Jonathan Charles Lucroy (born June 13, 1986) is a former American

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 catcher ...

. Between 2010 and 2021, he spent 12 seasons 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 (AL) ...

(MLB) playing for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...

, Texas Rangers,

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 ...

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 ...

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 ha ...

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 ...

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 eig ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...

, and

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 B ...

. Born in

Eustis, Florida Eustis is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,189 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Eustis High School is the town's local public high scho ...

, Lucroy began catching for his

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationUmatilla High School, where he set a school record with 22 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 is ...

s. After high school, Lucroy played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The college has been competing athletically since 1901. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams. Nickname The un ...

, serving as the team's starting catcher beginning during his

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educati ...

season. In three seasons with Louisiana, Lucroy set a school record with 182 career

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 ba ...

(RBI), 414

total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, whil ...

, and 54 doubles. He also spent two seasons playing

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...

with the Sanford River Rats and

Winter Park Diamond Dawgs The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Winter Park, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League (FCSL) and plays its home games at Alfond Stadium. The team ...

of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Lucroy left the Cajuns after three seasons when he was taken by the Brewers in the third round of the

2007 MLB Draft The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the fir ...

. Lucroy had a quick rise through the Brewers' farm system, making his major league debut in 2010 after an injury to Gregg Zaun. He was supposed to return to the minor leagues shortly after this debut, but the severity of Zaun's injury forced the Brewers to keep Lucroy in Milwaukee for the remainder of the year, and he soon usurped

George Kottaras George Kottaras ( ; born May 10, 1983) is a Canadian former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Card ...

as the Brewers' starting catcher. With the Brewers, Lucroy was a two-time

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

, and he became the face of the franchise after Ryan Braun was implicated in the Biogenesis scandal. By 2016, however, Lucroy began looking for a trade, and after an unsuccessful trade attempt with the

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) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...

, he and Jeremy Jeffress were sent to the Rangers that July. While Lucroy's first season with Texas helped them capture the AL West title, and he won a gold medal at the

2017 World Baseball Classic The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to March 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts ...

during the offseason, Robinson Chirinos soon surpassed Lucroy as the Rangers' starting catcher in 2017, and he finished out the year with the Rockies. After going unsigned during the usual free agency period, Lucroy joined the Athletics in March 2018, where his offensive difficulties were offset by his work with Oakland's pitching staff. When Lucroy and Oakland could not come to contractual terms for the 2019 season, he joined the Angels instead. Lucroy's tenure in Los Angeles was cut short by a concussion and broken nose in July, but he was able to finish the season with the Cubs, who had struggled to find a replacement for the injured Willson Contreras. Lucroy mostly missed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, spending time at the Red Sox alternate training site, and had brief tenures with Washington and Atlanta when both teams were in need of a veteran catching presence.

Early life

Lucroy was born on June 13, 1986, in

. His father Steven worked as a greenskeeper for local golf courses, while his mother Karen stayed at home to take care of Lucroy and his two younger brothers, David and Matthew. He grew up supporting the

(MLB), and one of his favorite players was

Chipper Jones Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall p ...

. Lucroy began catching around the age of 10, when he was playing

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Lucroy was an early standout at Umatilla High School, where he batted .310 with 10 doubles as a

in 2002. He followed that performance by batting .500 with 10

s, nine doubles, and 35

(RBI) as a junior, while committing only two errors behind the plate. He closed out his high school baseball career with a .450 batting average and 10 home runs as a

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

in 2004. In addition to holding the Umatilla record with 22 career home runs, Lucroy collected a number of honors throughout his career: he was an All-State honorable mention as a freshman, All-Area second team as a sophomore, and All-Area first team, All-State first team, and All-Central Florida second team as a junior. In 2011, Umatilla High School

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

Lucroy's No. 6 jersey.

College career

In November 2003, during senior year of high school, Lucroy committed to play

for the

Ragin' Cajuns The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The college has been competing athletically since 1901. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams. Nickname The un ...

of the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

, beginning with their 2005 season. Lucroy was one of three catchers for the Cajuns during his freshman year, splitting time with seniors Adam Massiatte and Justin Morgan. Although preference was given to the two senior catchers, Lucroy was a strong enough hitter that his college coaches did not want him to stay on the bench, and so by April, he was promoted to the team's

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 th ...

. On April 18, 2005, Lucroy was named the

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams partici ...

player of the week for picking up the 14th five-hit game in Louisiana–Lafayette history, against the rival

New Orleans Privateers 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 ...

. Although he caught in only six games for the Cajuns, Lucroy's time as a designated hitter allowed him to bat .379 with five home runs and 48 RBI as a freshman, and he helped take the team to a 48–19 record and a Sun Belt Conference regular season championship. After the season, Lucroy was named to both the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team and the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team. After the regular season ended, Lucroy played

with the Sanford River Rats of the Florida Collegiate Summer League (FCSL), where his league-leading RBIs landed him a spot on the all-star team. As the Cajuns' new starting catcher in 2006, Lucroy opened his sophomore season by kicking off a five-run comeback eighth inning for Louisiana–Lafayette with a bases-clearing double in their opening day 8–2 defeat of

Louisiana–Monroe The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is a public university in Monroe, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System. History ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. Three years later it became the Northeast Ce ...

