Hank Severeid had a reputation as a pretty good all-around catcher in his 15 years in the majors. While he had some good seasons hitting the ball, his play behind the plate, specifically his ability working with pitchers, was especially noteworthy.
Severed was in his mid-30s in 1926, and going through some hard times with the Washington Senators. Despite those struggles, the Yankees picked him up off waivers in July to be the backup to Pat Collins. It didn’t seem so at the time, but the move turned out to be important.
Collins would get injured later in the season.