[dennis_keith]

Here's a fairly rare photo of catcher, Gus Niarhos, with the major league Phillies, although he
spent most of his time in that organization with their top farm club. Gus played just 10 games
in the big leagues with the Phillies over his final two seasons in the majors, 1954 and 1955.
He was a prototypical back-up catcher, topping 100 at-bats only three times in a nine season
career that began in 1946 after the close of World War Two. His 228
at-bats with the 1948 Yankees was
by far his most active season. He hit .252 lifetime with only one career home run. (in 1951 with
the white sox he homered off the Yankees' Bob Kuzava, who would later be Gus' teammate and
batterymate with the Phillies.