John Flaherty #6

Played college ball at George Washington University...signed by Phil Rossi.

2005

Batted .165 (21-for-127) with 2 HR and 11 RBIs in 47 games with the Yankees (39 starts at catcher). ... The Yankees were 26-13 (.667 winning percentage) in his 39 starts at catcher. ... Threw out 11-of-46 base stealers (24%). ... In 7/10 win vs. Cleveland, threw out two runners trying to steal in the fourth inning, marking the first time a Yankees catcher has thrown out two runners in the same inning since Matt Nokes in July 1990.

2004

In his second season as the Yankees' back-up catcher, hit .252 (32-for-127) with 6HR and 16RBI in 47 games with the Yankees (35 starts at catcher)...the Yankees were 20-15 in his 35 starts at catcher...hit first home run of the season in 5/16 win vs. Seattle, going 1-for-3...was his fourth straight start behind the plate after Jorge Posada suffered broken nose in 5/12 game vs. Anaheim...hit grand slam (#2) and was 2-for- 5 with 5RBI in 6/10 win vs. Colorado...was his third career grand slam and first as a Yankee and tied a careerhigh with 5RBI (last on 4/4/00 w/ Tampa Bay at Minnesota)...hit pinch-hit game-winning walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning in 7/1 win vs. Boston...recorded a season-high three hits in 9/9 Game Two win vs. Tampa Bay, going 3-for-4 with 2R, solo HR and 2RBI...appeared in the 1,000th game of his career on 10/2 at Toronto (was 1-for- 1)...in the final 18 games of the season (from 8/6), batted .404 (19-for-47) with 4HR and 7RBI...was active in both playoff rounds, but did not make an appearance.

2003

In his first season as the Yankees' back-up catcher, hit .267 (28-for-105) with 4HR, and 14RBI in 40 games (31 starts at catcher)...the Yankees were 20-10-1 in his 31 starts at catcher...was signed by the Yankees to a minor-league contract-with spring-training invite-on 1/17/03...contract was purchased on 3/29 and he was added to the 25-man Opening-Day Roster...made first appearance as a Yankee on 4/6 at Tampa Bay, starting at catcher and going 2-for-4 with 1R, 1RBI and 1BB...recorded only hit of the game for the Yankees in 7/8 loss at Cleveland, going 1-for-3...hit first HR as a Yankee-and first in 18 games since 9/11/02 vs. Boston (off Pedro Martinez)-in 6/24 win at Tampa Bay...hit two solo-HR (#3, 4) and was 2-for-4 before being pinchhit for (by Posada) in the 11th inning of 8/16 win at Baltimore...was his sixth career two-home run game and first since 9/17/99 (w/ Tampa Bay at Texas)...also became the first Yankees catcher other than Jorge Posada to hit two HR in a game since Mike Stanley on 8/10/95, when he hit three homers in Game 1 of a doubleheader vs. Cleveland...had season-high six-game hitting streak from 9/8-26, batting .368 (7-for-19)...was active for all three playoff rounds, but appeared in just one game (was 0-for-2).

2002

Appeared in 76 games (74 starts) for the Rays, his fewest at the Major League level since appearing in 34 games for the 1994 Tigers...has played in 471 games as a Devil Ray, 3rd most in club history behind Fred McGriff (550) and Randy Winn (519)...also ranks 2nd on the club's all-time list in RBI (196); 3rd in at-bats (1,673), doubles (82) and hits (122); 4th in extra-base hits (118); and tied for 5th in home runs (35)...missed the final 11 games of the season with a slight fracture of the tip of his middle finger on his catching hand he suffered 9/17 vs. NYY...twenty of his 73 hits were doubles, four shy of his career-high 24 in 1996 and his most since 1997 when he tallied 21 for the Padres...was the Rays' top hitter in May at .333 (16-for-48)...had season-high 12bgame hit streak from 5/11-6/1, his longest streak since 8/7-27/99 when he hit in 13 straight...hit .348 (16-for-46) during the streak with 3 HR and 11 RBI hiking his avg. from .200 to .303...collected a homer and 3 RBI on 9/11 off Boston's Pedro Martinez, just the 2nd player in 2002 to knock in three runs in one game off the major league's ERA leader (also Jorge Posada)...his four home runs on the year came off the likes of Pedro, Joel Pineiro, Freddy Garcia and AL Cy Young award winner Barry Zito, all at Tropicana Field...his first three home runs came in a five-game stretch on 5/28-6/1 (21 AB)...homered in consecutive games on 5/28-29 for the 4th time in his career (last on 9/17-18/99 at Texas)...the homer off Pineiro was a grand slam on 5/28, the 2nd of his career and first since 7/27/96 at Florida off Terry Matthews while with SD...gunned down 20-of-56 (.357) attempted base stealers after starting the year 0-for-12...his stolen base on 5/22 was his first since 9/1/01 but just his 2nd since 9/23/97 b a span of 409 games.