. Although the transition to full-time catching saw Lucroy's batting average drop to .243 through the end of March, he led Louisiana–Lafayette with four home runs in that same frame. He found his stride by the end of the season, finishing with a .333 average and a team-leading 12 home runs with 58 RBI. Although Louisiana–Lafayette lost both the regular season and Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament championship titles to

Troy University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...

, Lucroy was named to the All-Sun Belt Tournament team after recording 11 hits, including seven extra-base hits, and nine RBI in 17 tournament at bats. That summer, Lucroy returned to the FCSL, helping the

to a championship title while leading the league with six home runs and 29 RBI. Between Sanford and Winter Park, Lucroy batted .325 in two seasons of collegiate summer baseball, with eight home runs and 41 RBI in 60 games. During his junior year at Louisiana–Lafayette, Lucroy tied his own school record with five hits in a 10–6 win over South Alabama. That May, Lucroy received his second career Sun Belt Conference player of the week award when he went 8-for-14 with four extra-base hits and a 1.000

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 ...

in a three-game sweep of Louisiana–Monroe. By the end of the month, Lucroy had helped take Louisiana–Lafayette to the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title, leading the team with a .373 batting average, 87 hits, 19 doubles, 59 RBI, and 155 total bases, the last of which was a school record. He was one of three Cajuns named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team that year, joining pitcher Buddy Glass and designated hitter Scott Hawkins. Despite falling to New Orleans in that year's Sun Belt Conference tournament, Lucroy was once again named to the All-Conference first team, while Louisiana–Lafayette clinched a spot in the

2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament The 2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from June 1 to 24, . Sixty-four NCAA Division I college baseball teams advanced to the post season tournament after having played through a regular season, and for some, a conference tourna ...

. Facing

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...

in the regional finals, Lucroy hit his 18th home run of the season and recorded his 182nd collegiate RBI, breaking Damian Grossie's all-time school record. Louisiana–Lafayette's tournament run came to an end the next night when Texas A&M defeated them 5–2 in the elimination game. Lucroy finished his collegiate career with a school-record 184 RBI, 414 total bases, and 54 doubles, and was also among the school's top hitters with 241 hits, 35 home runs, a .612 slugging percentage, and a .356 batting average.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Following his junior year of college, the

selected Lucroy in the third round, 101st overall, of the

. He signed with the team only two days after the draft, agreeing to a

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 ...

of $340,000 and beginning his professional baseball career. After signing with the Brewers, Lucroy joined the Rookie-level

Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwaukee ...

of the Pioneer League, with whom he batted .342 with four home runs and 39 RBI in 61 games and 234 at bats. He was named both a Pioneer League Post-Season All-Star and a ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form ...

'' Rookie All-Star for his performance that year. When the regular minor league season ended, Lucroy joined the North Shore Honu of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league, where he developed his defensive abilities in preparation for a promotion to

Low-A Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for each ...

for the 2008 season. He batted .299 in 23 winter league games, with eight RBI and 23 hits in 77 at bats. In addition to playing baseball, Lucroy, who had majored in environmental and sustainable resources at Louisiana, kept a blog about Hawaiian ecology for the Minor League Baseball website. Lucroy started the 2008 minor league season with the Low-A

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The Dir ...

of 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 ...

. After batting .310 with 74 hits, 10 home runs and 33 RBI in West Virginia, Lucroy was promoted to the

Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brevard County af ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A follow ...

on June 19, the day after his appearance at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. His offensive momentum did not slow with the promotion: by July 12, Lucroy was batting .338 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 21 Florida State League games. Batting third in the Manatees'

lineup Lineup, line up or line-up may refer to: Groupings * A queue area of waiting people * A police lineup, or identity parade, of suspects * The roster of a sports team at a given time ** Batting order (baseball) in baseball ** The starting position i ...

, Lucroy hit .292 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI in 64 games after his promotion. In addition to his offensive performance, Lucroy's coaches in West Virginia and Brevard County valued his defensive abilities. By 2008, Lucroy could complete a throw from home plate to second base in 1.68 seconds, with 1.8 seconds considered MLB-caliber. In a 2016 retrospective, longtime Brevard County

public address A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...

announcer J. C. Meyerholz referred to Lucroy as "one of the best positional players in my 12 years with Manatees". Lucroy received an invitation to the Brewers'

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 ...

in 2009. Ultimately, the Brewers passed over Lucroy and

Ángel Salomé Ángel Isaac Salomé (born June 8, 1986) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball catcher and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, appearing in three games as a pinch hitter. Career Salomé was dr ...

in favor of promoting

Carlos Corporan Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...

to the major leagues, and Lucroy spent the season with the Double-A

Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Mil ...

of the Southern League. That July, Lucroy appeared in the Southern League All-Star Game, recording an RBI for the North Division in their 7–0

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

of the South Division team. After a slow start to the season, Lucroy ultimately batted .267 with nine home runs, 66 RBI, and 112 hits in 419 at bats and 125 games, including a franchise record-tying 22-game hitting streak in August. After the conclusion of the regular minor league season, Lucroy joined 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 ...

of 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 fi ...

