Johnathan Richard Buck (born July 7, 1980) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the cat ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

(MLB) for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, Florida/Miami Marlins,

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

and

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ...

. He went to high school in

Taylorsville, Utah Taylorsville is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The population was 60,448 at the time of the 2020 census. Taylorsville was incorporated from the Taylorsville–Bennion CDP and portions of t ...

Career

Houston Astros

Buck was initially drafted by the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...

in the 7th round of the 1998 Amateur Draft. He was signed to a minor league contract on June 11, 1998. By 2002, Buck was highly regarded for his defensive ability, becoming one of the game's top minor league catchers and 68th top prospect in all of baseball."Astros 2002 Prospect Report"
Santillo, M and Goldfine, J (2002), USA Today."2002 Top 100 Prospects"
Pouliot, M. Rotoworld. In 2003, Buck moved farther up prospect lists. He was listed as the 21st-best prospect in baseball by

John Sickels John Sickels (born January 5, 1968) is an American baseball writer who specializes in minor league baseball and amateur baseball. Biography Sickels is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University (1990, BA in history and philosophy) and t ...

."Top Prospects of 2003"
Sickels, J. Minor League Ball.

Kansas City Royals

On June 24, 2004, the Astros traded him to the

as part of a three-way deal to acquire

Carlos Beltrán Carlos Iván Beltrán (; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Fran ...

, sending Buck and cash to Kansas City and

Octavio Dotel Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (born November 25, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Dotel played for 13 major league teams, the second most teams played for by any player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), se ...

to the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

. Mark Teahen and Mike Wood went from the Athletics to the Royals as well. The Royals immediately put Buck in their starting lineup, replacing injured veteran

Benito Santiago Benito Santiago Rivera (born March 9, 1965), is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2005, most prominently as a member of the San Diego Padres, with whom he was a fou ...

. Buck made his major league debut on June 25. Although he initially appeared overmatched by major-league pitching—his batting average reached a low of .138 on July 7—he impressed the team with his defensive ability and his handling of pitchers. His hitting improved with time, and by September 25 he had raised his average to .243 with 12

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, and 30 RBIs. In 2006, Buck fought with teammate Runelvys Hernández in the Royals dugout during a game against the Indians."Royals pitcher, catcher fight in dugout"
, Associated Press.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 16, 2009, Buck signed a one-year contract with the

worth $2 million. On April 29, 2010. Buck hit 3 home runs in a single game against the

. Buck was elected to the 2010 American League All-Star team on July 4, along with fellow Blue Jays

Vernon Wells Vernon Michael Wells III (born December 8, 1978) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the New York Yankees. Wells ...

and

José Bautista José Antonio Bautista Santos (born October 19, 1980), nicknamed "Joey Bats", is a Dominican special advisor for the general manager of the Leones del Escogido and former professional baseball right fielder and third baseman. He played in ...

. In his first All-Star Game, he went 1–2 with a

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

. Buck finished his only season in Toronto with career-highs in batting average (.281), hits (115), home runs (20), RBI (66), doubles (25),

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

(.489), and on-base plus slugging (.802).

Florida/Miami Marlins

Buck agreed to a three-year contract with the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

worth $18 million on November 15, 2010. The deal was confirmed on November 17, 2010. In his first game with the Marlins, he hit a grand slam off

pitcher Mike Pelfrey. In 2011, he had the lowest percentage of runners caught stealing of all major league catchers, at 17%. In 2012, Buck hit .192/.297/.347 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 106 games while throwing out 27% of runners.

New York Mets

On November 19, 2012, Buck was traded to the

along with Josh Johnson, José Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and

Emilio Bonifacio Emilio may refer to: * Emilio Navaira, a Mexican-American singer often called "Emilio" * Emilio Piazza Memorial School, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State * Emilio (given name) * ''Emilio'' (film), a 2008 film by Kim Jorgensen See also * Emílio (dis ...

, in exchange for

Jeff Mathis Jeffrey Stephen Mathis (born March 31, 1983) is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondba ...

, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Álvarez,

Yunel Escobar Yunel Escobar Almenares (born November 2, 1982) is a Cuban-born American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Na ...

Jake Marisnick Jacob Shawn Marisnick (born March 30, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago White Sox organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Diego Padr ...

Anthony DeSclafani Anthony James DeSclafani (born April 18, 1990), nicknamed Disco and T-Bone, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. ...

, and

Justin Nicolino Justin Brian Nicolino (born November 22, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the ...

. On December 17, 2012, the Blue Jays traded him, Noah Syndergaard, Travis d'Arnaud, and Wuilmer Becerra to the

for

R. A. Dickey Robert Allen Dickey (born October 29, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Bra ...

Josh Thole Joshua Michael Thole (pronounced toll-EE) (born October 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. Early years Thole grew up in Breese, Il ...

, and

Mike Nickeas Michael James Nickeas (born February 13, 1983) is a former professional baseball catcher. Nickeas played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. Nickeas also represented Great Britain internationa ...

. Buck began 2013 as the starting catcher, with

Anthony Recker Anthony Vito Recker (born August 29, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves. Base ...

as his backup. After a great April in which he hit .241/.269/.575 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI, Buck cooled down some. On August 17, Buck was placed on paternity leave, and he was replaced on the roster by the catcher he was traded with, Travis d'Arnaud. d'Arnaud took the starting role when Buck returned, and Buck would soon be traded.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On August 27, 2013, Buck and

Marlon Byrd Marlon Jerrard Byrd (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New Yo ...

were traded to the

in exchange for infield prospect

Dilson Herrera Dilson José Herrera García (born March 3, 1994) is a Colombian professional baseball second baseman for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...

and a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

, identified on August 29 as Vic Black. He finished the season as the backup to Russell Martin. In 110 games total (9 with Pittsburgh), he hit .219/.285/.362 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI.

Seattle Mariners

On January 14, 2014, Buck agreed to a 1-year, $1 million deal with the Seattle Mariners. He was projected to split time at catcher with

Humberto Quintero Humberto Jose Quintero (born August 2, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 2003 to 2014 most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros. He also playe ...

and

Mike Zunino Michael Accorsi Zunino (born March 25, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays. Before beginning h ...

. On July 7, Buck's 34th birthday, the Mariners designated him for assignment. After clearing waivers unclaimed, Buck became a free agent.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Buck was signed to a minor league contract by the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

on July 21, 2014. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark o ...

. The Angels designated Buck for assignment on October 7, 2014, after claiming

Alfredo Marte Alfredo Marte (born March 31, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball left fielder for the New Jersey Jackals of the Frontier League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. ...

and

Roger Kieschnick Roger Keith Kieschnick (born January 21, 1987) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks. Early life Born in Dallas, Texas, Kiesc ...

on waivers. He rejected an assignment to Triple-A, becoming a free agent.

Retirement

In January 2015, Buck agreed to a minor league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

. The contract included an invitation to major-league spring training. Buck was expected to start the 2015 season at Triple-A. However, on March 26, he announced that he was retiring from baseball.

Personal life

Buck's wife Brooke gave birth to twins twelve weeks prematurely in May 2008. The twins' names are Cooper and Brody. In August 2013, his wife gave birth to their third son, Bentley. In December 2011, Buck assisted in rescuing two elderly women from an overturned car in Sunrise, Florida.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Buck, John 1980 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American League All-Stars Kansas City Royals players Toronto Blue Jays players Florida Marlins players Miami Marlins players New York Mets players Pittsburgh Pirates players Seattle Mariners players Los Angeles Angels players Auburn Doubledays players Gulf Coast Astros players Michigan Battle Cats players Lexington Legends players Round Rock Express players New Orleans Zephyrs players Omaha Royals players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Salt Lake Bees players Major League Baseball catchers Baseball players from Wyoming People from Taylorsville, Utah Baseball players from Utah People from Kemmerer, Wyoming