Carlton Fisk, baseball player, 376 home runs, 1969-1993

Carlton Fisk

⭐ Hall of Fame 2000

Born: 12/26/1947 in Bellows Falls, VT, USA

MLB Debut: 1969-09-18 | Final Game: 1993-06-22

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Carlton Ernest Fisk

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Biography

Carlton Fisk, born in 1947, was a distinguished American baseball player whose career spanned from 1969 to 1993. Primarily recognized as a catcher, Fisk played a remarkable 2,499 games, accumulating 2,356 hits and 376 home runs over his extensive career. Known for his powerful hitting and tenacious defensive skills, he recorded 1,330 RBIs and maintained a batting average of .269. Fisk also showcased his speed on the basepaths, finishing his career with 128 stolen bases, an impressive feat for a player in his position during his era. Fisk's impact on the game was profound, earning him 11 All-Star selections and the prestigious Rookie of the Year and TSN Rookie Player of the Year awards. He was celebrated for his leadership and durability behind the plate, becoming a central figure in the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox franchises. His legendary career culminated in his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2000, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history. Fisk's contributions to the sport have left an indelible mark, reflecting the evolution of the game from the late 1960s through the early 1990s.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2499 8756 1276 2356 421 47 376 1330 128 849 1386 0.269 0.341 0.457 0.797 21159.3

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .341 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +5.2% above league average.

Career SLG .457 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +19.3% above league average.

Career OPS 0.797 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +12.8% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1969 BOS AL 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1971 BOS AL 14 48 7 15 2 1 2 6 0 1 10 0.312 — — — — 0.0
1972 BOS AL 131 457 74 134 28 9 22 61 5 52 83 0.293 .243 (+20%) .310 (+19%) .353 (+52%) .664 (+37%) 3008.5
1973 BOS AL 135 508 65 125 21 0 26 71 7 37 99 0.246 .256 (-4%) .325 (-5%) .378 (+16%) .703 (+7%) 548.6
1974 BOS AL 52 187 36 56 12 1 11 26 5 24 23 0.299 .256 (+17%) .324 (+18%) .369 (+49%) .693 (+35%) 1095.1
1975 BOS AL 79 263 47 87 14 4 10 52 4 27 32 0.331 .257 (+28%) .327 (+21%) .374 (+41%) .701 (+32%) 1457.4
1976 BOS AL 134 487 76 124 17 5 17 58 12 56 71 0.255 .255 (avg) .320 (+5%) .360 (+15%) .681 (+10%) 962.6
1977 BOS AL 152 536 106 169 26 3 26 102 7 75 85 0.315 .264 (+19%) .329 (+22%) .401 (+30%) .730 (+26%) 3097.6
1978 BOS AL 157 571 94 162 39 5 20 88 7 71 83 0.284 .257 (+10%) .323 (+13%) .378 (+25%) .702 (+20%) 2315.1
1979 BOS AL 91 320 49 87 23 2 10 42 3 10 38 0.272 .265 (+2%) .329 (-8%) .397 (+13%) .727 (+4%) 88.0
1980 BOS AL 131 478 73 138 25 3 18 62 11 36 62 0.289 .264 (+9%) .326 (+8%) .387 (+20%) .714 (+15%) 1391.2
1981 CHW AL 96 338 44 89 12 0 7 45 3 38 37 0.263 .255 (+3%) .320 (+11%) .368 (-2%) .688 (+4%) 394.1
1982 CHW AL 135 476 66 127 17 3 14 65 17 46 60 0.267 .261 (+2%) .324 (+4%) .388 (+4%) .712 (+4%) 411.0
1983 CHW AL 138 488 85 141 26 4 26 86 9 46 88 0.289 .260 (+11%) .324 (+9%) .389 (+33%) .714 (+22%) 2098.9
1984 CHW AL 102 359 54 83 20 1 21 43 6 26 60 0.231 .259 (-11%) .322 (-10%) .384 (+22%) .707 (+7%) 319.1
1985 CHW AL 153 543 85 129 23 1 37 107 17 52 81 0.238 .257 (-8%) .323 (-1%) .390 (+25%) .714 (+13%) 1379.7
1986 CHW AL 125 457 42 101 11 0 14 63 2 22 92 0.221 .257 (-14%) .325 (-19%) .395 (-15%) .720 (-17%) -1604.1
1987 CHW AL 135 454 68 116 22 1 23 71 1 39 72 0.256 .262 (-3%) .331 (-3%) .415 (+11%) .746 (+5%) 357.3
1988 CHW AL 76 253 37 70 8 1 19 50 0 37 40 0.277 .254 (+9%) .317 (+19%) .377 (+43%) .695 (+32%) 1501.9
1989 CHW AL 103 375 47 110 25 2 13 68 1 36 60 0.293 .254 (+15%) .319 (+11%) .375 (+27%) .694 (+19%) 1291.9
1990 CHW AL 137 452 65 129 21 0 18 65 7 61 73 0.285 .257 (+11%) .324 (+16%) .385 (+17%) .710 (+17%) 1715.4
1991 CHW AL 134 460 42 111 25 0 18 74 1 32 86 0.241 .255 (-6%) .323 (-7%) .384 (+7%) .708 (+1%) -25.0
1992 CHW AL 62 188 12 43 4 1 3 21 3 23 38 0.229 .255 (-11%) .322 (-3%) .377 (-18%) .699 (-11%) -318.3
1993 CHW AL 25 53 2 10 0 0 1 4 0 2 11 0.189 .265 (-29%) .332 (-31%) .403 (-39%) .735 (-36%) -326.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
14 54 9 14 2 0 2 6 8 12 0.259