, where his home run and two RBI within the first games helped push Lucroy over Salomé in the Brewers' farm system. Lucroy appeared in 17 fall league games, where he batted .310 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 58 at bats.

Milwaukee Brewers (2010–2016)

Lucroy opened the 2010 season with Huntsville, but was promoted to the Triple-A

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 industry, ...

after only 10 games, during which he had at least one hit in every outing and 19 overall. When Gregg Zaun was placed on the 15-day

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 ...

with a shoulder injury on May 21, Lucroy, who had been hitting .238 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 21 minor-league games, was called up in his place. Lucroy made his MLB debut and recorded his first major league hit the next day day, hitting a single in the eighth inning of a 15–3 loss to the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...

. When it was revealed later that week that Zaun had torn his

glenoid labrum The glenoid labrum (glenoid ligament) is a fibrocartilaginous structure (not a fibrocartilage as previously thought) rim attached around the margin of the glenoid cavity in the shoulder blade. The shoulder joint is considered a ball and socket ...

and would likely miss the remainder of the season, the Brewers decided to keep Lucroy in the majors, with

serving as the team's starting catcher. Lucroy's first major league home run came on June 25, a three-run blast off of Ryan Rowland-Smith of 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 team ...

in an 8–3 Milwaukee victory. As the season progressed, the Brewers determined that Lucroy was a better defensive player than Kottaras, and he stepped into the starting catcher role by the end of July. Lucroy appeared in 75 games during his rookie season, batting .253 with four home runs and 26 RBI in 277 at bats. Behind the plate, he had a

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

of .992 and threw out 31 percent of attempted base stealers. Despite putting up above-average numbers for a rookie, particularly one thrust into a starting role, Lucroy was disappointed in his own season, telling reporters, "I have not shown my true worth ... I don't have any excuses for it. I just stunkbottom line." A number of Brewers suffered injuries during spring training in 2011, including Lucroy, who fractured the

little finger The little finger, or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human hand, and next to the ring finger. Etymology The word "pinkie" is derived from the Dutch word ''pi ...

on his throwing hand during a drill. The fracture required surgery to put a pin in the finger, and it was unclear if he would be available for

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

. The recovery process took two months, with Lucroy returning to the Brewers lineup on April 13. Although early discussions by team officials suggested easing Lucroy back into games, continuing to give the bulk of playing time to fill-ins Wil Nieves and George Kottaras, manager Ron Roenicke ultimately decided that Lucroy would immediately return to his role as the Brewers' everyday catcher. On May 28, Lucroy executed his first game-winning hit when he successfully completed a squeeze play in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring home Ryan Braun and help Milwaukee defeat the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

3–2. Lucroy's ability to execute squeeze plays on bunts would become a defining characteristic of his approach at the plate, with his Brewers teammates nicknaming him "Mr. Squeeze". Lucroy, who primarily batted eighth in the Brewers' order, drew praise from retired players like

Bob Uecker Robert George Uecker ( ; born January 26, 1934) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and current sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Facetiously dubbed "Mr. Baseball" by TV talk show host Johnny Carson, Uecker has served as ...

and

Jamie Quirk James Patrick Quirk (; born October 22, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1992. Quirk was a member of the world champion 1985 Kansas City Royals team. ...

both for his offensive improvement and for his preparation behind the plate. He played in 136 regular season games during his sophomore season, batting .265 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI in 430 at bats. IMG 2360 Jonathan Lucroy

On September 23, 2011, the Brewers defeated 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 fra ...

4–1 to clinch the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

(NL)

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

title and a place in the 2011 MLB postseason. While facing the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. ...

in game 2 of the

2011 National League Division Series The 2011 National League Division Series (abbreviated NLDS) were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Champions ...

(NLDS), Lucroy once again executed a squeeze play on a bunt to drive in the go-ahead run and take the Brewers to a 2–0 series lead. Arizona battled back in Games 3 and 4, but the Brewers took the series in

extra innings Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie. Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulation innings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; in Little L ...

in the deciding game and advanced to the 2011 National League Championship Series (NLCS). Although the Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, Lucroy recorded his first postseason home run in game 6. On March 27, 2012, just before the start of the

2012 MLB season The 2012 Major League Baseball season began on March 28 with the first of a two-game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. On November 22, 2011, a new contract between Major League Baseball an ...

