Thursday, September 29, 2016

#416 Johnny Edwards 


14 year veteran who was more proficient in the first third of his career than the remainder….Principle backstop for the Reds team of the early 60’s….good power and fair average augmented with all star berths and Gold Gloves…hit a wall in 1966….lost #1 status, sharing catching duties with Don Pavelich…1968 trade to Cards relegated him to backup to Tim McCarver….time in St. Louis was short lived and was traded to Astros who were cleaning house at catcher….regains bountiful playing time in the Lone Star State and is reestablished as Edwards as first string….considered by some as one the best defensive catchers ever but playing in the relative obscurity of Houston clouds such evaluations….neither hit as well for power or average in Houston when compared to the early years with the Reds….Personal best in a Astro uniform he hit .268 with 5 home runs and 40 RBIs…lost playing time thereafter….out of baseball after 1974....3rd Johnny profiled so far, all catchers.


2 comments:

  1. He broke a finger early in 1966, and wasn't the same afterwards. Then he lost the job to Johnny Bench as of Sept 1967.

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  2. good research! My collection of who's who in baseball (starting 1968) makes no mention of any time on the DL because of injury. Also no mention in his injury in his one write up in Complete Handbook Baseball 1971 edition.

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