Josh and Johnny

I agree with Scoop. Somewhat. I can't disagree that Josh Gibson could have easily won this one. He was absolutely the greatest player in the Negro Leagues, bar none. Did he hit a ball OUT of Yankee Stadium? Major League Baseball says no, but they can't even figure out if Ruth really did call his shot in Wrigley in the '32 World Series, and they have FILM of that!! So I don't know, maybe he did, maybe he didn't. I don't know if he hit 950 or 1000 homers either. But, as the good Uncle said, the evidence is just too overwhelming to chalk it all up to legend.

The Negro League did have its share of legendary feats that may just be pushing the limits of reality. They said Cool Papa Bell was so fast that he could turn off the light in his bedroom and be under the covers before it got dark. They also said he was hurt one day when he hit a line drive up the middle and the ball hit him in the head when he was sliding into second base. Okay, so maybe these two are stretching it a little bit. But Gibson was the man. Negro League players have said that he had the power of Ruth and the hitting ability of Williams. Not too shabby.

Bench, however, had the opportunity that Gibson never got. He played in the Major Leagues where all his stats were recorded with diligence. With apologies to Morgan and Rose, he was the main piston in the Big Red Machine. I am also a big believer that a player must be excellent defensively to deserve any support for "best all-time". That consideration alone knocks Piazza out of contention. I'm not sure Mike could throw ME out if I got a good enough jump. Bench didn't have that problem. For you baseball fans who know today's game but aren't aware of its history, Bench was Pudge Rodriguez when it came to throwing out runners. Just like they do today with Pudge, opposing teams were afraid to run when Johnny was behind the dish. And I think that's a HUGE part of a catcher's responsibility. Now while he wasn't quite as good as Piazza at the plate, Bench was close enough to deserve the title of Best All Around Catcher. I believe that catcher, along with maybe shortstop, is a position that requires just as much skill on defense as offense in order to be considered the best. So let's see, on offense, Bench was close to Piazza, who is the best hitting catcher ever, and was equal to Rodriguez on defense, who might be the best ever on defense. Yep, I think he gets the nod.

Speaking of Pudge, does anyone remember that he was only 19 when he caught Nolan's seventh no hitter? I remember thinking at the time that "Hey this kid might be pretty good". Just another example of my marvelous ability for understatements.

Another age thing: Josh Gibson was 15(!) when he first started playing with Pittsburgh in the Negro Leagues. He was 18 when he wound up with the Homestead Grays. He was only 35 when he died, just a few months before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. Power is one of the last things to go for a baseball player, so maybe Josh could have hit a couple of hundred homers in the majors if he had lived and, if he had, maybe this poll would have only had one nominee.

Note to Mike Piazza: I know you read the Fun House every day, so let me give you some advice. Get the hell out from behind the plate. Johnny Bench retired at 35. Why? Because his knees could no longer take the rigors of catching. You want to have better numbers than anyone else to wear the mask? Do the rest of it at first base. Todd Zeile ain't exactly Lou Gehrig. I know you could do just as good a job defensively as he does.

New poll goes to fantasyland. Who is the best superhero of all time? And by that, I mean who would you most like to be? Send your noms to me in an email. I appreciate all the regulars who send in noms for every poll. You guys can also send in topics if you like. I am open to anything. I can't promise I'lll know a lot about it to write a follow-up, but I will always give it a shot.

Poll Topic: Greatest 20th Century Catcher
Johnny Bench	50.2% - (172 Votes)
Yogi Berra	16.6% - (57 Votes)
Josh Gibson	8.7% - (30 Votes)
Carlton Fisk	7.3% - (25 Votes)
Roy Campanella	5.5% - (19 Votes)
Ivan Rodriguez	4.6% - (16 Votes)
Mickey Cochrane	2.6% - (9 Votes)
Mike Piazza	2% - (7 Votes)
Bill Dickey	1.1% - (4 Votes)
Gabby Hartnett	0.8% - (3 Votes)
Total Votes: 342