Blame Yogi

The list is long and includes some that were good enough, some that were not good enough, and some that might have been good enough but were never tested. Included are Sherman Lollar, Aaron Robinson, Gus Niarhos, Clint Courtney, Gus Triandos, Lou Berberet, Darrell Johnson, Jesse Gonder, Billy Shantz, Elston Howard, Johnny Blanchard, and of course, Ralph Houk and Charlie Silvera. Some became fine players while others had undistinguished careers, but all were either traded or were forced to play a position other than catcher because of one man. That man was Yogi Berra.

Volumes have been written about Yogi Berra, but scant attention has been given to those who had to look elsewhere to make a living playing baseball. Let us examine briefly the players whose careers were affected significantly by the man who is becoming more of a legend with each passing day.

Yogi Berra became a Yankee in 1946, but he wasn’t their regular, full-time catcher until 1949. Aaron Robinson, an aging Bill Dickey, and twenty five year old Gus Niarhos shared the Yankees’ catching duties in 1946. Dickey retired after that season, is a member of Baseball’s Hall of Fame, and is considered one of the greatest catchers of all time.

Aaron Robinson was a decent left-handed hitter with some power, but his claim to fame is that he was traded for two of the best left-handed pitchers of the 1950s. In 1948, the Yankees traded Robinson to the Chicago White Sox for Eddie Lopat. It was one of the best deals the Yankees ever made because Lopat and his “junk” helped the Yankees win a record five straight World Championships.

Robinson didn’t remain in Chicago long. He was traded to Detroit for Billy Pierce in a trade that was as one sided as the Lopat deal. Pierce developed into an outstanding pitcher who was an ace for the White Sox and helped the San Francisco Giants win the pennant in 1962. Aaron Robinson finished a disappointing career with a lifetime batting average of .260 and only 61 homeruns.

Some of the players Yogi prevented from catching for the Yankees never excelled, either as Yankees or elsewhere. Gus Niahros was a journeyman who appeared in only 287 games, had a .252 lifetime batting average, and hit only one home run. Darrell Johnson appeared in only 77 games as a catcher, had a .234 lifetime batting average, and hit only two career home runs. Billy Shantz was with the Yankees for a single plate appearance in 1960, and Jesse Gonder, who is best known as a New York Mets catcher from 1963 to 1965 who couldn’t catch, appeared in only 22 games for the Yankees.

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