Ryan Cole Lavarnway ( ריאן לווארנוויי; born August 7, 1987) is an American-Israeli

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 ...

who is a free agent. He has previously 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

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Miami 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 fra ...

, and

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

. In international competition, he has played for Team Israel. Lavarnway attended

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

, where in 2007 he won the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA)

batting title In baseball, batting average (AVG) is a measure of a batter's success rate in achieving a hit during an at bat. In Major League Baseball (MLB), it is calculated by dividing a player's hits by his at bats (AB). In MLB, a player in each league win ...

by hitting .467 and led the NCAA with an .873

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, ...

. That year, Lavarnway also set the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...

record with a 25-game

hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pla ...

. In addition, he set the Ivy League all-time career

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 ...

record, with 33. Lavarnway was drafted by the Red Sox in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. In 2009, he led the

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

with 59

extra-base hits In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...

. Next season, he was a

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 un ...

Mid-Season and Post-Season All Star; additionally, he was named the Red Sox co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. In 2011, after Lavarnway hit 30 home runs in 478 minor league at bats, ''Baseball America'' named him the best power prospect in the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

. He was also named to their 2011 Minor League All-Star Team, and the Red Sox organization named him co-winner of their Offensive Player of the Year award for the second season in a row. He was called up to the major leagues by the Red Sox in August 2011, making headlines in September when he hit two home runs in his first start as a catcher. Entering the 2012 season Lavarnway was the No. 9 prospect in the Red Sox system according to ''Baseball America''. That season, he was the International League (IL) All Star starting catcher and a post-season IL All-Star. He played 46 games for Boston in 2012, batting .157. He split 2013 between Pawtucket and Boston, batting .299 in 25 games for the major league club. In 2014 with Pawtucket, Lavarnway led the team to the International League title, and was voted MVP of the IL series. However, he was hitless in 10 at bats for Boston, who designated him for assignment after the year. Lavarnway began the 2015 season with the Baltimore Orioles but only played 10 games for them before getting designated for assignment on May 26. Signed by the Atlanta Braves, he served as A. J. Pierzynski's backup starting on June 15; though he spent the rest of the season with Atlanta, he only appeared in 27 games for them. Failing to make the Braves' roster in 2016, he spent most of the season in the minor leagues for the

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 ...

. Lavarnway received international honors in 2017, getting named Pool A MVP after playing for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In the major leagues that year, he got into six games with the Oakland Athletics. He was a 2018 mid-season Triple-A All Star for the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened ...

. Called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of 2018, he had four hits in six at bats. Lavarnway started 2019 in the minor leagues again but was called up by the Reds in July. In his debut for the team on July 19, he became the first Red with six RBIs in his Cincinnati debut since RBIs became a statistic in 1920. However, he only played five games for the Reds before they returned him to the minor leagues. In November 2019, he obtained

Israeli citizenship Israeli citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Israel. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew in the world has ...

, hoping to play for Team Israel in

baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics Baseball was featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics. Six national teams competed in the tournament: Israel, Japan (host), Mexico, South Korea, the United States, and the Dominican Republ ...

. He played for Team Israel at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021, and his slugging percentage of .700 was 5th-highest at the Olympic Games. He signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins in December.

Early life

Lavarnway was born on August 7, 1987 in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...

, but grew up in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

. Born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Lavarnway celebrated

Chanukah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each night ...

growing up but never had a Bar Mitzvah. Starting in high school, Lavarnway began pursuing the Jewish faith more seriously. "I felt spiritually attracted and I began to attend synagogue," he said of his high school days. From watching his father play

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

games, Lavarnway developed an interest in baseball at a young age. He played catcher in

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationmajor league player growing up was

Jason Varitek Jason Andrew Varitek (; born April 11, 1972), nicknamed Tek, is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher. He is currently the game planning coordinator, a uniformed coaching position, for the Boston Red Sox. After being traded ...

. At

El Camino Real High School El Camino Real Charter High School (also known locally as "ECR" or "Elco") is an independent charter secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. ...

, Lavarnway caught at first but later played

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball a ...

for the "Conquistadors" baseball team as a senior. The team retired his jersey in 2018.