2001

Appeared in 72 games, batting .238 with 4 HR and 29 RBI...did not play after 9/2, sidelined with a herniated disc in his neck...in his last game on 9/2 at Oakland he broke up Mark Mulder's perfect game, doubling with 2 out in the 5th inning (Mulder had retired the first 14 Rays)...also had the Rays' lone hit on 6/16 at Florida (Penny) in an 11-0 TB loss...ended the game on 8/12 vs. Minnesota with a walk-off HR in the 12th inning off Latroy Hawkins to give TB the 4-3 win...was the 7th walk-off HR in team history, 2nd by Flaherty, almost a year to the date - 8/13/00 vs. CWS (Howry)...swiped his lone base on 9/1 vs. Oakland...was his first since 9/23/97 for SD at LA - 8th of career...tied his career high on 5/12 at Cleveland with 4 hits (also 5/14/95 at Texas)...tripled on 7/20 vs. Texas, the 3rd of his ML career and first since 8/28/97 for SD vs. Aanaheim (1,423 days in between)...collected 3 RBI in the game, the first time in 106 games a Rays catcher had that many RBI in a game...hit the GW HR on 7/21 vs. Texas in the 8th snapping a 1-1 tie - was his first HR in 149 AB (4/15 at Baltimore) which also broke a tie...caught his first two runners of the season attempting to steal, then just 13- of-70 (.186) the rest of the season.

2000

Finished the season with 10 HR, his 4th season of 10+ homers...career best is 14 set in 1999...had three roundtrippers in his last 30 AB...got off to the best start of his career...hit a team-best .348 (24-for-69) for April...hit safely in 14 of his first 16 games with eight multi-hit games...had multi-hit efforts in five of his first six games to begin the season...tied his career high on 4/4 at Minnesota with 5 RBI (also 5/17/99 at Texas), accounting for all the Rays runs in a 6-5 Rays defeat...his 24 April hits were his most ever in April and two shy of his most in a month as a Ray (26-July '99)...his most hits ever in one month is 34 in July of '96 while with San Diego...his best month ever is 17, set May '99...flash broke up two no-hit bids in a 5-day period - ended KC Brian Meadows' no-hit bid 9/2 with a base hit to left with one out in the 6th...four days earlier (8/29), he broke up Boston's Pedro Martinez's no-hit attempt with a single to lead off the 9th...belted a 3-run, walk-off home run in the 9th inning 8/20 off Chicago's Bob Howry - on the 12th pitch of his at bat...put together a season- high nine-game hit streak 6/15-27 (.324, 12-for-37)...ranked T-2nd among AL catchers with a .993 fielding pct...made just 5 errors in 667 total chances...also ranked 5th among AL receivers with a 25.5% caught-stealing percentage (gunned down 27 of 106 would-be base stealers)...ranked 2nd in 1999 (38.6%, 49/127) behind TEX Pudge Rodriguez...hit lefthanders 95 points better than he did in 1999 (.175 to .270).

