Matthew LeCroy
| Matthew LeCroy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designated hitter / Catcher / First baseman | |||
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Born: December 13, 1975 Belton, South Carolina |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 3, 2000, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 30, 2007, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .260 | ||
| Home runs | 60 | ||
| Runs batted in | 218 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's baseball | ||
Representing  United States
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| Olympic Games | ||
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1996 Atlanta | Team |
| Pan American Games | ||
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1999 Winnipeg | Team |
Matthew Hanks LeCroy (born December 13, 1975) is a former Major League Baseball catcher, first baseman, and designated hitter and is the former bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals. During his time in the major leagues, LeCroy had the distinction of being the active player with the most plate appearances without a stolen base in his career.
LeCroy is a 1994 graduate of Belton-Honea Path High School in Honea Path, South Carolina and attended Clemson University to pursue a degree in elementary education. While at Clemson, he was named to the 1996 U.S. Olympic Baseball Team and helped the team to a bronze medal after losing to both Cuba (gold medal) and Japan (silver medal) before defeating Nicaragua in the bronze medal game. In 1997, he was drafted as a catcher in the first round (50th overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins. Although challenged defensively behind the plate, averaging double-digit passed balls while throwing out less than 30 percent of potential base stealers, LeCroy put up superior power numbers in the minor leagues, hitting 101 home runs over five years in the Twins' system. In 1999, LeCroy again competed at the international level when he played for the United States at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The United States took second place behind Cuba in a games made notable by the first time professional baseball players were allowed to compete in international games.
LeCroy got his first taste of the majors in 2000 when he made the major league club out of spring training. From 2000–2002, LeCroy would split time between the Twins and their AAA teams, playing for the Salt Lake Buzz and later for the Edmonton Trappers after the Twins changed their minor league affiliate in 2001. Due to his struggles behind the plate, LeCroy also spent time at first base and designated hitter; totaling more games in the major leagues at the latter position than he did at first base and catcher combined. His peak years in the majors were 2003 (.287, 17 HR, 64 RBI in 107 games) and 2005 (.260, 17 HR, 50 RBI in 101 games). Despite his productive 2005 season, Minnesota chose not to resign LeCroy and he signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals.
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