We all have acknowledged the fact that longtime Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez holds the MLB record for the most games caught. On 6/17/2009, Rodriguez caught his 2227th career game, moving past Carlton Fisk who had 2226 games behind the plate. Bob Boone finished his career with 2225, while Gary Carter had 2056 and Jason Kendall 2025.
While totaling up all the games played in the minors (Mexican game stats count under minor leagues) and majors, none of the five mentioned hold the crown. In fact, when totaling the games played in both the minors and majors, the list becomes a little different. Rounding out the top ten catchers in games caught are 6. Tony Pena (1950), 7. Brad Ausmus (1938), 8. Jim Sundberg (1927), 9. Al Lopez (1918) and 10. Benito Santiago (1917).
Combining minor league, Mexican League and minor leagues games caught the list looks like this in reverse: 10. Kendall (2290), 9. Carter (2316), 8. Santiago (2341), 7. Boone (2394), 6. Lopez (2425), 5. Ausmus (2428), 4. Pena (2430), 3. Fisk (2527), 2. Rodriguez (2671). The catcher who has caught the most games is Frank Estrada, who has a total of 2847 games caught in the minor leagues, Mexican and big leagues. Unfortunately, Estrada's MLB career consisted of 1 game played in 1971 for the New York Mets. Frank's career lasted over 30 seasons, having started in Mexico in 1964 lasting through the 1994 season, when he was 46 years old.
Estrada was sent to the Mets in an unknown transaction before the 1971 season. Prior to that, he had spent the past 5 (and 6 of the last 7) seasons in the Mexican League. Estrada will be forever known as being part of the trade that sent Nolan Ryan to the Mets for Jim Fregosi. Estrada, Don Rose and Leroy Stanton were also sent to the Angels. While the other players remained with their new teams through at least the entire 1972 season, Estrada was dealt by the Angels on May 29, 1972 to the Orioles in a deal for pitcher Tom Dukes. Then, after the 1972 season, he was traded again- this time to the Chicago Cubs for catcher Elrod Hendricks.
Estrada failed to return to the Major Leagues in 1972 and 1973 for either the Angels, Orioles or Cubs despite putting up decent to very good numbers. For the 1974 season, he returned to Mexico, playing for the Puebla Pericos from 1974-1980. He joined the Campeche Pirates from 1981-1983 before splitting the 1984 season with the Leon Bravos and the Toluca Truchas. He returned to Campeche where he spent 1985-1988, before going to Leon from 1989-1991. Estrada would finish his professional career with the Minatitlan Petroleros from 1992-1994.
Amazing how a catcher can spend 30 years behind the player. For Frank Estrada, it was his job. He was a catcher, not just a baseball player. If he was not catching, he was not playing somewhere else on the field, even as he got older. You have to do nothing but catch to spend 2848 games behind the plate.
While totaling up all the games played in the minors (Mexican game stats count under minor leagues) and majors, none of the five mentioned hold the crown. In fact, when totaling the games played in both the minors and majors, the list becomes a little different. Rounding out the top ten catchers in games caught are 6. Tony Pena (1950), 7. Brad Ausmus (1938), 8. Jim Sundberg (1927), 9. Al Lopez (1918) and 10. Benito Santiago (1917).
Combining minor league, Mexican League and minor leagues games caught the list looks like this in reverse: 10. Kendall (2290), 9. Carter (2316), 8. Santiago (2341), 7. Boone (2394), 6. Lopez (2425), 5. Ausmus (2428), 4. Pena (2430), 3. Fisk (2527), 2. Rodriguez (2671). The catcher who has caught the most games is Frank Estrada, who has a total of 2847 games caught in the minor leagues, Mexican and big leagues. Unfortunately, Estrada's MLB career consisted of 1 game played in 1971 for the New York Mets. Frank's career lasted over 30 seasons, having started in Mexico in 1964 lasting through the 1994 season, when he was 46 years old.
Estrada was sent to the Mets in an unknown transaction before the 1971 season. Prior to that, he had spent the past 5 (and 6 of the last 7) seasons in the Mexican League. Estrada will be forever known as being part of the trade that sent Nolan Ryan to the Mets for Jim Fregosi. Estrada, Don Rose and Leroy Stanton were also sent to the Angels. While the other players remained with their new teams through at least the entire 1972 season, Estrada was dealt by the Angels on May 29, 1972 to the Orioles in a deal for pitcher Tom Dukes. Then, after the 1972 season, he was traded again- this time to the Chicago Cubs for catcher Elrod Hendricks.
Estrada failed to return to the Major Leagues in 1972 and 1973 for either the Angels, Orioles or Cubs despite putting up decent to very good numbers. For the 1974 season, he returned to Mexico, playing for the Puebla Pericos from 1974-1980. He joined the Campeche Pirates from 1981-1983 before splitting the 1984 season with the Leon Bravos and the Toluca Truchas. He returned to Campeche where he spent 1985-1988, before going to Leon from 1989-1991. Estrada would finish his professional career with the Minatitlan Petroleros from 1992-1994.
Amazing how a catcher can spend 30 years behind the player. For Frank Estrada, it was his job. He was a catcher, not just a baseball player. If he was not catching, he was not playing somewhere else on the field, even as he got older. You have to do nothing but catch to spend 2848 games behind the plate.
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