1999

Enjoyed a 71-point improvement over his '98 avg. (.207 to .278), best in the AL (min. 81 gms each season)...next closest was BAL Cal Ripken at +69 (.271 to .340)...Set career highs with 14 HR and 71 RBI in addition to at-bats (446), runs (53) and hits (124)...had 13 HR and 64 RBI in 1996 with Detroit and San Diego...Inked a 3-year contract extension Sept. 27...For the 2nd straight season, received the Champion Award as voted by the Tampa Bay chapter of the BBWAA for the player "who best exemplifies the spirit of true professionalism on and off the field"...Tallied a 13-game hit streak, Aug 7-27 (tied with Martinez for top streak this season)...Combined with Mike DiFelice to hit .287, 2nd-highest BA by AL team catchers behind Texas (.320)...Owned a .386 (49/127) caught-stealing percentage, 2nd best percentage among AL regulars behind TEX Pudge Rodriguez...Paired with DiFelice to throw out 65 of 166 attempted base stealers, a .391 percentage, 3rd best in the majors behind Texas (.505) and St. Louis (.407)...Ranked 2nd on the club with 25 game-tying, go-ahead RBI...Belted a pair of 2-homer games on the season, both @ Texas: May 17, Sept. 17...has five multi-HR games in his career...Clubbed 5 of his 14 HR at The Ballpark in Arlington, tied for 2nd most there in the AL by a visiting player (with TOR Carlos Delgado) behind NY Tino Martinez (6)...Eleven of his total HR came away from Tropicana Field...Registered a career-high 5 RBI (tying a season high for the Rays) May 17 @ TEX...Collected a season-high 3 hits seven times on the year, all since June 28...Batted cleanup July 30 @ Oakland for the first time in his career....DH'd the next day @ Oakland for the first time in his career...Collected season-hit no. 64 July 5 vs. BOS, surpassing his entire total last season...Surpassed his RBI total for 1998 (27) in his 50th game, May 30...Had 17 RBI in May, marking his best month ever for RBI (prev.16, May-'97, July-'96)...his 14 April RBI were his most his most ever in that month (prev. high of 8 in '96)...had just one RBI last April...Hit righthanders 126 points better than lefties (.301, 13-HR to .175, 1-HR)...Tied for 3rd in the AL with 10 sacrifice flies...Drove in the last run of 1999 against NY Mariano Rivera, a one-out, 9th-inning double, July 21 @ Yankee Stadium...Rivera finished the regular season with 28 straight scoreless outings...in addition, was unscored upon in 8 postseason appearances.

1998

Started 86 games at catcher, ranking 4th in the AL with a 35.1% caught stealing pct. (26-74)...Had a 12-game hitting streak Aug. 27 - Sept. 14 (15-for-49, .306). Hit safely in 23 of 26 games between Aug. 3 and Sept. 14 (29-95, .305) to hike his average from .197 to season-high .217...Batted .303 in August...Missed 23 games (May 26-June 19) after fracturing left thumb May 25 @ Oakland. Was hitting .160 (17-for-106) at the time of the injury. Hit .232 (46-for-198) the rest of the season after his return...Returned from the injury on June 20 and delivered a bases-loaded single in the Rays' 8-5 win over Boston...Recipient of the Tampa Bay BBWAA Champion Award, given to the player "who best exemplifies the spirit of true professionalism on and off the field"...Collected the first double in Devil Rays' history off Detroit's Justin Thompson on March 31...Is also the "Father of the Sac Bunt" for Tampa Bay - his was the first on Apr 12 at Chicago off Carlos Castillo...Batted .146 with men on base, lowest in the AL.

1997

Established career highs in games, walks and stolen bases...Started 119 games behind the plate, tied for 6th among Major League catchers...Batted .320 (56-175) after the All-Star break and .370 (17-46) after September 1, tied for 9th best in the majors....Batted .342 (40-117) in 36 games after August 1 and .312 in 62 games after June 14...Threw out 50 attempted base stealers, 4th highest figure in the majors...His .273 batting mark was 7th among major league catchers with 100 or more games...Helped the Padres snap a season-worst 8-game losing streak when he went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs off Dave Mlicki in a 7-3 win at NY on May 1. It was the 3rd 2-homer game of his career...Batted .404 (19-47) in interleague games.

1996

Came to San Diego from Detroit with INF Chris Gomez in a June 18 trade for C Brad Ausmus, P Russ Spear and INF Andujar Cedeno...Went hitless in his first 10 ABs with Padres, and failed to hit the ball out of the infield in his first 2 games, then embarked on a 27-game hitting streak, June 21 thru July 27, the 2nd longest ever by a major league catcher and the 2nd longest by a Padre...Benito Santiago held both marks with San Diego in 1987 (34 games).

1994

Acquired from Detroit from Boston three days before Opening Day...Made 12 starts for the Tigers.