Theo Albright

Theo Albright was the heartbeat of the Oakland Oaks, a catcher whose leadership mattered as much as his bat. He called every pitch like he had scouted the hitter personally, and more often than not, he had.

Behind the plate he was immovable, blocking pitches in the dirt and framing borderline strikes with quiet skill. At the plate he was a middle-of-the-order force who thrived with runners on base.

Pitchers who came through Oakland during his years spoke of him for summers afterward, crediting the catcher who made them better.