, the Brewers signed Lucroy to a five-year, $11 million contract extension, with additional incentives up to $13 million. At the end of May, Lucroy, who had been batting .345 with five homers and 30 RBI through the first two months of the season, suffered a

boxer's fracture A boxer's fracture is the break of the 5th metacarpal bones of the hand near the knuckle. Occasionally it is used to refer to fractures of the 4th metacarpal as well. Symptoms include pain and a depressed knuckle. Classically, it occurs after ...

when his wife accidentally dropped a suitcase onto his hand. Although the team originally believed that his hand would heal without surgery, doctors later had to place a pin in the hand, and he was expected to spend six to eight weeks on the disabled list. Lucroy also had to tell Brewers fans to stop sending his wife

hate mail Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwi ...

for her perceived role in what he called a "freak thing". He missed 50 games before returning on July 26. Although Lucroy was disappointed in his own performance one month after his return, he batted .279 in that time frame. He finished the season batting .320 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI in 96 games. The Brewers, meanwhile, finished the season with an 83–79 record, third in the NL Central, and they did not appear in the playoffs. Lucroy began the

2013 MLB season The 2013 Major League Baseball season started on March 31 with a Sunday night game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros.

in a slump, with his batting average down to .208 by May 20, but he soon turned around his performance with 14 home runs and a .345 average in his next 46 games. Lucroy's hot streak was rewarded with a second-half bump up in the batting order. Injuries to Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart, as well as the highly publicized suspension of Ryan Braun for his involvement with

performance-enhancing substance Performance-enhancing substances, also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. A well-known example of cheating in sports involves doping in sport, where bann ...

s had left the Brewers without their usual

power hitter Power hitter is a term used in baseball for a skilled player that has a higher than average ability in terms of his batting, featuring a combination of dexterity and personal strength that likely leads to a high number of home-runs as well as ...

s, and Lucroy often batted fourth or fifth in the lineup in their absence. Lucroy saw action at first base, a position that the Brewers struggled to fill with a regular starter, for the first time during the 2013 season. Lucroy and Roenicke's decision to learn first base derived in part from the fact that he did not catch for Wily Peralta, who was exclusively paired with backup Martin Maldonado, and Lucroy desired an avenue to remain in the game even when Peralta was pitching. Roenicke wanted to use Lucroy only sparingly during the 2013 season, while devoting the next year's spring training to teaching him the position in full. Although Lucroy was one of the best offensive catchers in 2013, batting .280 with 18 home runs, 82 RBI, and a .795

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, ar ...

in 147 games, he struggled defensively: his 20.8 percent caught stealing rate was the lowest among MLB's starting catchers, while Lucroy's eight errors and seven

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 were both career highs. Lucroy's strong first half of the 2014 season, with a .340/.403/.537 slash line, eight home runs, 37 RBI, and a

Wins Above Replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed t ...

rating at or above 3.4, netted him his first

MLB All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

selection. While both were named MLB All-Stars,

Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the grea ...

of the St. Louis Cardinals narrowly defeated Lucroy in a fan vote to determine the starting lineup for that year's game. When Molina tore a ligament in his thumb shortly before the All-Star Game, Lucroy was called to start, while Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks filled Molina's roster spot. On September 27, Lucroy broke

Iván Rodríguez Iván Rodríguez Torres (born November 27, 1971), nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the Texas Rangers (in two separate stints, comprising the majority of his career), Florida ...

's 18-year record of 46 doubles by a catcher in one season. While the hit was actually Lucroy's 53rd double of the year, seven of those came while he was playing first base. Knowing that Lucroy was close to breaking Rodríguez's record, the Brewers intentionally started Maldonado at first base. With a .301 average, 13 home runs, 69 RBI, and a league-leading 53 doubles in 153 games and 585 at bats, Lucroy came in fourth place in voting for the NL

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

award, a title which ultimately went to

Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pi ...

of 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) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...

. His defensive performance also won Lucroy the 2014

Fielding Bible Award A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...

at catcher. When the extent of Ryan Braun's involvement in the Biogenesis scandal was revealed just prior to the 2015 season, Braun received an 85-game suspension, while Lucroy became the face of the Brewers franchise, featured in media advertisements and on the cover of Milwaukee's team media guide. This change coincided with a transfer of his responsibilities more towards first base. While Lucroy remained the Brewers' starting catcher, Adam Lind's poor performance against left-handed pitchers, as well as his recurring back pain, ensured that Lucroy would see more time at first base, in turn allowing Malonado more time to catch. On April 20, however, Lucroy fractured the big toe on his left foot from a

foul tip In baseball, a foul tip is defined as "a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught, and any foul tip that is caught is a strike and the ball is 'in play'." A ''f ...

during a game against the

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 ...

