MLB All-Star Game: Miami Marlins All-Time All-Star Catcher

Best Marlins All-Star Season At Catcher: 2005 Paul Lo Duca

We’re deviating right from the start when it comes to All-Time Miami Marlins All-Stars.

In terms of career, Charles Johnson is easily the best catcher in Marlins history. But the offense does trip him up, as does the fact that it would have been a lot harder to write Slide # 1 if Pudge had made the All-Star Game in 2003.

So that leaves us with the 2005 model of Poor Man’s Pudge: Paul Lo Duca.

Lo Duca came to Miami in a 2004 midseason trade, famously homering in his first Marlins at-bat, in an attempt to correct the insane offseason blunder of not resigning Rodriguez. And it almost worked. Plenty of variables conspired to keep the Marlins out of the postseason those next two seasons. But no one could point any fingers at Lo Duca.

Miami Marlins catcher tenure

In 2005, Lo Duca made his third of four consecutive appearances in the All-Star Game, closing out the first half at a .286 clip. It took Mike Matheny‘s .999 fielding campaign to deny Lo Duca a Gold Glove. Not to mention the fact that three other Marlins infielders were already winning that award that season.

One does have to spread the wealth.

But when it comes to a balanced season, contributing with bat and glove alike, Lo Duca’s 2005 stands apart from either of Johnson’s All-Star efforts. Here for only a season and a half, Paul is often the forgotten man when it comes to a role call of memorable Marlins catchers.

Even Miguel Olivo‘s power, Mike Redmond‘s tenure, and Matt Treanor‘s better half tend to jump to mind before the man that was part of arguably the most successful two year stretch in Miami Marlins history.

Next: All-Time All-Star Roster Breakdown

It may be surprising, but his place here is well earned.

All that being said, feel free to replace with your own J.T. Realmuto tribute if he’s named Buster Posey‘s backup Sunday night.