Re: Joe Torre/Gary Carter HOF

> Is one of the edges Carter has the fact that he caught for virtually his entire
> career, whereas Torre eventually made the transition to the corners? Just
> though I'd bring this up for a possible discussion.

It's a big difference. Torre was a poor defensive catcher, which is why 
he didn't stay at the position. Torre had his best season in 1971, the 
first year he didn't catch. Carter was an excellent defensive catcher.

Torre was the better hitter. His career OPS was .817 compared to 
Carter's .774, and much of Torre's career was in a low-offense era. 
Torre's offensive peak was also better than Carter's peak. The offensive 
edge isn't huge, though, and good-hitting first basemen are easier to 
find than good-hitting catchers who play excellent defense.

>  Also, for what it's worth, I grew up a Yankee fan as well (on my father's
> side), but I'm not a huge fan of Torre as a manager. 

I give points to anyone who can manage for Steinbrenner for a long time 
without either getting fired or going crazy.

--
        -  Jeff Lichtman
           Author, Baseball for Rookies
           http://baseball-for-rookies.com/