. Maldonado struggled in his absence, and upon Lucroy's June 1 return, the cumulative batting average for Milwaukee's catchers was only .162 through the first 51 games of the season. Lucroy also missed time at the end of the season when another foul tip resulted in a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentratio ...

during a September 8 game against the Marlins. Bookended by these two injuries, Lucroy's offensive metrics fell in 2015 to a .264 average with seven home runs and 43 RBI in 2013 games, and he attributed many of these difficulties to the altered mechanics caused by his injuries. Coming off of a season in which the Brewers went 68–94 and headed into his 30th birthday, a point at which many catchers begin to decline and suffer more serious injuries, Lucroy told the ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently ...

'' that he was interested in being traded to a team with better chances of appearing in the 2016 postseason. As a result, the Brewers spent most of the first half of the season looking for a suitable trade target for Lucroy. Meanwhile, Lucroy, who entered the season determined to improve on his 2015 performance, received his second All-Star Game selection for batting .296 with 16 doubles, three

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

, 10 home runs, and 39 RBI through the first half of the season. He was the third catcher selected for the NL team, joining Buster Posey and Wilson Ramos. He singled in his only

plate appearance In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runne ...

, preserving the 1.000 All-Star batting average that he had begun after recording two RBI doubles during the 2014 game. In 95 games and 338 at bats for the Brewers in 2016, Lucroy batted .299 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI.

Texas Rangers (2016–2017)

On July 30, 2016, shortly before the MLB trading deadline, Lucroy declined to move his

no-trade clause In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, ...

to the

for a deal that would have brought four prospects to Milwaukee. In his decision to veto the trade, Lucroy cited a lack of financial incentives from Cleveland, as well as their inability to guarantee that he would serve as the team's starting catcher in 2017. The next day, Lucroy and

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...

Jeremy Jeffress were sent to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, 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 ...

, ultimately

Ryan Cordell Ryan Thomas Cordell (born March 31, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets. Career Cordell attended Valley Christi ...

. Lucroy and Jeffress formed two-thirds of the Rangers' trading deadline moves, with Carlos Beltran rounding out the acquisitions that

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all ...

Jon Daniels hoped would take the team to the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...

Bryan Holaday John Bryan Holaday (born November 19, 1987) is a former American professional baseball catcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on June 6, 2012, with the Detroit Tigers. He also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, ...

and Bobby Wilson, who had been platooning the catcher position in place of Robinson Chirinos while he was on the disabled list with a fractured right forearm, were both

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 play ...

, while Chirinos dropped from the Rangers' primary catcher to Lucroy's backup. In his Texas debut, Lucroy caught for

Yu Darvish , more commonly known as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ有), is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and ...

, who allowed three solo home runs on the three pitch suggestions that he shook off from Lucroy. Outside of this first start, Lucroy had an immediate positive impact on the Rangers. In the first 14 games he started after being traded, Texas went 9–5, and the pitching staff had a cumulative 3.28 ERA, while as a batter, he had seven home runs and 14 RBI in his first 53 at bats. Lucroy attributed the pitching staff's turnaround to his use of the

KISS principle KISS, an acronym for "Keep it simple, stupid!", is a design principle noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960. First seen partly in American English by at least 1938, the KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather th ...

, which forced the starting pitchers to rely more heavily on the stronger pitches in their repertoire than trying to trick batters with their less-developed secondary pitches. As the season progressed, Lucroy also became more adept at picking off attempted base stealers; by September 22, he had thrown out 42 baserunners in 109 attempts. Lucroy batted .276 in 47 games after his trade to Texas, with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 152 at bats. As a catcher, he had a perfect fielding percentage and threw out 36 percent of attempted baserunners. Jonathan Lucroy on August 4, 2016 (1)

The Rangers clinched their second consecutive AL West title on September 23, 2016, with a 3–0 shutout win over the

. They were then swept by 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 ...

in the AL Division Series (ALDS), with Lucroy going only 1-for-12 in the three-game postseason matchup. He also struggled defensively during the series, allowing the game-tying passed ball in the sixth inning of Game 3. Despite the Rangers' early playoff exit, Lucroy said he had no regrets about rejecting a trade to the Indians, who clinched the AL pennant and went to the

2016 World Series The 2016 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American Leag ...

, telling

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

that his refusal to waive his no-trade clause was "an economic decision. Period." Immediately after the conclusion of the World Series, the Rangers picked up Lucroy's $5.25 million contract option for the 2017 season, which they inherited in his trade from the Brewers. Coming directly off of his gold medal performance at the

, Lucroy had a difficult readjustment to the MLB season. Through May 7, he was batting only .225, but turned the slump around with four multi-hit games the following week. By the end of June, however, Lucroy was steadily losing playing time to Chirinos, a decision that was made partially to keep both catchers healthy during a stretch of 20 games in as many days, but also in part because Chirinos was outperforming Lucroy offensively. Between the second week of the season and the third week of July, Lucroy did not catch more than three consecutive games. Chirinos's resurgence made Lucroy an attractive trade chip for a struggling Rangers bullpen, and rumors that he would be traded followed him throughout July. In his second season with the Rangers, Lucroy batted .242 with four home runs and 27 RBI in 77 games, while Chirinos had 12 home runs and 26 RBI in 46 games within that same time period.

