04/28/2020 5:04 AM Article By: CCBL Public Relations Office
TOP CATCHERS (1925-2020)
James Francis "Shanty" Hogan led Osterville Townies to three straight Cape League titles 1923-25. The 6-1, 240-pound Hogan, who played with CCBL Hall of Famer Danny "Deacon MacFayden at Somerville HS and Osterville, made MLB debut with Boston Braves on June 23, 1925 and played 13-year MLB career with Braves (twice), Giants and Senators, with career batting average of .295, 61 HR and 474 RBI. Best season came in 1930 when he hit .339 with 13 HR and 75 RBI and also hit ..333 with 10 HR and 71 RBI in 1928 and hit over .300 six times during his MLB career. He died in Boston at age 61 in 1967.
Tom Weir (BYU) - Won 1966 CCBL batting title with a .420 batting average, leading Chatham to a 30-4 record and East Division title before losing to Falmouth in championship series. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox, the 6-1, 200-pound Weir played for Winston-Salem in the Carolina League and Auburn in the NY-Penn League and inducted into Cape League Hall of Fame in 2010.
Thurman Munson (Kent St.) - Munson is considered one of best players in Cape League history, hitting .420 in 1967, leading Chatham A's to a 30-9 record and CCBL title over Falmouth. Munson was named League MVP and drafted in first round of MLB Draft by New York Yankees, where he became a 7-time All-Star and Team Captain. He was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1970 and AL MVP in 1976, compiling a career .292 batting avg., with 113 HR and 701 RBI with three straight Gold Glove Awards and led NY to three straight AL pennants and World Series title in 1977-78. The Cape League batting champion is named after Munson and he was inaugural member of the Cape League Hall of Fame in 2000.
Bill Schroeder (Clemson) - "Rock" Schroeder enjoyed banner season in 1978 for the Hyannis Mets, slugging a league-leading 15 HR's and 38 RBI while being named the league's MVP and Top Pro Prospect. He led Hyannis to a 31-11 record and the CCBL title. Schroder was drafted by Milwaukee Brewers and played eight MLB seasons where he hit .240 with 61 HR and 152 RBI and is a broadcaster for the Brewers on Fox Sports Wisconsin.
Matt Wieters (Georgia Tech) - The 6'5" 230-pound catcher hit .307 with eight homers and 21 RBI for the Orleans Cardinals in 2006. Wieters was named to All-League team and named Top Pro Prospect. He was drafted by Baltimore Orioles as fifth overall pick in first round and has enjoyed 11-year MLB career, batting .250 with 146 HR and 546 RBI. The 4-time AL All-Star was inducted into Cape League Hall of Fame in 2013.
Gerald "Buster" Posey (Florida St.) - Buster was outstanding two-way player for league champion Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in 2006-07, converting from shortstop to catcher by manager Scott Pickler. Posey hit .289 with two homers and 16 RBI in 2006 and batted .281 with three homers and 19 RBI in 2007. He was named to the All-League team at shortstop in 2006 and at catcher in 2007. He won the Golden Spikes Award in 2008 as top player in College Baseball. Posey was drafted by SF Giants as 5th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft and is a 6-time NL All-Star, 3-time World Series champion, 2012 NL MVP and Batting Champion and 2010 NL Rookie of the Year. He's compiled career batting average of .302 with 140 HR and 673 RBI
