Damn close second for best catcher, Bench was better but not by much. Believe Stengel said it best when he said "I never play a game without my man."

Caught the ONLY no no in WS history. Gimme a break.

Tremendous catcher, the best in history with the possible exception of Johnny Bench. And it's not just that I'm a Yankee fan.

Take an objective look at the numbers, the awards, the leadership. And Casey Stengel's comment about him that he never played a big game "without my man."

Colorful player best known for the funny malapropisms that "alpepper" noted below, and for being a part of so many championship clubs. A great bad ball hitter and a good receiver who also managed, rather successfully, though he never won a Series. Among the very, very greatest catchers ever.

He was good but again not a Bench, Fisk or Munson.

Yogi Berra I know more from perusing stats on baseball reference rather than watching him play. in fact my only clip of Berra is as a left-fielder looking hapless as Bill Mazeroski's homer went over the wall in forbes field giving the buccos the 1960 WS championship(a moment still marked in the city by diehards who sit at the wall and listen to the boradcast). that said, i probably have no business commenting on berra.

One of only 2 catchers (Roy Campanella the other) ever to win 3 MVPs. That's saying something. Holder of beaucoup World Series batting records. That's also saying something. Bench may get the edge as the greatest all-around catcher of all-time. But Yogi is a close second. His greatest contribution to our culture may just be his malapropisms (or Yogiisms). I use them all of the time. My favorite is, No one goes to that restaurant any more; it's too crowded. When presented a compendum of Yogiisms, Berra replied, I really didn't say everything I said.

In any reasonable analysis of the greatest catchers ever, the discussion has to come down to Bench and Berra. I'd give the nod to Bench, but if you had to live with Berra in the tools of ignorance, you'd be damn well served. A true gamer, Stengel loved to have him in the lineup, even when he rested him in the outfield.

His ability under stress and team leadership while being outshined by bigger names cannot be ignored.