Colorado Rockies (2017)

On July 30, 2017, the Rangers traded Lucroy to the

in exchange for a player to be named later, confirmed the following month to be Rookie League prospect Pedro Gonzalez. Although Lucroy left the Rangers in an offensive slump, the Rockies were primarily interested in adding a defensive veteran to bolster their young pitching and catching staff. The starting rotation was especially young, with an average age of 23, and Lucroy was tasked with helping guide them through the final months of the season and into a potential postseason run. He was meant to start with the new team immediately, taking over the starting catcher role from Tony Wolters, but was a last-minute scratch on August 1 with a stomach illness. Although Lucroy continued to put up pedestrian numbers as a batter, his impact on the Rockies' pitching staff was immediate: the average ERA from the starting rotation dropped from 4.70 to 4.23 between July 30 and September 12, and the bullpen ERA similarly fell from 4.41 to 4.16 since Lucroy was traded to Colorado. The Rockies clinched one of two NL Wild Card spots on September 30, and although Lucroy had two doubles, two runs, and one RBI in that year's NL Wild Card Game, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated Colorado 11–8. Lucroy appeared in 46 games for the Rockies after his midseason trade, batting .310 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 142 at bats. He became a free agent at the conclusion of the season.

Oakland Athletics (2018)

Jonathan Lucroy - batting practice (28960144107) (cropped)

Although Oakland Athletics general manager

David Forst David Lee Forst (born May 18, 1976) is an American baseball executive with the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. He is the general manager of the Athletics. Early and personal life Forst was born in Santa Monica, California, and r ...

had said throughout the offseason that he intended to carry Bruce Maxwell and

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 C ...

as the team's catchers into the 2018 season, when Lucroy remained unsigned throughout the usual free agency period, the Athletics reached out to him. On March 9, he signed a one-year contract with Oakland, moving Maxwell and Phegley down the depth chart and pushing pitcher

Jairo Labourt Jairo Snaider Labourt (born March 7, 1994) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. Career Toronto Blue Jays Labourt signed with the Toronto Blue ...

off of the

40-man roster 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 ...

. On April 21, Lucroy caught his first no-hitter when

Sean Manaea Sean Anthony Manaea ( ; born February 1, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres. He played col ...

blanked the

in 108 pitches. Lucroy, who had previously helped take no-hitters deep into games, referred to the game as the most well-executed pitching effort that he had ever caught. Although he did not hit a home run through his first 31 games, the longest drought in his MLB career, Lucroy produced at the plate in other ways, with a .295 batting average by May 15. His first home run of the season came two weeks later, a solo shot in a 2–1 defeat of the Diamondbacks on May 27. The 2018 season proved an overall step back for Lucroy at the plate, batting .241 with four home runs and 51 RBI, but the Athletics' front office praised his work with their pitching staff. Lucroy enjoyed his time in Oakland, particularly the chemistry built among the team, and in August he told reporters, "We're all running together. A bunch of rejects in Oakland, all having a good time." The Athletics, who had finished last in the AL West for three seasons prior, clinched a playoff berth on September 24, with Lucroy providing a home run in their 7–3 defeat of the Seattle Mariners. Their brief postseason run was cut short, however, with a 7–2 defeat to 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 o ...

in the 2018 American League Wild Card Game. Despite the loss, Lucroy did break Luis Severino's no-hitter with a single to left field in the fifth inning. Lucroy became a free agent at the end of the season, and although he was open to returning to Oakland, the two parties could not compromise on contractual terms.

Los Angeles Angels (2019)

The

, who were in need of a veteran supplement for young catchers

José Briceño José Briceño (born September 19, 1992) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher in the Kansas City Royals organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels. Career Briceño was born in Caracas, Venezue ...

and Kevan Smith, signed Lucroy to a one-year, $3.35 million contract on December 28, 2018. Lucroy believed that his experience playing for the Athletics and Rangers, two teams that the Angels regularly faced as members of the AL West, would give him an advantage on his new team, and he also valued the opportunity to work under manager Brad Ausmus, a former MLB catcher. By May, Lucroy had become the team's starting catcher, receiving twice as much time at the plate as Smith, who became the backup. Lucroy caught in 67 games for the Angels, starting 61 behind the plate and posting a fielding percentage of .995 while throwing out 26 percent of attempted base runners. He also batted .242 in 74 games, with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 240 at bats. On July 7, 2019, Jake Marisnick was attempting to score on a

sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair ...

from George Springer in a tied game between the Angels and

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 ...

when he collided with Lucroy, who had been waiting at home plate. Marisnick was ruled out on the play for colliding with the opposing team's catcher, while Lucroy had difficulty getting up and had to be carted off the field with a nosebleed. He left the game to go to the local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion and a broken nose. Kevan Smith and Dustin Garneau split catching duties while Lucroy, who said that he had no memory of the actual collision, recovered. Both Ausmus and Yadier Molina criticized Marisnick for the play, Marisnick was ultimately suspended for two games for a violation of Rule 6.01 (i), which was designed to protect catchers

blocking the plate In baseball, blocking the plate is a technique performed by a catcher to prevent a runner from scoring. The act of blocking the plate accounted for most of the physical contact in Major League Baseball prior to the 2014 season, when it was outlawe ...

from violent collisions. On August 2, 2019, only one game after Lucroy returned from the injured list, the Angels designated him for assignment in favor of

Max Stassi Max Robert Stassi (born March 15, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the fourth round of the 2009 MLB draft. In 2013, Stassi made hi ...