College career

Lavarnway attended

, where he majored in philosophy and played baseball for the

Yale Bulldogs The Yale Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school sponsors 35 varsity sports. The school has won two NCAA national championships in women's fencing, four in ...

in the

. Lavarnway chose Yale because "obtaining good grades was important and

ale Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to bala ...

had a strong academic reputation," he said. In 2006, he primarily played

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...

, earning Ivy Player and Rookie of the Week honors that March. In 2007, Lavarnway moved back to catcher. "I knew it would provide the best opportunity to reach the major leagues," Lavarnway said, explaining he did not have enough speed in the outfield. He led the

(NCAA) in batting average (.467) and

(.873), setting Yale single-season records in those categories as well as in

home runs 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 ...

(14) and

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the b ...

(RBIs). His 25-game

set an Ivy League record, and he earned the G.H. Walker, Jr. Award for being the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Following the college season, Lavarnway played for the

Manchester Silkworms The Manchester Silkworms were a collegiate summer baseball team located in Manchester, Connecticut playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the northeastern United States region of New ...

in the

New England Collegiate Baseball League The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule during June ...

in the summer of 2007, batting .313 for the team. He was honored as a starter on the league All Star team, also competing in the home run derby. In 2008, his junior year, Lavarnway was the Ivy League's leader in home runs (13), RBIs (42),

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...

s (29), slugging percentage (.824), and

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

(.541). He also batted .398. He missed the last 11 games of the year after breaking the scaphoid bone in his left wrist while diving into

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

in April. Even though he missed some playing time, Lavarnway set the Ivy League record with 33 home runs during his time at Yale. Lavarnway was a semi-finalist for the

Johnny Bench Award The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The award is administered by the Greater Wichita Area S ...

and the

Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...

, in addition to being named Second-Team All-Ivy. In 120 total games for Yale, he had a .384 batting average, 33 home runs, and 122 RBIs. In 2012,

Craig Breslow Craig Andrew Breslow (pronounced BREHZ-loh; born August 8, 1980) is an American baseball executive and former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Director of Pit ...

(also

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

) and Lavarnway became the first Yale players to be Major League teammates since 1949, and the first All-Yale battery in the major leagues since 1883. Lavarnway left the university 11 credits short of graduating, and wants to return to Yale to finish his philosophy degree.

Career

Boston Red Sox

2008–09

Lavarnway was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round of the

2008 Major League Baseball Draft The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first ro ...

. He signed for a $325,000

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

, though he vowed to later study the extra year he needed to complete his degree. Once projected to be drafted higher, his status had fallen after he broke his left wrist in April 2008, causing him to more strongly consider remaining at Yale for his senior year. He played his first professional baseball for the

Lowell Spinners The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major League ...

of the Class A short season

New York-Penn League New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

, batting .211 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 22 games. In 2009, Lavarnway played for the

Greenville Drive The Greenville Drive are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greenville, South Carolina. They are the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and are a member of the South Atlantic League. They play their home games at Fluor Field at the West E ...

in the Class A

, with whom he started using a bigger bat. He hit 21 home runs (a team all-time record) and posted a .540 slugging percentage; in both these categories, he led all Red Sox minor league players. Additionally, he recorded 36 doubles (a team record), a league-leading 59

, and 87 RBIs (second in the league) in 404

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

2010

Lavarnway split 2010 between the

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Carolina League. Ho ...

of the Class A+

, and the

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox sys ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Eastern League Eastern League may refer to: Baseball in the United States ''Most recent leagues listed first'' * Eastern League (1938–present), a minor league established in 1923 and renamed Eastern League in 1938, at the Double-A level * Eastern League (1916� ...

, combining for 22 home runs (second among Red Sox minor leaguers; his 14 homers in his Carolina League stint led the league), 102 RBIs (first in the Red Sox system, and 11th among all minor leaguers), and a .489 slugging percentage (tops among Red Sox minor leaguers) in 462 at bats. He was a Carolina League Player of the Week (April 19), Mid-Season All Star, and Post-Season All Star. In the Eastern League, he won Player of the Week honors for the week ending August 30. He was leading the league in homers, RBIs, and runs at the time of his promotion. For 2010, he was named the Red Sox co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, along with first baseman

Anthony Rizzo Anthony Vincent Rizzo (born August 8, 1989) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs. He is a three-time ...

