There are a wide variety of iconic Baseball photos, many of which have catchers in them.
We sorted through these memorable snapshots, focused on the ones that included catchers and then selected our top choices.
Keep scrolling to discover what our top 5 picks are!
The Top 5 Greatest Photos of Catchers
Professional Baseball has been in existence for over 150 years.
This is only slightly less time than photography itself has been in existence (fun fact – the first photograph was taken in 1826)!
Over this period there have been countless pictures taken at professional Baseball games. Inevitably, some of those pictures have emerged as particularly noteworthy due to the context it was taken in or the uniqueness of the image.
Looking over the course of Baseball history, there are a ton of famous pictures in existence that feature catchers. And by feature it means the catcher is in the image, whether or not it is exclusively focused on them.
With so many famous Baseball photographs out there featuring catchers it made this article particularly difficult for us! How can you pick JUST five?
Well, we tried our best.
So without further ado, below are Catchers Home’s picks for the top 5 greatest photos of catchers all time.
Note: For the purposes of this post, our picks feature catchers only in their defensive roles.
#5 – Thurman Munson Topples Carlton Fisk
The year was 1973 and the teams were the Yankees and the Red Sox. The two men in the picture were two of the best catchers in the game.
Thurman Munson, the face of the New York Yankees, multiple all star choice and the 1970 AL Rookie of the Year.
Carlton Fisk, the Red Sox backstop, an all star himself, and the gold glove winner and (unanimous) 1972 AL Rookie of the Year.
Fisk was the starting catcher for the AL in the 1973 all star game, something that Munson reportedly was unhappy about.
That summer Fisk was also on the cover of Sports Illustrated, something Munson had not achieved.
During a nationally televised game on August 1, 1973, Munson was on third in the top of the 9th as Yankee Gene Michael tried to lay down a suicide squeeze bunt.
He missed. But Munson was coming anyway.
Instead of conceding defeat, Munson lowered his shoulder and bowled over Fisk – the collision of which was captured in this image.
Fisk held on to the ball, and he popped back up swinging. Benches cleared, and an all out brawl commenced.
Looking back on this fight, many argue that this event re-ignited the intense Yankees – Red Sox rivalry that continues to this day.
#4 – Pete Rose Barrels Over Ray Fosse
The next picture continues the home plate collision theme. And this one just feels painful.
It was the bottom of the 12th inning of the 1970 all star game. Tied at 4 a piece, Pete Rose found himself at second base with two outs.
The Cubs’ Jim Hickman was up and lined a single up the middle. Rose was waved home and the throw home reached Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse at about the same time as Rose did.
Rose, aka Charlie Hustle, decided not to slide and instead tried to run right through Fosse.
The ball got away, Rose scored, and the NL won the game 5 to 4. Fosse, however, was on the dirt, dazed from the violent collision.
X-rays after the game didn’t reveal any injuries, but a later examination showed that Fosse had separated and fractured his shoulder, which then healed incorrectly.
Fosse still had a solid career after the collision, though the pain caused from it stayed with him the rest of his life.
After the game, Rose received much criticism for hitting Fosse, especially considering that it was an exhibition game. To this day it remains arguably the most famous collision in Baseball history.
#3 – Jackie Robinson Steals Home
The 1955 World Series showcased two iconic teams - the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
During the first game of the series, the Dodgers found themselves down by three in the bottom of the eighth. Future hall of famer Jackie Robinson - the man who broke Baseball's color barrier - was on third.
Suddenly, the speedy Robinson took off and went sliding into home plate as Yankees catcher Yogi Berra applied the tag.
Was he out? Was he safe?
Baseball fans still debate the call to this day. But one thing is sure - the play resulted in one amazing and unforgettable picture.
Though they ended up losing game one, Brooklyn would go on to beat the Yankees and take the series in seven games.
#2 – Don Larsen’s Perfect Game
Yogi Berra made our list again. Why? Because he played a major role in one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.
On October 8, 1956, The Yankees found themselves squared off against their crosstown rivals the Brooklyn Dodgers once again. This time, it was game five of the 1956 World Series.
That game, Yankees pitcher Don Larsen made history. In only 97 pitches, Larsen threw the first (and only - so far) Perfect Game in World Series history.
After striking out Dodgers pinch hitter Dale Mitchell to end the game, Berra ran over to Larsen and jumped in his arms while a photographer captured the special moment.
The Yankees would go on to win the Series in seven games.
#1 – Mickey Cochrane’s Diving Tag
On April 1, 1933, Philadelphia’s two major league teams played each other in an exhibition game at the historic Shibe Park.
Bad weather limited the crowd to around 2,500, but luckily for us, a well-located Baseball photographer didn’t skip out on the game.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, an error occurred during the play captured in the above picture. The Phillies’ Pinky Whitney took advantage of the error and sprinted home.
Another ballplayer named Pinky (that is, Pinky Higgins, the third baseman for the Athletics) threw the relay into Mickey Cochrane, the Athletics’ catcher.
Cochrane then leaped at a sliding Whitney and - parallel to the ground with right arm outstretched - tagged out Whitney at the plate.
The inconsequential exhibition game resulted in a 6 -3 win by the Athletics. Yet the game had a lasting impact in that it gave us this iconic photo.
The catcher in question, Mickey Cochrane, would hit .322 that season on the way to a Hall of Fame career.
So, what do you think?
Are you in agreement with these five pictures, or are there others that you think should have made the top 5?
Let us know by heading over to our Contact page.
Either way, we hope you enjoyed this article and learned something from it! Thanks for reading.
Scott Perry
Scott Perry is the owner and lead author at Catchers Home. He's a former baseball player, a current coach, a husband and a Dad. He remains as passionate about baseball today as he was as a kid.