, for whom they had traded while Lucroy was injured.

Chicago Cubs (2019)

Only two days after Lucroy was released from the Angels, he was quickly signed to the

, who were in need of a regular catcher to replace an injured Willson Contreras. Martin Maldonado, who had previously filled in for Contreras in times of injury, had just been traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for Tony Kemp, leaving the Cubs without a veteran catcher. Despite not having played in a major league game since his July concussion, Lucroy was added to the starting lineup the day after signing with the Cubs, batting behind Alex Wood to face

Cole Hamels Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers ( ...

of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

. When Contreras returned later in August, Lucroy was demoted to pinch hitter and third-string catcher, behind Contreras and backup Victor Caratini. On October 31, immediately after the conclusion of the 2019 World Series, Lucroy became a free agent. In his limited playing time with Chicago, Lucroy batted .189 in 53 at bats, with one home run and six RBI. He caught in 20 games, starting behind the plate for 14, and also made four appearances at first base.

Boston Red Sox (2020)

During the 2019–20 MLB offseason, Lucroy underwent surgery to place a titanium plate in his neck, which would repair the herniated disk that had affected him for the past few years. Lucroy was one of seven catchers that the Boston Red Sox brought to spring training in 2020, signing a minor league contract with the team on February 19. He was in competition with

Kevin Plawecki Kevin Jeffrey Plawecki (; born February 26, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Texas Ranger ...

and several others to back up

Christian Vázquez Christian Rafael Vázquez (born August 21, 1990) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros. Selected by th ...

, who was coming off of a breakout 2019 season. The

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

caused a number of interruptions to the 2020 MLB season, however, and when the Red Sox submitted their list of 47 eligible players on July 20, Lucroy was omitted. It was believed that this omission was due to procedural issues, and that Lucroy would rejoin the team later that week. Lucroy appeared in only one game for the Red Sox, playing in the eighth and ninth inning of their 13–2 Opening Day rout of the

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 ...

, before he was designated for assignment on July 29 to make room for pitcher Chris Mazza. With the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season, Lucroy instead spent the month of August at the Red Sox' alternate training site, McCoy Stadium in

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Fa ...

, where he mentored Boston's young pitching prospects and waited for another opportunity to play in the majors. On September 15, the Red Sox released Lucroy from his contract.

Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, and Washington Nationals (2021)

Only hours after Lucroy's release from the Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies, who were in need of catching depth after

J. T. Realmuto Jacob Tyler Realmuto ( ; born March 18, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2014 and 2018, he played in MLB for the Miami Marlins. Realmuto was born in Del Ci ...

was sidelined with a hip injury, signed Lucroy to a minor league contract and assigned him to their alternate training site in the Lehigh Valley. The move was made just before MLB teams had to submit their postseason rosters, thus allowing the Phillies to carry an extra catcher into a potential playoff run. Philadelphia did not reach the 2020 MLB postseason, and Lucroy became a free agent after the World Series without having appeared in a game for the team. He signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

on February 11, 2021, where he was placed in competition with

Zack Collins Zachary Allen Collins (born February 6, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsbur ...

, Yermín Mercedes, and Seby Zavala for a chance to back up

Yasmani Grandal Yasmani Grandal (born November 8, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Bre ...

, who was promoted to starting catcher after James McCann joined the

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 leagu ...

in free agency. Although Lucroy did well in spring training, going 6 for 18 in 14 Cactus League games, he was released from the White Sox on March 29 to clear room on the 40-man roster for utility infielder Jake Lamb. The

, whose 2021 season was delayed due to an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, signed Lucroy to a minor league contract on April 3. With starting and backup catchers Yan Gomes and Alex Avila both sidelined with injuries, Lucroy was tasked with starting the Nationals' season. His Opening Day two-RBI double against Drew Smyly of the Atlanta Braves was both Lucroy's first major league hit since 2019 and provided the first two runs of the Nationals' season. His stint with Washington was short-lived: after going 5 for 14 through the first five games of the season, Lucroy was designated for assignment on April 12 to clear room for Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, and Josh Harrison, all of whom were returning from the COVID-19 list. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Nationals' alternate training site, but opted to become a free agent and find an opportunity with another team.

