Greatest A.L. catcher before Berra, and even better than his contemporary, the greatest N.L. catcher between the wars- Gabby Hartnett.

Learned how to catch after he arrived in the show. By his own admission he came to the majors as a poor defensive catcher and was moved to third, where he proved to be even worse. Because he was a great hitter, and had a rifle for an arm, the A's taught him how to catch, and once he learned he was excellent. A fierce competitor, he was one of the top catchers of his era.