Yogi's Backup

By Mike Whiteman November 8, 2026 Yogi Berra was an iconic Yankee catcher, coming of age in the late 1940s and was a rock during the 1950s, slashing .287/.356/.490 while averaging 26 home runs and 100 RBI across the decade. He took home three Most Valuable Player awards, and was an American League All-Star every season. Berra was also one of the more durable catchers of his time, averaging 140 games from 1950-1959. So, a backup catcher wasn't one of General Manager George Weiss' high needs. Yet the Yankees had a steady presence on the bench, ready to step in if (rarely) needed.

Charlie Silvera was the Yanks' primary backup catcher most of his career, and the person with perhaps the best job on the team. The Yankees of the 1940s and 1950s were perhaps the greatest dynasty in all of baseball history. They won five World Series' in a row from 1949-1953, an amazing achievement. Silvera was one of 11 players who saw action in each of those seasons. Known for his glovework as opposed to his hitting, Silvera made his MLB debut at the very of the 1948 season. Here's a look at his Yankee career afterwards: 1949: His most significant playing time, batting .315 in 149 plate appearances, most of which came after Yogi Berra broke his thumb in August. Silvera batted .329 while Yogi was out as the Yanks battled the Red Sox in one of the greatest pennant races of all time. Silvera saw the only postseason action of his career this season, going hitless in Game Two of the World Series. 1950: Started six games on the season. His first action of the year was May 28th after Berra started the first 33 games of the season. Batted .160 in 26 plate appearances. 1951: Started 12 games. Batted .275 in 56 plate appearances, including the only home run of his career. 1952: Started 18 games. Batted .327 in 61 plate appearances 1953: Started 25 games, eight coming in mid-May when Berra went down due to illness. Batted .280 in 94 plate appearances. 1954: Started six games on the season, with first action May 27 after Berra started the first 37 contests. Batted .270 in 42 plate appearances. 1955: Started seven games. This was Elston Howard's first year, and he started four games behind the plate. Silvera batted .192 in 32 plate appearances. 1956: Silvera's last season as a Yankee, only starting one game - in September - as Howard established himself as the primary backup to Yogi, eventually taking over the position by 1960. Silvera batted .222 in eleven plate appearances. In December 1956, Silvera was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He wound up his playing career batting .208 in 26 games. For his Yankee career, Silvera slashed .282/.356/.328. As a pinch hitter, he had five hits, two walks and a hit by pitch in eighteen opportunities - a .444 OBP. One thing he did very well at the plate was make contact. His strikeout rate was well below the league average throughout his career. Casey Stengel didn't turn to Silvera often, but his backup catcher was he was ready when called. When asked after his career if he would have considered pursuing free agency - if it were available when he played - for more playing opportunity, he responded "I'd have never left the Yankees. Why would I want to be the first string catcher for the St. Louis Browns when I could be a Yankee and be part of all those World Series"? Silvera was also well rewarded for his efforts. In his eight full years with the Yanks he collected six World Series rings, and took home over $46,000 in World Series shares to compliment his $126,800 in career earnings over ten seasons. Doesn't sound like much in context of the money of today's game, but with median family income in the 1950s about $4000-$5000 per year, Silvera did pretty well for himself. He was philosophical and accepting of his supporting role on the team: "By 1951, I knew my role. No one was going to take Yogi's job. But I figured it wasn't so bad to catch behind a Hall of Famer." Nope, not so bad at all.