Description
Bill Bergen born William Aloysius Bergen
Born: June 13, 1878 in North Brookfield, MA
Died: December 19, 1943 in Worcester, MA
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Position: Catcher
Played For:
Cincinnati Reds (1901–1903)
Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers (1904–1911)
Biography:
Bergen was a fine defensive catcher whose dubious claim to fame was his offensive ineptitude. No one played in the major leagues as long as Bill Bergen and hit so poorly. Bergen had 3,028 career at-bats, during which he compiled a batting average of .170, a record low for players with more than 2,500 plate appearances. Despite his lack of batting skills, Bergen remained an active major leaguer for so long because he played in an era when pitching dominated and he was a first-rate defensive catcher. In 1908, The Sporting News called him one of the best catchers in the game. Charles Faber, in his book Baseball Ratings, called Bergen the third-best defensive catcher in history, behind Gabby Hartnett and Pop Snyder, and ahead of Johnny Edwards and Roy Campanella.
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