. He also threw out 33% of attempted base-stealers and was rated as the top Red Sox catching prospect by ''Baseball America''. After the regular season ended, Lavarnway also played for the

Peoria Javelinas The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the S ...

in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...

(AFL). He was named an "AFL Rising Star" in November.

2011

Lavarnway started the 2011 season with Portland before getting promoted to the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

in the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

on June 13. At Pawtucket, he batted third in the lineup. With Portland, he hit 14 home runs with a .510 slugging percentage in 208 at bats, and with Pawtucket he hit 18 home runs with a .612 slugging percentage in 227 at bats. That was good for a combined total of 30 home runs (tied for fourth-most in the minors) and 93 RBIs in 435 at bats. Lavarnway was voted the International League Player of the Week for the week ending July 25 and received Topps Minor League Player of the Month honors for July. ''Baseball America'' named Lavarnway the best power prospect in the International League, and the Red Sox organization named him a co-winner of their Offensive Player of the Year award. Defensively, through mid-August he had made only one error behind the plate. ''Baseball America'' named him the catcher on its 2011 Minor League All-Star Team, and MLB.com ranked him the No. 93 prospect in Major League Baseball. Ryan lavarnway throw

In 2011, former major leaguer

Ken Ryan Kenneth Frederick Ryan, Jr. (born October 24, 1968), is an American former baseball pitcher. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. Professional career After graduating in 1986 from Se ...

compared Lavarnway to

Mike Lieberthal Michael Scott "Lieby" Lieberthal (born January 18, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He batted and threw right-handed. In a 14-year career, Lieberthal played for the Philadelphia Phillies (–) and the Los Angeles Dodge ...

, whose offensive ability was far ahead of his catching ability when he first made it to the major leagues, but who over time established himself as a defensive catcher as well. On August 18, Lavarnway was called up to the Red Sox. He filled the roster spot of Kevin Youkilis, who went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. The next day, August 19, he collected his first career hit, a single off of

Jeff Francis Jeffrey William Francis (born January 8, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and ...

of 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 ...

. On September 27, with both

and Jarrod Saltalamacchia injured, Lavarnway started for the Red Sox and hit his first two major league home runs, recording four RBIs in a key 8–7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Lavarnway became the third player in major league baseball history to hit two home runs in his first start at catcher, joining

Bobby Pfeil Robert Raymond Pfeil (born November 13, 1943), is an American former professional baseball third baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in and for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively. He threw and batted right ...

(1971) and J. P. Arencibia (2010). In 17 games for Boston in 2011, Lavarnway batted .231 with nine hits, two home runs, and eight RBI.

2012

Entering the 2012 season, Lavarnway was named the No. 9 prospect in the Red Sox system by ''Baseball America''. That season, he was the International League All-Star starting catcher and also a post-season IL All-Star. In 83 games with Pawtucket, he batted .295 with eight home runs and 43 RBI. On August 1, Lavarnway was called up from Pawtucket when Daniel Nava was placed on the 15-day

. He remained with Boston the rest of the season, receiving regular playing time at catcher and also as a

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by t ...

. With the Red Sox and the

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 ...

tied at three runs apiece on September 4, Lavarnway hit a home run against Blake Beavan, providing the margin of victory in a 4–3 win that snapped a seven-game losing streak for Boston. On September 14, he had four RBIs, including a three-run home run against Aaron Laffey, as the Red Sox defeated the

by a score of 8–5. Lavarnway played 46 games for the Red Sox in 2012, batting .157 with two home runs and 12 RBI. Though his caught stealing percentage was 32% at Pawtucket, it was 10% with Boston.

2013

On March 27, 2013, the Red Sox optioned Lavarnway to Pawtucket. Manager John Farrell said: "Right now he needs 'everyday' at-bats." Commenting on Lavarnway having been timed at 1.9 seconds throwing out a runner trying to steal second, Farrell said, "More than acceptable at the big league level." Lavarnway was recalled to Boston on April 25 but was optioned back on April 28 to make room for

John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Ch ...

's return from the disabled list without having made an appearance. Larvarnway was called up again on May 12 after David Ross was placed on the 7-day disabled list with a concussion. He appeared in three games this time before getting optioned to Pawtucket again on May 24. He was called up for a third time on June 18 after Ross was again placed on the 7-day disabled list with a concussion. On August 6, while catching

knuckleballer A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This chan ...