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1983 ALCS CHA 4 17 0 3 1 0 0 0 1 3 0.176
1975 ALCS BOS 3 12 4 5 1 0 0 2 0 2 0.417
1975 WS BOS 7 25 5 6 0 0 2 4 7 7 0.240

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 27 21 158 22 6 20
3B 4 1 1 0 0 0
C 2226 2097 11369 1048 155 147
OF 41 38 84 5 4 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1969 BOS C 1 1 2 0 0 0
1971 BOS C 14 12 72 6 2 1
1972 BOS C 131 129 846 72 15 10
1973 BOS C 131 131 739 50 14 8
1974 BOS C 50 49 267 26 6 2
1975 BOS C 71 70 347 30 8 2
1976 BOS C 133 130 649 73 12 9
1977 BOS C 151 149 779 69 11 7
1978 BOS C 154 150 733 90 17 13
1978 BOS OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1979 BOS C 39 35 155 8 3 1
1979 BOS OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1980 BOS 1B 3 1 8 0 1 0
1980 BOS 3B 3 1 0 0 0 0
1980 BOS C 115 112 522 56 10 8
1980 BOS OF 5 5 13 0 0 0
1981 CHA 1B 1 1 7 2 1 4
1981 CHA 3B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1981 CHA C 92 89 470 44 5 10
1981 CHA OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1982 CHA 1B 2 1 9 1 1 1
1982 CHA C 133 129 639 62 4 7
1983 CHA C 133 123 709 46 7 5
1984 CHA C 90 81 421 38 6 4
1985 CHA C 130 120 801 60 10 13
1986 CHA C 71 65 389 39 4 3
1986 CHA OF 31 29 66 5 4 0
1987 CHA 1B 9 6 44 9 1 7
1987 CHA C 122 102 550 57 6 15
1987 CHA OF 2 2 3 0 0 0
1988 CHA C 74 68 338 36 2 7
1989 CHA C 90 85 419 37 3 1
1990 CHA C 116 112 660 63 4 14
1991 CHA 1B 12 12 90 10 2 8
1991 CHA C 106 91 535 55 4 5
1992 CHA C 54 51 252 26 2 2
1993 CHA C 25 13 75 5 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 2226
First Base 27
Third Base 4
Left Field 41
Designated Hitter 166

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2023 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award - HOF Player
1990 TSN All-Star C
1988 Player of the Week Week of 1988-08-19
1988 Silver Slugger C
1985 Player of the Week Week of 1985-05-31
1985 Silver Slugger C
1985 TSN All-Star C
1983 TSN All-Star C
1981 Silver Slugger C
1977 Player of the Week Week of 1977-04-30
1977 Player of the Week Week of 1977-05-29
1977 Player of the Week Week of 1977-09-09
1977 TSN All-Star C
1972 Gold Glove C
1972 Rookie of the Year
1972 TSN All-Star C
1972 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

Featured In Rankings

#8
Top 20 Catchers in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 8 of 20
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Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1992 CHA AL $1,000,000
1991 CHA AL $1,250,000
1990 CHA AL $1,750,000
1989 CHA AL $1,200,000
1988 CHA AL $700,000
1987 CHA AL $900,000
1986 CHA AL $875,000
1985 CHA AL $685,000
Total Career Earnings $8,360,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of New Hampshire Durham NH 1966

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1990 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 16.0 392 0
1985 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 29.0 392 0
1983 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 209.0 392 3
1978 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 49.0 392 0
1977 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 67.0 392 1
1973 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 16.0 336 0
1972 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 96.0 336 0
1972 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 24.0 24 24