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sayitaintsojoe...Joe Torre's numbers are often overlooked.
remember that the hieght of his career was during a Pitching dominant era, and that he was one of the most productive catchers offensively in that era.
Was a smart player behind the plate, on the bases and pretty handy at 1st base and even gave his team an extra 3rd baseman...and won an MVP award in '71.
Regardless of Bill James almighty theoretical formulas, one must consider:
RANKINGS FOR CATCHERS DURING 1960S: 1st in AB (4302), R (542), H (1261), 1B (891), 2B (183), HR (160), HR% (3.72), RBI (653), AVG (.293), SLG (.460), OBA (.357), OPS (.817), TB (1978), EBH (370) ; 2nd in G (1196); 3rd in 3B (27), BB (400)
now compare Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk and the other catchers with marginal offensive stats.