Steve Wright in his first major league start, Lavarnway tied a Major League record with four

passed ball In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a ru ...

s in one inning. The record was set by Ray Katt of the New York Giants in 1954, catching knuckleballer

Hoyt Wilhelm James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angel ...

, and tied by

Gino Petralli Eugene James Petralli (born September 25, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers from to . Early life and education Petralli grad ...

of the Texas Rangers in 1987, catching knuckleballer

Charlie Hough Charles Oliver Hough (; born January 5, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) knuckleball pitcher and coach who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and Florida Marlins from 1970 to 1994. P ...

. Lavarnway was sent back to Pawtucket on August 19 when Ross returned from the disabled list, but it was only for a couple weeks before he was recalled in September as part of

September call-up A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

s. Overall in 2013, he batted .299 in 25 regular season games for Boston, with one home run and 14 RBI. With Pawtucket in 2013, he batted .250 with three home runs and 24 RBI. With Pawtucket, he threw out 18 of 45 attempted base stealers (40.0%), the 4th-best percentage among International League catchers. However, he only threw out 19% of would-be base stealers in the major leagues.

2014

In the spring of 2014 Lavarnway was tutored to play

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

by infield instructor Brian Butterfield. Lavarnway started the 2014 season in Pawtucket, where he batted .265 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 44 games before getting recalled by Boston on May 26. He started at first base for the first time in the major leagues on May 29 against the

but left the game early with left wrist soreness. The next day, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI revealed a broken hamate bone in the wrist. He had surgery to remove the hamate bone from his left wrist at the

Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit American academic medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio. Owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an Ohio nonprofit corporation established in 1921, it runs a 170-acre (69 ha) campus in Cleveland, ...

on June 4 and began a rehab assignment with Portland on July 21. Moved up to Pawtucket on July 25, Lavarnway was eventually optioned to Pawtucket, not rejoining the Red Sox until September. With Pawtucket, Lavarnway led the team to the International League title, earning Governor's Cup MVP honors after earning 10 hits in 22 at bats. Promoted by the Red Sox after Pawtucket's season ended, he appeared in five games, either as a pinch-hitter or as a first baseman. In nine games with Boston in 2014, Lavarnway had only 10 at bats, going hitless in them. His totals with Pawtucket were a .283 average, three home runs, and 20 RBIs in 62 games. After the season, he was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

on November 25.

Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles

The

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

claimed Lavarnway off waivers on December 5, 2014. Lavarnway was out of options, and therefore could not be sent to the minor leagues without first clearing waivers. However, he was designated for assignment, then claimed off waivers by the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

on December 19, 2014. Four days later, however, the Cubs also put him on waivers. Lavarnway changed teams again on December 23, when the

– his fourth team in 18 days – claimed him off waivers from the Cubs. Lavarnway was again designated for assignment on January 9. He began the 2015 season on the Orioles' opening day roster. After appearing in only ten games, he was designated for assignment on May 26. Manager

Buck Showalter William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III (born May 23, 1956) is an American professional baseball manager for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he served as manager of the New York Yankees (1992–1995), Arizona Diam ...

said, "I just don't think Ryan's swing and the things that he's capable of doing are conducive to playing once a week," and indicated that he hoped Lavarnway would accept a Norfolk roster position. Instead, Lavarnway became a free agent. He had batted .107 in 10 games for Baltimore, with no home runs or RBIs.

Atlanta Braves

On May 30, 2015, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the

. Playing for the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

, in 49 plate appearances he recorded a .268 batting average/.388 on-base percentage/.463 slugging percentage with two home runs and eight RBIs. After playing 13 games for Gwinnett, he was called up to the majors on June 15 to replace the struggling

Christian Bethancourt Christian Gabriel Bethancourt Ruiz (born September 2, 1991) is a Panamanian professional baseball catcher, first baseman and outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Brave ...

