John Flaherty (born October 21, 1967 in New York, NY) is a retired catcher (retirement announced March 7, 2006), who recently played for the Boston Red Sox in the major leagues. He signed a one-year, $650,000 contract with the club on December 22, 2005, with the possibility of earning an additional $100,000 on top of his salary if he makes the 2006 opening day roster. He attended George Washington University, graduating in 1998, and he bats and throws right-handed. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1988, he moved through the farm system until he broke through with the Sox in 1992. He also played for them in 1993, and in 1994, he was dealt to the Detroit Tigers for Rich Rowland. In 1996, the Tigers traded Flaherty to the San Diego Padres, along with Chris Gomez, for Brad Ausmus, Andujar Cedeno, and a minor leaguer. In 1997, they traded him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Ben Sheets and Brian Boehringer. He played as their everyday catcher through the 2002 season. In 2003, he started his stint with the New York Yankees. He is best known for a 2004 pinch-hit walk-off single that ended a 13 inning game against the Boston Red Sox. In the 2005 season, he developed a rapport with pitcher Randy Johnson, whose relationship with catcher Jorge Posada took a turn for the worst. Manager Joe Torre paired Flaherty with Johnson's starts for most of the 2005 season. His career stats include a .255 batting average in 1000 games and 828 hits, including 78 home runs.
