Matthew Hanks LeCroy (born December 13, 1975) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
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 catc ...
,
first baseman
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 ...
, and
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
. He is currently the
manager of the
Rochester Red Wings, the
Triple-A affiliate of the
Washington Nationals.
During his eight-year career in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB), LeCroy had the dubious honor of being the active player with the most
plate appearances without a
stolen base.
Career
Amateur
LeCroy is a 1994 graduate of
Belton-Honea Path High School in Honea Path, South Carolina and attended
Clemson University to pursue a degree in elementary education. While at Clemson, he was named to the
1996 U.S. Olympic Baseball Team and helped the team to a
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...
after losing to both Cuba (gold medal) and Japan (silver medal) before defeating Nicaragua in the bronze medal game.
Minnesota Twins
In 1997, LeCroy was drafted as a catcher in the first round (50th overall) of the
Major League Baseball Draft by 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
. Although challenged defensively behind the plate, averaging double-digit passed balls while throwing out less than 30 percent of potential base stealers, LeCroy put up superior power numbers in the minor leagues, hitting 101 home runs over five years in the Twins' system.
In 1999, LeCroy again competed at the international level when he played for the United States at the
1999 Pan American Games in
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
. The United States took second place behind Cuba in games made notable as the first time professional baseball players were allowed to compete in international games.
LeCroy got his first taste of the majors in 2000 when he made the major-league club out of spring training. From 2000 to 2002, LeCroy split time between the Twins and their
Triple–A teams, playing for the
Salt Lake Buzz and later the
Edmonton Trappers after the Twins changed their minor-league affiliate in 2001.
Due to his struggles behind the plate, LeCroy also spent time at first base and designated hitter; totaling more games in the major leagues at the latter position than he did at first base and catcher combined.
His peak years in the majors were 2003 (.287, 17 HR, 64 RBI in 107 games) and 2005 (.260, 17 HR, 50 RBI in 101 games).
Washington Nationals
Despite his productive 2005 season, Minnesota did not re-sign LeCroy and he signed a minor-league contract with the Washington Nationals on February 8, 2006.
Despite bone spurs in his throwing knee, LeCroy was asked to fill in during a May 25, 2006, game against the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
when Washington's starting catcher
Brian Schneider and backup
Wiki Gonzalez were out with injuries. He was replaced by utilityman
Robert Fick in the middle of the seventh inning after the Astros stole seven bases and LeCroy committed two catching errors. After the game, manager
Frank Robinson shed tears during the press conference regarding his removal of Matt in the middle of the seventh inning, which is usually considered embarrassing. LeCroy was
designated for assignment July 18, which he accepted, and spent the rest of the year playing for the
New Orleans Zephyrs, then Washington's Triple–A affiliate team.
Minnesota Twins (second stint)
LeCroy was signed to a minor-league deal by the Twins on January 15, after turning down an offer from the
Washington Nationals to manage one of their minor-league teams. LeCroy started the 2007 season as
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
playing for the
Rochester Red Wings 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 (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
. He had his contract purchased by the major-league club on September 9, 2007, when their fourth catcher
José Morales went down with an injury, and finished the season with the Twins.
LeCroy was outrighted to the minor leagues by the Twins on October 11, 2007, but he refused the assignment and became a free agent.
As a member of the Twins, LeCroy became one of the few major leaguers to pinch hit a walk-off grand slam in a win over 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) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
. He was always a threat to hit a home run, and hit 60 in 472 games over his eight-year major-league career.
Lancaster Barnstormers
On February 15, , LeCroy signed a minor league contract with an invitation to
spring training with the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
. On March 16, 2008, LeCroy was reassigned to minor-league camp and asked the Athletics to grant his release, which they did. LeCroy then signed with the
Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in April 2008. LeCroy played 94 games with Lancaster (hitting .326 with 22 HR and 83 RBI) before retiring at the end of the season.
Coaching career
In November 2008, LeCroy was hired by the Nationals to manage the team's Class A affiliate, the
Hagerstown Suns. In 2011, LeCroy was moved up to the High Single-A
Carolina League when he was named as the manager of the
Potomac Nationals. In 2012, he was named the Double A
Harrisburg Senators manager. In November 2013, he was named the bullpen coach on new Nationals manager
Matt Williams' coaching staff, replacing
Jim Lett. He was fired with Williams and the entire coaching staff after the 2015 season, but was brought back for his second stint as manager of the Harrisburg Senators for the 2016 season.
The Nationals announced December 15, 2020, that LeCroy was being promoted to manager of the Class-AAA
Rochester Red Wings.
Personal life
LeCroy and his wife Holly have five children, daughter Isabella (b. 2004), daughter Maggie (b. 2006), a son, and fraternal twins.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lecroy, Matthew
1975 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baseball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Baseball coaches from South Carolina
Baseball players at the 1999 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games
Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in baseball
Baseball players from Anderson County, South Carolina
Clemson Tigers baseball players
Edmonton Trappers players
Fort Myers Miracle players
Fort Wayne Wizards players
Lancaster Barnstormers players
Major League Baseball bullpen coaches
Major League Baseball catchers
Major League Baseball first basemen
Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Minnesota Twins players
Minor league baseball managers
New Britain Rock Cats players
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in baseball
People from Belton, South Carolina
Rochester Red Wings managers
Rochester Red Wings players
Salt Lake Buzz players
Washington Nationals coaches
Washington Nationals players
21st-century American sportsmen