Atlanta Braves (2021)

On May 15, one month after leaving the Nationals, Lucroy signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves, who were in need of added catching depth behind rookie starter

William Contreras William Jesus Contreras (born December 24, 1997) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves. Contreras signed with the Braves orga ...

and veteran backup Jeff Mathis. Their previous starter Travis d'Arnaud was on the 60-day injured list with a torn thumb ligament, while third-string Tyler Flowers had just announced his retirement from MLB. On July 7, the Braves sent Contreras back down to the minor leagues in order to give him more time to develop, and Lucroy, who had been batting .220 in 114 plate appearances with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, was promoted to Atlanta in his place. He appeared in only two games for Atlanta, recording one RBI in the process, before a trade with the Diamondbacks brought

Stephen Vogt Stephen Guy Vogt ( ; born November 1, 1984) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, ...

to the Braves on July 17. With the acquisition of Vogt, Lucroy was designated for assignment. He was once again outrighted, this time back to Gwinnett, but rejected the assignment and elected free agency. Although Lucroy did not play with the Braves during their

2021 World Series The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion H ...

championship run, he was invited to throw out the

ceremonial first pitch The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...

for Game 2 of the

2021 NLDS The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thir ...

, in which the Braves played his longtime team, the Brewers.

Retirement

Lucroy announced his retirement from professional baseball on August 2, 2022. He finished his career with a lifetime .274 batting average in 4,140 at bats. In 1,210 games across 12 seasons, Lucroy recorded 108 home runs and 548 RBI. At the time of his retirement, he led all Brewers catchers with a .288 batting average, 752 hits, 143 doubles, 77 homers, 358 RBI, and 326 runs scored, and was second with 725 games caught.

International career

Lucroy was one of 14 Brewers selected for the

2013 World Baseball Classic The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009. Unlike ...

, where he caught for the

United States national baseball team The United States national baseball team represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Team USA won the Olympic baseball to ...

. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI in five tournament games before the United States was eliminated by

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

in the second round. Four years later, Lucroy rejoined Team USA for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. This time, Lucroy and the United States team defeated Puerto Rico 8–0 in the championship game to take home their first World Baseball Classic gold medal.

Awards and honors

On August 6, 2022, Lucroy will be formally inducted into the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor. At the time his addition was announced, he led all catchers in franchise history with a career .288 batting average, 752 hits, 143 doubles, 77 home runs, 358 RBI, and 326 runs scored.

Personal life

Lucroy's younger brother David is also a professional baseball player. He pitched in college for the

East Carolina Pirates The East Carolina Pirates are the athletic teams that represent East Carolina University (ECU), located in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams participate at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ...

before being taken in the 20th round of the

2015 MLB Draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak albu ...

by the Brewers. Their other brother Matthew is not involved in athletics, and works as an

emergency medical technician An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics a ...

and firefighter. Lucroy's cousin Jeremy, meanwhile, was also a college baseball pitcher who served as Jonathan's batterymate throughout high school and during one season with Louisiana–Lafayette. Lucroy's wife Sarah is also an alumna of Louisiana–Lafayette, and the couple met when they were both attending the university. They have two children together, a daughter named Ellia and a son named Easton. Although Lucroy was raised as a Christian, he did not fully identify with the religion until after his daughter was born in 2010. The Lucroys were close family friends with former Louisiana coach

Tony Robichaux Anthony Ray Robichaux (September 10, 1961 – July 3, 2019) was an American college baseball coach who served as head coach of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team. He had previously served as head coach at McNeese State. Coaching career ...

until his death in 2019. After his college teammate and best friend was permanently paralyzed while serving in the

Oklahoma National Guard The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Gover ...

during the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

, Lucroy became an advocate for veterans' affairs. During his tenure with the Brewers, he performed charity work for the Fisher House Foundation, Honor Flight, and providing scholarship opportunities to military families. In 2015, Lucroy accompanied Wisconsin Sen.

Ron Johnson Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. S ...

, who was impressed with his charity work, to Washington for then-

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

State of the Union Address The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current condi ...

. That same year, Lucroy received the

Bob Feller Act of Valor Award The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, created in 2013, is a set of awards originally presented annually to a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a current Major League Baseball player, and a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer. In 2015, ...

, presented annually to an MLB player affiliated with military and veteran philanthropy.

Notes

References

External links

MiLB.com player profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucroy, Jonathan 1986 births Living people Articles containing video clips Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from Florida Boston Red Sox players Brevard County Manatees players Chicago Cubs players Colorado Rockies players Gwinnett Stripers players Helena Brewers players Huntsville Stars players Los Angeles Angels players Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball players Major League Baseball catchers Milwaukee Brewers players Nashville Sounds players National League All-Stars North Shore Honu players Oakland Athletics players People from Eustis, Florida People from Umatilla, Florida Peoria Javelinas players Texas Rangers players Washington Nationals players West Virginia Power players Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2013 World Baseball Classic players 2017 World Baseball Classic players