So that's where we are

Bill James has not updated his magisterial Historical Baseball Abstract since the big revision back in '01.  At that moment he had the five greatest catchers of all time as:

1. Yogi Berra
2. Johnny Bench
3. Roy Campanella
4. Mickey Cochrane

This week, however, he felt compelled to say a few words about a player whose career has unfolded in the intervening decade or so, Giants' catcher Buster Posey:

I think that some of the older voters just don’t appreciate how good Buster Posey is. It is not a mismatch in terms of games played. Cochrane played 1,482 games, Posey has played 1,031 so far, and it may be presumed that he will pass Cochrane. Cochrane had an .897 OPS against an average for the position in his era of .718. Posey has an .849 OPS against a position average of .714. Posey has led his team to three World Championships, which is more impressive with 30 teams and several rounds of playoffs than it would be with 16 teams and one post-season series. Posey is a very good defensive catcher. It is NOT unreasonable to suggest that he is a greater player than Cochrane...

The Giants have a policy of not retiring your number unless you make the Hall of Fame.  At the rate Bonds is going, Posey's could be next.  Kind of snuck up on us, but that's where we are.

(link)