Do you remember Ozzie Virgil?

The former Phillies catcher was with the club from 1980-85. In his last season as a Phillie, Virgil - recognized for his defensive prowess - was an All-Star when he hit .246 with 19 homers and 55 RBIs.

However, that season proved to make him valuable as a trading chip, as both he and pitcher Pete Smith were sent to the Braves in exchange for reliever Steve Bedrosian and outfielder Milt Thompson.

Overall, Virgil hit .246 with 46 homers and 154 RBIs as a Phillie. Virgil’s 11-year career ended with a two-year stay in Toronto from 1989-90.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - reminiscing about sports and pop culture in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and sometimes before and beyond - I’ll take a look at Phillies catchers through the years.

Also, do you remember “Bang The Drum Slowly,” and who was Randy Poffo?

Some of you may remember Ozzie Virgil Sr., a light-hitting, journeyman catcher who was with five teams over his nine-year career. Virgil Sr., who is still alive at 91, also played third base and the outfield.

Better Batterymates ... When I initially think of all-time Phillies catchers, Darren Daulton and Bob Boone always come to mind.

Daulton had some pop in his bat, but he’s more recognized for his leadership and overall grittiness during his playing days. He later had his heroic battle that he lost to cancer, closing the chapter on one of the Phillies true heroes.

In the 1970s, there were few who were steadier than Boone. He was a mainstay, and was part of the Phillies’ kiddie corps - Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, and Denny Doyle - that made the trek through Reading to the parent club. Boone was a master with the club the way he handled the pitching staff. If it wasn’t for Johnny Bench, Boone easily could have won numerous Gold Gloves in the National League. He did win two with the Phillies, and added five more while in the American League.

Don’t forget Mike Lieberthal, who leads all Phillies catchers in hits (1,137), doubles (255), home runs (150), RBIs (609), batting average (.275) and slugging percentage (.450) - and is third in on-base percentage (.338). He also won a Gold Glove.

Lieberthal was never in a postseason game, and that may be a prime reason why he is rarely mentioned in the same breath as the other two.

There also was Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz, who was cut from the same cloth as Boone. Ruiz was instrumental in the team’s dramatic postseason run from 2007-11, and had an 11-career career with the club. Like Boone, he was light-hitting, but could master the pitching staff.

Fans’ Favorites ... When I think about popular catchers who didn’t quite have the pop, there was Tim McCarver, who had a role mainly as a part-time starter and Steve Carlton’s “caddie” catcher. McCarver was appealing due to his boisterous personality and quick wit as a player and broadcaster.

“Irish” Mike Ryan was a light-hitting catcher, and saw his share of duty in the early 1970s. Clay Dalrymple had a similar script, and he was the team’s backstop from 1961-67.

One easily forgotten catcher could have been Benito Santiago, who hit 30 homers and threw out runners from his knees in 1996. He seemed to have locked in a long-term spot with the club, but ultimately opted for free agency.

How about Bo Diaz? He was viewed as a potential superstar player, but fizzled after four seasons. He later remained a regular with the Reds.

Back in the day, you have to recall both Andy Seminick and Stan Lopata, who handled the catching chores from the bulk of 1948 through 1957. There was also Smokey Burgess, who was behind the plate from 1952-55 and made two All-Star appearances.

In the future, J.T. Realmuto surely will be added to this list.

Who Were These Guys? ... If you’re a true Phillies’ fan, you should recognize a few of these Phillies’ pickers from the 1960s through the 2000s: Mike Compton, John Bateman, Gary Bennett, John Stearns, Larry Cox, Jim Essian, Gus Triandos, John Wockenfuss, Mike LaValliere, Dave Rader, Keith Moreland, Del Bates, Barry Foote, Don McCormack, Tim Blackwell, Gene Oliver, Tom Prince, Jimmy Schaffer, John Sullivan, Dave Watkins, Chris Coste, Darrin Fletcher, Steve Lake, and the list goes on and on.

Finally, former Phillies’ skipper Pat Corrales and baseball legend Bob Uecker were on rosters in the 60s. And, also, one of my all-time favorites - Pete Koegel.

Didn’t Quite Catch On ... Looking at the list above, there could be some of them in the category of ones who had an anticipated strong career ahead in Phillies pinstripes, but never quite caught on.

Here’s my list of catchers who were assumed to have made a splash with their bat, glove, or both: Mark Parent, Andrew Knapp, Todd Pratt, Lance Parrish, Rod Barajas, Bobby Estalella, Cameron Rupp, John Russell, and Johnny Estrada.

If I missed someone, feel free to let me know.

Catchin’ On ... It was a mainstay in the 1950s, and it spilled over into the 70s and 80s.

The classic Wilson catcher’s mitt was one we all had with the center-pad mitt. There was the saying “It’s A Wilson” on the finger side.

If you were a catcher, this was likely your “weapon.”

Catch A Film ... In 1973, the baseball film “Bang The Drum Slowly” may have slipped through the cracks.

The film was based on a book published in 1956 about a fictional big league baseball team whose third-string catcher (Bruce Pearson) learns that he has incurable Hodgkin’s Disease before the season begins. It is narrated in first person by his pitcher friend Henry “Author” Wiggen.

Wiggen was played by Michael Moriarity, and Pearson was played by Robert DeNiro.

Phillies’ Phodder ... Each week, I’ll offer a Phillies trivia question to test your knowledge. Try not to look up the answer, but give it your best shot.

What current Phillies radio broadcaster converted from a catcher to pitcher for the final three seasons (2008-10) of his professional career, which was spent with single-A Sarasota in the Cincinnati Reds organization and the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League?

The answer is below in this column.

Readers Write ... Spanning the TV Globe

Hi Jeff!

You mentioned a few basketball movies in your last column. There were at least two movies about the most famous basketball team of all time - the Harlem Globetrotters.

“Go, Man, Go!” was a 1954 black-and-white film starring Dane Clark and Sidney Poitier. Another film was “The Harlem Globetrotters,” a 1951 black-and-white film starring Marquis Hayes, Goose Tatum, and other Trotters. Both showed the humble beginnings of the team and how it progressed. Both are classics and haven’t been seen, unfortunately, on TV for many, many years. I haven’t seen the former since I was a young boy.

Richard Ochs, Walnutport

Richard, those are two great sports movies everyone should watch. Thanks!

WWF Wrap ... Each week, I’ll look back at a former WWF/WWE star from our yesterday.

Do you remember Randy “Macho Man” Savage? Before he entered the wrestling world in 1974, Randy Poffo - his real name - had a budding career as a catcher and outfielder in the Cardinals and Reds organizations.

Poffo played in the Rookie and Class A leagues. His best - and final - season was with Class A Tampa (Reds) in 1974 when he appeared in 131 games and finished with nine homers, 66 RBIs, and a .232 batting average. Overall, he appeared in 289 minor league games and hit .254 with 16 homers and 129 RBIs.

In 2011, Poffo was killed in a car crash after he suffered a heart attack while driving. He was 58.

Trivia Answer ... Ben Davis or “Big Ben” played seven seasons in the majors with the Padres, Mariners and White Sox. Davis was the Padres’ first-round pick and second overall in 1995 out of Philly suburb Malvern Prep.

He joined the Phillies broadcast team in 2015.

Feedback ...Your thoughts, comments and ideas are always welcome at tnsports@tnonline.com.