Carlton Fisk
| Birthdate | 12/26/1947 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1969 |
| Year of Induction | 2000 |
| Teams | Red Sox, White Sox |
| Position | Catcher |
The first unanimous AL Rookie of the Year, Carlton Fisk was voted to the All Star game eleven times and won three Silver Slugger Awards.
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Fisk's first 11 big league seasons came with the Boston Red Sox
Fisk's first 11 big league seasons came with the Boston Red Sox
After playing 16 games for the Red Sox in 1969 and 1971, Carlton Fisk earned the starting spot at catcher for 1972. He responded with a Rookie of the Year campaign. An All Star and Gold Glover in ’72, Fisk slugged 22 homers with a league-leading 9 triples. His .293/.370/.538 slash line helped the writers unanimously select Fisk as the AL’s top rookie.
He continued that success throughout his tenure in Beantown. The catcher played at least 50 games in 9 of his 11 seasons with the Sox, hitting at least 10 home runs in each of those 9 campaigns. Selected to 7 All Star squads in that time, Fisk represented the club with class. When his time with the Bosox ended, Fisk had 1,097 hits, 162 homers, and 568 RBI.
After the end of the 1980 season, Fisk changed Sox and signed with Chicago’s American League team.
Imagine receiving a check for more than $8,000 to play baseball. That’s what Carlton Fisk got from the Red Sox on August 31, 1976 in this Boston payroll check. Fisk earned this money in his fourth All Star season in the country’s bicentennial year. Coming off of their World Series appearance from a year ago, the Sox finished a disappointing third in the American League East, though not fault of their All Star catcher.
Fisk spent more years with the White Sox and played more games in Chicago than Boston
Fisk spent more years with the White Sox and played more games in Chicago than Boston
On March 18, 1981 Carlton Fisk signed a five-year deal with the White Sox. The decision to leave Boston was a tough one for the catcher.
He explained the situation to the New York Times, ”To make an understatement, I had to make a monumental decision to leave Boston. It’s been very trying and rough on the entire family. A few months ago, I never could have visualized this scene taking place here today…Now I’m happy that the negotiations are over, and Chicago is, well, my town.”
The change of Sox was not the only difference for Fisk. After wearing #27 his entire career, Fisk flipped to #72. His previous number was already on the back of pitcher Ken Kravec. Fisk said the reversal came because his son Carson was born in ’72, the same year the catcher earned the Rookie of the Year Award.
Though remembered more for his time in Boston, Fisk played more years and more games in Chicago. An All Star in each of his first two seasons with the Pale Hose, Fisk led them to the Western Division title in 1983. His 26-homer, 86-RBI campaign led to a third-place finish in MVP voting.
After an injury-riddled 1984, Fisk changed his workout regimen. The result was a career year in ’85. The 37-year old set career-highs in homers and RBI and tied his best with 17 stolen bases. An All Star for the 10th time, Fisk earned the second of his three Silver Slugger Awards.
In 1990 Fisk broke Johnny Bench’s career home run record for catchers. His 328th bomb as a backstop came off of Charlie Hough. Before retiring, he extended the mark to 351 homers. Though Mike Piazza later broke Fisk’s mark, the Boston and Chicago AL man still holds the Junior Circuit record.
In 1991 Fisk earned the last of his 11 All Star nods. At 43 years old he became the oldest in MLB history to tally a hit in the Mid Summer Classic. Two years later on June 22, 1993 Fisk broke Bob Boone’s record for career games caught. Fisk held the mark until 2009 when Ivan Rodriguez passed it. Six days later Chicago released the 45-year old to end his big league career.
Shown here is the back of the check in the previous image. His autograph comes in the form of an endorsement for deposit.
Fisk's Game 6 homer in the 1975 World Series is one of baseball's most memorable hits.
Fisk's Game 6 homer in the 1975 World Series is one of baseball's most memorable hits.
Carlton Fisk’s most memorable moment came in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Facing elimination at the hands of the Big Red Machine, Boston looked to force a deciding Game 7. With the game tied at six-apiece, Fisk led off the bottom of the 12th inning at Fenway Park. After taking ball one, Fisk sent Pat Darcy’s next offering high into the air.
As it angled toward the foul pole, Fisk willed the ball fair, waving both hands toward the field of play. Announcer Dick Stockton made the call. “There it goes, a long drive…if it stays fair…home run! We will have a 7th Game in this 1975 World Series!”
The next night, Cincinnati prevailed 4-3, capping one of the sport’s greatest World Series. Though his walk-off dinger was all for naught, the image of fist watching the ball sail out of Fenway remains etched in the minds of a generation of baseball fans.
Shown here is a ticket that allowed a lucky fan into Fenway Park to witness Fisk’s momentous home run. His signature is authenticated by PSA/DNA as is the inscription, “Gm 6 WALK OFF HR STAY FAIR! STAY FAIR!”.
In 1990 Fisk broke Johnny Bench's record for most home runs by a catcher
In 1990 Fisk broke Johnny Bench's record for most home runs by a catcher
On August 17th, 1990 Carlton Fisk hit his 349th career home run and 328th while playing catcher. The long ball made him baseball’s all-time leader in home runs by a backstop. He surpassed contemporary and fellow Cooperstown catcher Johnny Bench.
The drive was the 187th for Fisk as a member of the Chicago White Sox. That put him #1 on the franchise list ahead of Hall of Famer Harold Baines who left the team the previous season. Interestingly, Chicago reacquired Baines who went on to wrest the record away from Fisk in 1997. Since than a handful of players have passed both Baines and Fisk.
