So, the NP's are going to be in Barcelona in early December.  Now that would be a treat.

The great catchers of all time-Pudge, Bench, Carter and Berra- are so close that you could throw a net over them.  One thing that you can say about Pudge with certainty.  No one has played the position as well for such a long time. 

I'd put Piazza in the same all time great catcher class, but not that close to the others. Far better hitter, with a career OPS of 145. Bench managed a season that high twice, Carter and Pudge once, Berra never. Of course, the defensive difference pretty much makes up the gap.

Pudge de-bulking a few years ago was a great longevity move for him, even if he looks tiny at the plate now.

Just wanted to say that this is a great photo Aaron.  I've been using the photo of the day as my desktop at work for the past little while and this one really looks great (several co-workers have mentioned they really like this one as well).  The photo is crystal clear even at high resolution, and the orange trim on pudge's catching gear really makes it pop.