A decent defensive catcher, Hassey is the only major leaguer to catch two perfect games: Len Barker‘s in 1981 with Cleveland, and Dennis Martinez‘s in 1991 with Montreal. The good-hitting, burly Hassey was Cleveland’s primary catcher from mid-1979 to 1984. He led all major league catchers by batting .318 in 1980. The lefthanded hitter was proficient as a pinch hitter and was a strong finisher. He was traded between Chicago and New York four times from 1984 to 1986 and was a backup on championship A’s teams in 1988 and 1989. Bad knees limited him, especially on defense, and ultimately led to his retirement, of which he said, “It’s not a sad day, it’s a happy day, to play as long as I did.”