. With the Braves, he served as A. J. Pierzynski's backup. On July 11, his home run against

Jorge de la Rosa Jorge Alberto de la Rosa Gonzalez (born April 5, 1981) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago ...

accounted for half of Atlanta's scoring in a 3–2 loss to the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

. In 27 games for Atlanta, he batted .227 with two home runs and six RBIs. He was outrighted off the roster on October 9 but was re-signed to a minor league deal by the organization. Invited to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

with the Braves in 2016, Lavarnway failed to make the team and played for Gwinnett, batting 276 with no home runs and 10 RBIs in 25 games. Lavarnway was granted his release on May 15, allowing newly-acquired

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 ...

to get more playing time with Gwinnett.

Toronto Blue Jays

On May 27, 2016, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the

and was assigned to the Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major league club. During the team's first seaso ...

. In 66 games for New Hampshire, he batted .262 with six home runs and 38 RBIs. He elected

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

on November 7, 2016.

Oakland Athletics

On November 21, 2016, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. He began the 2017 season playing for the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music indus ...

of the Triple-A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...

. He was called up on July 5, appearing in one game before being sent outright back to Nashville on July 11. His contract was selected by the Athletics on July 27 when

Josh Phegley Joshua Aaron Phegley (born February 12, 1988) is an American former professional baseball catcher and current director of player development for Michigan. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and ...

went on the disabled list with an oblique injury. This time, he appeared in five games before being designated for assignment on August 5 after the A's added catcher

Dustin Garneau Dustin Thomas Garneau (born August 13, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros and Det ...

. Lavarnway was outrighted to Nashville two days later. He batted .273 for the Athletics, recording three hits in 11 at bats. In 83 games for Nashville, he batted .239 with six home runs and 26 RBIs. He elected free agency after the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 22, 2018, Lavarnway signed a minor league deal with the

. He was invited to spring training. Lavarnway began the 2018 season playing for the

of the Class AAA International League, for whom he was a mid-season All Star. He hit .288/.375/.485 in 77 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, was called up to Pittsburgh on September 4, and had four hits in six at bats for the Pirates. He elected free agency on November 3.

New York Yankees

On November 7, 2018, Lavarnway signed a contract with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

, in which he was invited to spring training. In 2019 he played for their AAA farm team, the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

, and batted .213/.333/.315 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in 108 at bats. The team released him on July 18.

Cincinnati Reds

Just hours after his release from the Yankees, Lavarnway signed a one-year major league contract with the

. The following day on July 19, 2019, he became the first player with six RBIs in his Reds debut since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920 and the first player ever to have three or more extra base hits and six or more RBIs in his first game with any team (dating back to 1920). He was also the first Reds catcher to have three hits, two home runs, and six RBIs in one game since

Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...

in 1973.Justin Leger (July 19, 2019)
"Former Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway has historic night for Reds,"
''NBC Sports''. Retrieved May 29, 2020 Lavarnway would go on to play a total of five games for the Reds, batting .278 with two home runs and seven RBIs. On July 28, Lavarnway was designated for assignment. The Reds subsequently sent him to their AAA team, the

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the winged mammal and basebal ...

, where he batted .225/.319/.500 with three home runs and seven RBIs in 40 at bats before being released on August 29.

Cleveland Indians

On August 30, 2019, the Cleveland Indians signed Lavarnway to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy merchant sailing vessels known as cli ...

, wanting him to compete with

Eric Haase Eric Michael Haase (; born December 18, 1992) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2018 for the Cleveland Indians. Early life Haase was born on December 18 ...

for a promotion to the major leagues after the minor league season ended. Lavarnway played four games in the regular season for Columbus, batting .364/.429/.455 in 11 at bats. However, he never played a game for the Indians, as Cleveland chose to call up Haase instead. Lavarnway became a free agent following the 2019 season.

Miami Marlins

On December 18, 2019, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the

with an invitation to spring training. On August 3, 2020, Lavarnway was selected to the active roster. He was designated for assignment on August 21, and then outrighted by the Marlins to their alternate site. At the end of the regular season he was on the Marlins' 12-player "

taxi squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

". In the coronavirus-shortened 2020 regular season he batted .364/.364/.364 in 11 at bats. Lavarnway elected free agency on October 15, 2020.

Cleveland Indians (second stint)

On February 19, 2021, Lavarnway was signed to a minor league contract with the

organization with an invitation to the Indians' 2021 major league spring training camp. He began the season with the

of the newly-formed

Triple-A East The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

. On June 17, the Indians selected Lavarnway's contract, adding him to their active roster. Lavarnway went 3-for-11 in four games with Cleveland before being designated for assignment on June 24. He was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus on June 28. The Indians selected Lavarnway's contract a second time on September 2, 2021. Lavarnway was designated for assignment on September 14, 2021 and subsequently outrighted to Columbus on September 17, 2021. Lavarnway elected free agency on October 6, 2021.

