers because once we elect him with 1,500 hits, it’s no longer about counting numbers.”

Along Main Street in Cooperstown — which is lined with baseball card shops and memorabilia shops and was blocked off over the weekend for pedestrian access — thousands of fans, most in gear representing their favorite teams, strolled up and down if only because it was the place to be. In front of the museum, at 25 Main Street, a Wiffle ball game broke out. A few doors down, Hall of Famers took turns signing their names, for a fee of course, at all-day autograph sessions.

Sitting comfortably at a nearby bench were Calvin and Stephanie Whitmore of Vallejo, who were in town for Sabathia’s induction and anticipated Posey giving his own Hall of Fame speech two years from now.

“I think he should be a first-choice Hall of Famer like CC,” Calvin Whitmore said. “To me, Buster retired prematurely, but his family became his emphasis. He’s such a wholesome man, and he acquired all the statistical data. What he didn’t do is get involved in controversy. He wasn’t divisive or polarizing. He brought out the best in his team with his personality and bat.”

Two people are sitting on a bench wearing matching yellow "Oakland" jerseys and hats. They are smiling and appear to be enjoying a conversation.
Vicki Schellenberger (left) and Sally Esser of Livermore wore Oakland A's jerseys to Cooperstown. | Source: Rick Lewis for The Standard

“If I come back, I’ll come in my Posey shirt,” said Sally Esser of Livermore, who wore a green and gold Stephen Vogt giveaway jersey in Cooperstown. “I admire Buster Posey a lot. Great catcher, good family man, seems really smart. Yeah, a cool guy, definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”

Robin Hill of San Jose, accompanied by her husband, Richard, wore her Posey jersey that she acquired after the 2012 World Series. They were in town for their grandson’s baseball tournament, and both made their case for Posey’s enshrinement.

“Awesome player, level headed, a good man, cares about people he plays with as much as he cares about himself,” Robin said. Richard added, “It was a privilege to watch him.”

In July 2027, there could be many more Posey jerseys along Main Street. Over the weekend, it was tough to find anyone in Giants gear in town or at the induction, but traveling to Cooperstown is no easy task for Northern Californians, who no doubt will show up in droves if the 2027 induction is Giants-centric.

The results of the BBWAA election will be made public in January 2027. If Posey is elected, he’ll get many congratulatory calls, including one from Bench, who traditionally reaches out to each newcomer before the inductions to welcome him to Cooperstown. 

“I was pleasantly surprised and taken aback by how many current Hall of Famers reached out,” Mauer said, “and the way Johnny welcomed me to that fraternity is something I’ll never forget and always cherish.”

A baseball player in orange and white gear, carrying a helmet and mitt, walks toward a green outfield wall. The player's jersey reads "Posey 28."
Source: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Bench is no hardliner when it comes to Cooperstown. He embraces everything about the Hall and tells the newbies to keep a diary to document it all because their induction weekend goes by fast.

Bench laughed when recalling his early years in Cooperstown when veterans such as Bob Feller and Frank Robinson told him, “This isn’t for the very good. This is for the greats.” Bench certainly would appreciate that Posey, like himself, spent his entire career with one team.

“When I first got in, I was in awe,” Bench said. “I mean, you’re in the lobby, and there’s Ted Williams and Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. I don’t think I’ve ever put myself in position to be one of those guys. We’ve lost a lot of guys and miss them all, but it’s a great honor to be here, and I try to help all new inductees, to get them acclimated, just to enjoy the whole fact of what it is.”

Two years from now, Posey could be hearing from Bench, in which case the Hall of Fame catching fraternity would grow by one. He might not be a lock, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Giants fans planned ahead.