If Bill Dickey’s catching today, we write books about him. Tell stories about him. Go on sports radio and gush about him.

Problem is, Dickey began playing 75 years ago in 1928, he played on a team with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and the fact is, playing third fiddle behind those two is like taking the “show” behind Affirmed and Alydar. Overshadowed? Heck, Dickey doesn’t even register as the greatest Yankee catcher to wear No. 8.

But the truth is, it’s hard to imagine a better fit for those Yankee clubs than Dickey, who migrated from Louisiana to The Bronx and thrived behind the plate. It was like Dickey was born to be a catcher. Even his hometown (Bastrop) sounds an awful lot like “backstop.” Maybe it was meant to be. He sure seemed like a natural.

How good was Dickey? He was good enough to stake a claim as the most durable catcher ever, considering he caught more than 100 games in 13 straight years, an AL record. Good enough to be the first man to not allow a passed ball in a season (he was spotless in 1931). Good enough to bat over .300 in 10 of his first 11 years, to earn 11 All-Star bids and to win seven World Series rings.

Dickey was at his best in 1936, when he hit .362 and drove in 107 runs in just 112 games. Then again, maybe that’s speaking too soon. After all, the next season, he hit .332, powered 29 homers and drove in 133 runs in 140 games. Then there was his 1935 campaign when he struck out – seriously now – just eleven times. And he sure knew how to delight the Bronx fans. No player has ever hit a higher percentage of homers at home than Dickey, who hit 135 of his 202 homers (66.8 percent) at Yankee Stadium.

In 1946, he even managed the team for 105 games, piloting the Yankees to a 57-48 record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954 and had his number retired in 1972. Greatness, you see, can only be overshadowed for so long.

STATS

11 Times batted .300

11 All-star selections

7 World Series Titles