White Sox great Carlton Fisk voted all-time IT IS HIGH Yankee opponent at catcher

Congratulations to Carlton Fisk, the great Chicago White Sox catcher, who has been elected to the all-time IT IS HIGH Opponents Team.

Over his 24-year career, Fisk hit .265 against the Yankees with 31 HRs, in 215 games. (His lifetime average: .269.) He played 1,421 games with Chicago and - as a footnote - 1,078 games in Boston. 

Here are the vote totals (276 over all):

Carlton Fisk (80 ballots): 29%

Ivan Rodriguez (41): 15%
Roy Campanella (31): 11%

Johnny Bench (27): 10%

Lance Parrish (26): 9%

Jason Varitek (25): 9%
Joe Mauer (25): 9%

Bill Freehan (21): 8%

Obviously, Fisk should have been a Yankee. He would have been an excellent backup for Thurman Munson. But it could have easily happened. 

Fisk was drafted by Boston in the first round - the fourth selection overall - of the 1967 January draft. This was when the Yankees were among the worst teams in baseball, by far, and thus had earned the second pick in the draft.

With that pick, they selected a LH junior college pitcher named Michael Flanagan. They failed to sign him. Later, Flanagan was drafted by the Cubs and climbed as far as Double A, before retiring from baseball in 1971.

By the way, with the following first round pick - sandwiched between Flanagan and Fisk - the Mets selected Ken Singleton. Yes, the Yankees could have chosen Singleton or Fisk... Imagine the difference over the next 20 years.

Excuse me, while I go soak my head in a bucket of ice-water.

(Next up: Leftfielders. And don't forget to read Hoss' amazing coverage of the 2020 virtual season.)