Los Angeles Dodgers: Fifty greatest Dodgers of all-time (50-46)
By Jason Reed
49. C John Roseboro (21.6 WAR)
Stats: 1289 G, .251 AVG, 92 HR, 471 RBI’s, 6x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove
Roseboro’s accolades are far more impressive than the three guys that logged in a fiftieth overall. Still, Roseboro finds himself lower than 48 other career WAR’s despite being one of the best catchers in franchise history. Roseboro often gets overlooked in favor of guys like Mike Piazza or Roy Campanella, which is a shame as it tarnishes his legacy.
It is a shame because Roseboro had a great tenure with the Dodgers organization. Playing one year in Brooklyn, and ten in Los Angeles, Roseboro was a consistent backstop for the Dodgers. Taking over for the great Campanella was a big pill to swallow for Roseboro, but he obviously took the role with pride and faced the challenge head on.
That is the reason for his two Gold Gloves and his six All-Star appearances. His All-Star honors were spaced out, so he never really had a dominant stretch, but he proved his longevity. Never a fantastic batter, Roseboro held his own at the plate, with his biggest attribute being his ability to lead a team.
Roseboro’s best season in terms of WAR came in 1964, which ironically was not a year he made the All-Star team. Roseboro batted .287 that year, only striking out 61 times in 414 at-bats. Fun fact: Roseboro caught Sandy Koufax’ first two no-hitters.