In baseball statistics, a double play (denoted as DP) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. One double play is recorded for every defensive player who participates in the play, regardless of how many of the outs in which they were directly involved, and is counted in addition to whatever putouts and assists might also apply. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.[1] The catcher is a defensive position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his/her turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher.[2] In addition to these primary duties, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2.
Catchers typically record double plays by throwing out a runner attempting to steal a base immediately after the batter has struck out, by tagging out a runner attempting to score a run after receiving a throw from an outfielder on an attempted sacrifice fly, by stepping on home plate to force out a runner with the bases loaded and then throwing out another runner (often the batter trying to reach first base), or by tagging out a runner attempting to score after an out has been recorded at another base. Double plays are also occasionally recorded when a rundown play is involved, almost always as the second out. On August 2, 1985, Carlton Fisk of the Chicago White Sox recorded a double play by tagging out two New York Yankees moments apart at home plate when both tried to score on a double.[3] The feat was duplicated by Paul Lo Duca of the New York Mets in Game 1 of the 2006 National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.[4]
Many of the career leaders were active during baseball's dead-ball era when runners made more aggressive attempts to advance around the bases in risky situations; 13 of the top 18 single-season totals, and 28 of the top 37, were recorded before 1928.[5] Ray Schalk holds the record for the most career double plays by a catcher with 222.[6] Steve O'Neill is second with 198;[7] only seven other catchers have recorded 150 career double plays.
Rank | Rank among leaders in career double plays. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2024 DPs) | Recorded double plays in 2024 |
MLB | Total career double plays as a catcher in Major League Baseball |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame |
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Bold | Denotes active player[a] |
Rank | Player (2024 DPs) | Double plays as a catcher | Other leagues, notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MLB | American League | National League | |||
1 | Ray Schalk* | 222 | 222 | 0 | Held the American League single-season record, 1913-1914 (tie) |
2 | Steve O'Neill | 198 | 198 | 0 | Held major league record, 1920-1923; held American League record, 1917-1923; holds the single-season record of 36 (set in 1916) |
3 | Yogi Berra* | 175 | 175 | 0 | |
4 | Gabby Hartnett* | 163 | 0 | 163 | |
5 | Iván Rodríguez* | 158 | 136 | 22 | |
6 | Tony Peña | 156 | 64 | 92 | |
7 | Bob Boone | 154 | 87 | 67 | |
Wally Schang | 154 | 154 | 0 | ||
9 | Jimmie Wilson | 153 | 0 | 153 | Held National League record, 1935-1938 |
10 | Gary Carter* | 149 | 0 | 149 | |
11 | Jason Kendall | 148 | 30 | 118 | |
12 | Carlton Fisk* | 147 | 147 | 0 | |
13 | Jim Sundberg | 145 | 142 | 3 | |
14 | Deacon McGuire | 143 | 32 | 90 | Includes 21 in American Association; held major league record, 1904-1920 |
15 | Rollie Hemsley | 141 | 97 | 44 | |
Ivey Wingo | 141 | 0 | 141 | Held National League record, 1924-1935 | |
17 | Rick Ferrell* | 139 | 139 | 0 | |
Muddy Ruel | 139 | 139 | 0 | ||
Luke Sewell | 139 | 139 | 0 | ||
20 | Bill Dickey* | 137 | 137 | 0 | |
Al López* | 137 | 1 | 136 | ||
Yadier Molina | 137 | 0 | 137 | ||
23 | Jim Hegan | 136 | 130 | 6 | |
24 | Charles Zimmer | 135 | 0 | 128 | Includes 7 in American Association; held major league record, 1900-1904; held National League record, 1901-1924; held the single-season record, 1894-1897 |
25 | Lance Parrish | 133 | 117 | 16 | |
26 | Brad Ausmus | 130 | 17 | 113 | |
Benito Santiago | 130 | 13 | 117 | ||
28 | Bill Killefer | 129 | 18 | 111 | |
29 | Johnny Bench* | 127 | 0 | 127 | |
Johnny Kling | 127 | 0 | 127 | Held the single-season record, 1902-1909 (tie), 1912-1914; held the National League single-season record, 1912-1922 | |
31 | Red Dooin | 122 | 0 | 122 | Held the single-season record, 1908-1909 (tie) |
