Catcher Comparison

Catcher A - first six full seasons with the Red Sox - 647 games, 69 HR, 287 RBI, .274 batting average.

Catcher B - first six full seasons with the Red Sox - 694 games, 79 HR, 345 RBI, .265 batting average.

So far Catcher B looks like the better player. How about if I tell you that both players were universally praised by their pitching staffs? Still pretty equal but an edge has to still be with Catcher B. How about if I tell you that at the end of their first six years with the Red Sox Catcher A was only 26 and that Catcher B was 31? That changes it a little. How about if I added that Catcher A was named to the All-Star team twice but Catcher B was just named a single time?

Dispassionately you might say that Catcher A might be the better value after six seasons with the Red Sox because of his age - but when you know that Catcher A is Rich Gedman and Catcher B is Jason Varitek - I bet most of you who hadn't already figured this out did a 180 change of opinion and decided that this information has no value.

Does this information have value? Maybe and maybe I was just bored and curious and maybe this information cannot be viewed in any proper context (and maybe I went to the same high school as Rich Gedman and am predisposed to defend him or sing his praises).

I do know that a wrist injury robbed Gedman of his hitting ability (and turned him into a much mocked one handed swinger). I also know that Bill James often looks at a player's best three seasons as a way of comparing players from the same position. Lets take a look at Gedman's best three seasons vs. Varitek's.

Gedman:

1984 - 24 HR, 72 RBI, .269 BA, 118 OPS+
1985 - 18 HR, 80 RBI, .295 BA, 126 OPS+
1986 - 16 HR, 65 RBI, .258 BA, 100 OPS+

Varitek:

1999 - 20 HR, 76 RBI, .269 BA, 100 OPS+
2003 - 25 HR, 85 RBI, .273 BA, 120 OPS+
2004 - 18 HR, 73 RBI, .296 BA, 121 OPS+

The numbers again are pretty even.

Maybe all this excercise proves is that Rich Gedman was a pretty good catcher at his peak or maybe all this information does is raise the question, "How much would you pay Rich Gedman in today's market?" That question has bearing on Varitek because if he is just the equal of Gedman then maybe he shouldn't expect to get paid like Carlton Fisk in his prime.