Detroit Tigers

On March 14, 2022, Lavarnway signed a minor league deal with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. Playing for the Class AAA

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

in 2022, he batted .281/.385/.459 in 146 at bats.

Miami Marlins (second stint)

On June 21, 2022, the Tigers traded Lavarnway to the

for cash considerations. He played for the Class AAA

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

of the International League. Between the two teams in 2022, he batted .245/.352/.417 in 278 at bats with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

Team Israel

Lavarnway played for

Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...

qualifier. Throughout the qualifier, Lavarnway was the starting catcher in all three games while also batting second in all games. In the opening game, Lavarnway went 3-for-4, while scoring a run and walking once, with his one out resulting in a double play. In the second game Lavarnway went hitless in three at bats, while walking once. In the third and final game, Lavarnway hit a two-run home run, as part of a 2-for-5 evening, scoring 2 runs and collecting 3 RBIs. Lavarnway was the starting catcher for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic in the main tournament, in March 2017. After # 41-ranked Israel defeated # 3-ranked South Korea and # 4-ranked Taiwan, Lavarnay noted: "two generations ago, the way that this team was put together would have meant that we were being killed...It means a lot more than that we're here." Lavarnway was named Pool A MVP, after going 5-for-9 (.556/.692/.889) a home run, 3 RBIs, and 4 walks. Over the two rounds that the team played, Lavarnway batted 8-for-18 (.565) with two doubles, a home run, and 6 RBIs, while walking 5 times.Carl Steward (March 17, 2017)
">"Team Israel star Ryan Lavarnway reveled in WBC experience"
''The Mercury News''. Retrieved May 29, 2020. Discussing the experience, he observed, "It changed how proud I am about being Jewish." In November 2019, Lavarnway obtained

, hoping to play for Team Israel in

in Tokyo. He played for Team Israel at the

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021, and his slugging percentage of .700 was 5th-highest at the Olympic Games. He batted .350/.350/.700 in 20 at bats with three runs, two home runs, and three RBIs.

Personal life

In 2013, Lavarnway married chef and food blogger Jamie Neistat, a Denver native who, like Lavarnway, is Jewish. Lavarnway and his wife go to synagogue regularly and live what he describes as a "Jewish lifestyle".Yair Katan (November 14, 2016)
"Mensch on the bench: Israel to play in World Baseball Classic,"
ynet. Retrieved May 28, 2020. "We are proud members of the Jewish community in the city," he says. His cousin, Emma, served in the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

. In 2020, Lavarnway was inducted into the

Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, in Beverly Hills, California, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring American Jewish athletes, other sports personalities, and teams from Southern California who have distinguished themsel ...

. Lavarnway and his wife Jamie have one daughter, Blake Elizabeth, born on June 11th, 202

References

External links

The Baseball GaugeVenezuela Winter League
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lavarnway, Ryan 1987 births Living people Israeli American Israeli baseball players 2017 World Baseball Classic players Atlanta Braves players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Baseball players from California Boston Red Sox players Bravos de Margarita players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Cincinnati Reds players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players El Camino Real High School alumni Greenville Drive players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Gwinnett Braves players Indianapolis Indians players Jewish American baseball players Jewish Major League Baseball players Lowell Spinners players Major League Baseball catchers Miami Marlins players Nashville Sounds players Oakland Athletics players Pawtucket Red Sox players People from Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Peoria Javelinas players Pittsburgh Pirates players Portland Sea Dogs players Salem Red Sox players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Sportspeople from Burbank, California Yale Bulldogs baseball players Olympic baseball players of Israel 21st-century American Jews

Early life

College career

Career

Boston Red Sox

2008–09

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles

Atlanta Braves

Toronto Blue Jays

Oakland Athletics

Pittsburgh Pirates

New York Yankees

Cincinnati Reds

Cleveland Indians

Miami Marlins

Cleveland Indians (second stint)

Detroit Tigers

Miami Marlins (second stint)

Team Israel

Personal life

See also

References

External links