Shown here is a correspondence between quite possibly the greatest defenders at two positions, Bench, and Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson. The Human Vacuum Cleaner mailed current and former stars of the game requesting their consent to lend their name to the Babe Ruth Advisory Board. Johnny Bench agreed to this, writing, “Brooks, if you think it’s ok, it’s ok.”
At the bottom, Bench pens his signature and writes his Cincinnati address.
In 1991 Carlton Fisk became the oldest player in big league history to hit a grand slam
In 1991 Carlton Fisk became the oldest player in big league history to hit a grand slam
After breaking Johnny Bench’s mark for most home runs by a catcher, Carlton Fisk snatched another home run record from a Reds slugger the following year. The Bench-clearing home came on August 17, 1990. Fourteen months later on October 3, 1991 Fisk hit the last of his five career grand slams. At 43 years, 283 days of age, Fisk became the oldest player in big league history to clout a homer with the bases loaded.
Fisk took the record away from Bench’s Cincinnati teammate Tony Perez who was one day shy of his 43rd birthday when he cracked the sixth and final grand slam of his Hall of Fame career.
Shown here is a 1986 Topps card signed by Perez. It commemorates Tony’s grand dinger of May 13, 1985. That night Perez broke Honus Wagner‘s 70-year-old mark set in 1915 when the Flying Dutchman was 41.
An active big leaguer from 1969-1993, Fisk is one of three catchers to play in four different decades
An active big leaguer from 1969-1993, Fisk is one of three catchers to play in four different decades
By playing from 1969-1993, Carlton joined the exclusive group of big leaguers who appeared in four decades. What sets his feat apart is playing the game’s most physically-demanding position.
The only other catchers with membership in the four-decade club are Rick Dempsey and Tim McCarver.
The 1983 Fall Classic MVP, Dempsey was is a two-time World Series champion. His career spanned 1969-1992.
Two-time All Star McCarver hit .478 in the 1964 Cardinals October triumph over the New York Yankees. In 1967 he earned another ring in St. Louis’ defeat of the Impossible Dream Red Sox.
The following season the pennant-winning Cardinals came up short against the Tigers. It was no fault of McCarver who put up a slash line of .333/.400/.593.
Shown here is a Topps baseball card signed by McCarver commemorating his 5th-inning three-run homer in Game 3 of the ’68 World Series.
Carlton Fisk was ejected 9 times in 2,499 MLB contests; the last came in May, 1993
Carlton Fisk was ejected 9 times in 2,499 MLB contests; the last came in May, 1993
Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk enjoyed a 24-year career spanning 2,499 games. The backstop was ejected 9 times as a major leaguer, the last of which came courtesy of home plate umpire Larry Young on May 8, 1993.
That night Fisk was catching when Cleveland’s Lance Parrish stepped into the batters box with men on first and third and two out in the second inning. White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell fired in a 2-2 offering that Fisk believed was strike three. Umpire young called it a ball and Fisk vehemently disagreed. Young tossed the 45-year old Fisk, ending the catcher’s night.
That contest was Fisk’s 2,212th game as a big league catcher, putting him just 13 games behind Bob Boone’s all time mark for games played at the position.
In the collection is the lineup car that hung in the Indians dugout that night in Chicago. Notice Fisk batting 8th for the White Sox with his name crossed out and that of his replacement Ron Karkovice listed below him.
In less games at catcher than Fisk, Mike Piazza surpassed his catcher home run record
In less games at catcher than Fisk, Mike Piazza surpassed his catcher home run record
Carlton Fisk ended his 24-year playing career with 351 home runs as a catcher, the most ever by a man at his position. Adding in 25 more homers he hit in the 273 games he appeared in elsewhere on the diamond pushes his career total to 376.
Fisk held the catcher’s mark for dingers until May 5, 2004 when Mets backstop Mike Piazza passed him. Playing in the high-octane steroid era, Piazza slugged 399 home runs as a catcher and 426 overall. He accomplished this in 2,108 less plate appearances than Fisk. Piazza remains the standard bearer for slugging catchers.
A 62nd-round draft pick in the 1988, Piazza had a breakout season in 1991 with the Single-A Bakersfield Dodgers. The catcher broke double figures in homers for the first time as a pro. He hit 29 bombs with 80 RBI. In ’92 he was promoted to Double-A then on to Triple-A the same season.
At Triple-A Albuquerque the Dodgers sent scout Gary Sutherland to assess Piazza’s readiness for the Major Leagues. Sutherland liked what he saw. In the scouting report above dated September, 1992 he reported, “Making great progress – will develop into a good ML hitter w/above average power”.
Sutherland goes on to praise the catcher but ends his report with, “Part of another season at 3A would probably help him.” Piazza began the next season not at Triple-A, but in the Major Leagues. He ended the season as the unanimous Rookie of the Year after posting a .318 average, 32 homers, and 112 RBI.
Since retirement many fine players have passed Fisk on the all-time leaderboards
Since retirement many fine players have passed Fisk on the all-time leaderboards
Carlton Fisk retired as Major League Baseball’s career leader in home runs by a catcher with 351 long balls. While not fielding the position, Fisk hit an additional 25 bombs to extend his career total to 376.
With the high-octane steroid era, along with the focus on launch-angle and home runs, many of his career numbers have been surpassed.
In the collection is this lineup card from 8/18/2000 when Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa knocked a pair of homers to bring his total to 376, enough to tie the Hall of Fame catcher. Both of Sosa’s shots came off of Arizona’s Curt Schilling who pitched a complete game to help the D-Backs to an 11-2 win. Sosa ended his career in 2007 with 609 home runs.
Sosa’s first homer broke a tie with Rocky Colavito on the all-time list. The lineup card is signed by Cubs manager, former MVP Don Baylor.
