Jump to content

List of Major League Baseball career passed balls leaders

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pop Snyder, the all-time leader in career passed balls

In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances. A runner who advances due to a passed ball is not credited with a stolen base unless he breaks for the base before the pitcher begins his delivery. A passed ball may be scored when a runner on first, second, or third base reaches the next base on a bobble or missed catch by the catcher, or when the batter-runner reaches first base on an uncaught third strike (see also Strikeout).

The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century, when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to steadily gain acceptance in the 1880s, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. Other protective equipment for catchers was also gradually introduced; the first masks were developed in the late 1870s, with improvements in the 1890s, but shin guards were not introduced to the major leagues until 1907. The top 47 players in career passed balls all played primarily in the 19th century, with two-thirds playing their entire careers prior to 1894; only eight were active after 1900, and none were active after 1912.

Pop Snyder, who retired in 1891 with a record 877 games as a catcher, is the all-time leader in passed balls with 763, nearly four times as many as any catcher who began their career after 1915. Silver Flint, who ended his career in 1889, is second with 639, and holds the National League record of 602. Lance Parrish has the most passed balls (192) of any catcher after 1915, and holds the American League record of 158.

Key

[edit]
Rank Rank amongst leaders in career passed balls allowed. A blank field indicates a tie.
Player Name of the player
PB Total career passed balls allowed
* Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

List

[edit]
Yasmani Grandal, the active leader in passed balls and tied for 128th all-time.
  • Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.
Rank Player PB
1 Pop Snyder 763
2 Silver Flint 639
3 Doc Bushong 553
4 Deacon White* 505
5 Deacon McGuire 500
6 Wilbert Robinson* 491
7 King Kelly* 420
8 Jack Clements 417
9 Jocko Milligan 406
10 Bill Holbert 403
11 John Clapp 393
12 Barney Gilligan 377
13 Fred Carroll 369
14 Buck Ewing* 360
15 Chief Zimmer 355
16 Charlie Bennett 352
17 Doggie Miller 346
18 Kid Baldwin 331
19 Connie Mack* 310
20 Jack Boyle 303
21 Jack O'Connor 288
22 Duke Farrell 286
23 Jack O'Brien 279
24 Jim Keenan 278
25 Pat Deasley 274
26 Rudy Kemmler 273
27 Paul Cook 257
Emil Gross 257
Bill Traffley 257
30 George Myers 256
31 Con Daily 254
32 Sam Trott 249
33 Charlie Reipschlager 245
34 Chris Fulmer 244
35 Fatty Briody 243
36 Jack Rowe 240
37 Lew Brown 236
Mert Hackett 236
Ed Whiting 236
40 Dan Sullivan 225
41 Scott Hastings 224
42 Jackie Hayes 218
43 Farmer Vaughn 207
44 Jim O'Rourke* 203
45 Malachi Kittridge 202
46 John Kelly 198
47 Pop Schriver 194
48 Lance Parrish 192
49 Tom Dolan 190
50 Bob Clark 183
Rank Player PB
51 Jack Ryan 182
Ted Simmons* 182
53 Charlie Ganzel 180
John Kerins 180
55 Ed McFarland 176
56 Jim Donahue 173
57 Nat Hicks 169
58 Jimmy Peoples 168
59 Doug Allison 166
Frank Bowerman 166
61 Heinie Peitz 163
62 Lave Cross 157
Mike Hines 157
Benito Santiago 157
65 Tom Daly 155
66 Dick Higham 152
Ernie Lombardi* 152
Sleeper Sullivan 152
69 John Grim 151
70 Jack Warner 147
71 Steve O'Neill 145
72 Bill Harbridge 144
73 Rick Ferrell* 142
Jorge Posada 142
Sy Sutcliffe 142
76 Billy Sullivan 140
77 Dick Buckley 139
Red Dooin 139
Frankie Hayes 139
80 Gus Triandos 138
81 Frank Ringo 136
82 Phil Powers 135
83 Tom Gunning 133
84 Tim McCarver 132
Darrell Porter 132
86 Tom Kinslow 131
Wally Schang 131
88 Jim Sundberg 130
89 Roger Bresnahan* 129
Carlton Fisk* 129
91 Boileryard Clarke 128
Pop Tate 128
93 Johnny Kling 127
Iván Rodríguez* 127
95 Gabby Hartnett* 126
96 Ed Herrmann 125
Fergy Malone 125
98 Joe Crotty 123
99 Tom Haller 121
J. C. Martin 121

Other Hall of Famers

[edit]
Player PB Other leagues, notes
MLB American League National League
Mike Piazza* 102 0 102
Ray Schalk* 97 97 0
Johnny Bench* 94 0 94
Mickey Cochrane* 88 88 0
Joe Torre* 87 0 87
Gary Carter* 84 0 84
Yogi Berra* 76 76 0
Bill Dickey* 76 76 0
Al López* 66 0 66
Roy Campanella* 64 0 56 Includes 8 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete)


Sources

[edit]