32 | Del Crandall | 116 | 2 | 114 | |
33 | Charlie Bennett | 114 | 0 | 114 | Held major league record, 1887-1900 |
34 | George Gibson | 112 | 0 | 112 | |
Heinie Peitz | 112 | 0 | 112 | ||
36 | Rick Dempsey | 111 | 100 | 11 | |
Wilbert Robinson* | 111 | 8 | 46 | Includes 57 in American Association | |
John Roseboro | 111 | 22 | 89 | ||
Billy Sullivan | 111 | 98 | 13 | Held the American League single-season record, 1901–1907 | |
40 | Frank Snyder | 108 | 0 | 108 | |
41 | Charles Johnson | 107 | 21 | 86 | |
Ernie Lombardi* | 107 | 0 | 107 | ||
Cy Perkins | 107 | 107 | 0 | ||
Hank Severeid | 107 | 103 | 4 | ||
45 | Bill Bergen | 106 | 0 | 106 | Held the single-season record, 1909-1912 |
Frankie Hayes | 106 | 106 | 0 | ||
47 | Frank Bowerman | 105 | 0 | 105 | |
Johnny Edwards | 105 | 0 | 105 | ||
Larry McLean | 105 | 0 | 105 | Held the single-season record, 1910-1912 (tie) | |
Oscar Stanage | 105 | 105 | 0 | ||
51 | Mickey Cochrane* | 104 | 104 | 0 | |
Darrell Porter | 104 | 76 | 28 | ||
Ted Simmons* | 104 | 16 | 88 | ||
54 | Lou Criger | 102 | 78 | 24 | |
Duke Farrell | 102 | 7 | 78 | Includes 12 in Players' League, 5 in American Association | |
56 | Sherm Lollar | 101 | 101 | 0 | |
Bob O'Farrell | 101 | 0 | 101 | Held the National League single-season record, 1922-1968 | |
A. J. Pierzynski | 101 | 82 | 19 | ||
59 | Malachi Kittridge | 100 | 15 | 85 | |
Gus Mancuso | 100 | 0 | 100 | ||
Jack Warner | 100 | 21 | 79 | Held the single-season record, 1897-1909 | |
62 | Eddie Ainsmith | 99 | 79 | 20 | |
Chief Meyers | 99 | 0 | 99 | ||
64 | Bill Freehan | 98 | 98 | 0 | |
65 | Spud Davis | 97 | 0 | 97 | |
Mike Scioscia | 97 | 0 | 97 | ||
67 | Roger Bresnahan* | 96 | 3 | 93 | |
68 | Jack Clements | 94 | 0 | 94 | |
69 | Hank Gowdy | 93 | 0 | 93 | |
Ramón Hernández | 93 | 66 | 27 | ||
Mickey Owen | 93 | 4 | 89 | ||
72 | Mike González | 92 | 0 | 92 | |
Terry Kennedy | 92 | 14 | 78 | ||
Buddy Rosar | 92 | 92 | 0 | ||
75 | Mike Piazza* | 88 | 0 | 88 | |
Butch Wynegar | 88 | 88 | 0 | ||
77 | Elston Howard | 87 | 87 | 0 | Negro League totals unavailable |
Birdie Tebbetts | 87 | 87 | 0 | ||
79 | Roy Campanella* | 86 | 0 | 82 | Includes 4 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
Tom Haller | 86 | 1 | 85 | Holds the National League single-season record of 23 (set in 1968) | |
Otto Miller | 86 | 0 | 86 | ||
Jocko Milligan | 86 | 0 | 15 | Includes 58 in American Association, 13 in the Players' League | |
83 | Mike Matheny | 85 | 22 | 63 | |
Walter Schmidt | 85 | 0 | 85 | ||
85 | Brian McCann | 84 | 18 | 66 | |
Joe Sugden | 84 | 36 | 48 | ||
87 | Bill Rariden | 83 | 0 | 51 | Includes 32 in Federal League |
Zack Taylor | 83 | 0 | 83 | ||
Sammy White | 83 | 79 | 4 | ||
90 | Doc Bushong | 82 | 0 | 41 | Includes 40 in American Association, 1 in National Association; held major league record, 1886-1887; held the single-season record, 1886-1887 |
Kirt Manwaring | 82 | 0 | 82 | ||
Thurman Munson | 82 | 82 | 0 | ||
Wes Westrum | 82 | 0 | 82 | ||
94 | John Bateman | 81 | 0 | 81 | |
Jorge Posada | 81 | 81 | 0 | ||
96 | Walker Cooper | 80 | 0 | 80 | |
Andy Seminick | 80 | 0 | 80 | ||
98 | Clay Dalrymple | 79 | 3 | 76 | |
99 | Henry Blanco | 78 | 11 | 67 | |
Buck Ewing* | 78 | 0 | 71 | Includes 7 in Players' League | |
Russell Martin | 78 | 27 | 51 |
Player | Double plays as a catcher | Other leagues, notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
MLB | American League | National League | ||
Connie Mack* | 71 | 0 | 58 | Includes 13 in Players' League |
King Kelly* | 57 | 0 | 44 | Includes 11 in American Association, 2 in Players' League |
Joe Torre* | 57 | 0 | 57 | |
Deacon White* | 40 | 0 | 17 | Includes 23 in National Association |
Joe Mauer* | 39 | 39 | 0 | |
Josh Gibson* | 35 | 0 | 0 | Includes 35 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
Biz Mackey* | 35 | 0 | 0 | Includes 13 in Negro National League (first), 11 in Eastern Colored League, 7 in Negro National League (second), 4 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
Craig Biggio* | 20 | 0 | 20 | |
Jim O'Rourke* | 16 | 0 | 13 | Includes 3 in National Association |
Jimmie Foxx* | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
Louis Santop* | 1 | 0 | 0 | Includes 1 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete) |
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