Michael Charles McKenry (born March 4, 1985), nicknamed "The Fort", 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 ...

. He played 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) for the

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

, and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

High school and college

McKenry attended Cedar Bluff Middle School,

Farragut High School Farragut High School, located at 11237 Kingston Pike, serves as a high school in Farragut, a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. Knox County Schools, the unified Knox County, Tennessee school district, operates the school. The school serves the ma ...

, and

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...

. In 2004, he played summer college baseball with the

Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (CRSCBL), and derives its name from the nickname of National Baseball Hall of Fame and ...

of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.

International career

McKenry was originally named to the USA roster for the

2009 Baseball World Cup The 2009 Baseball World Cup (BWC) was the 38th international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, which titled it the Amateur World Series from the 1938 tournament through th ...

, but was injured and replaced by Lucas May before the tournament began.

Professional career

Colorado Rockies

McKenry was drafted by the

in the 7th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2006, he played for the

Tri-City Dust Devils The Tri-City Dust Devils are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pasco, Washington. The Dust Devils are members of the Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States ...

. In 2007, he played for the

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. It is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in different ...

. In 2008, he played for the

Modesto Nuts The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the Central Valley. They ...

. In January 2009,

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

rated McKenry the #9 prospect in the

organization. In 2009, he played for the

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

. In 2010, he played for the

Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado R ...

, before being called up to the Rockies in September. McKenry made his major league debut on September 8, 2010, flying out against

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

pitcher Carlos Fisher in his only at bat. On March 29, 2011, McKenry was traded to 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

for minor league RHP Daniel Turpen.

Boston Red Sox

On March 29, 2011, McKenry was traded to the

for minor league RHP Daniel Turpen. On June 13, 2011, he was traded to the

for cash or a player to be named later. MG 8587 Michael McKenry

Pittsburgh Pirates

On June 13, 2011, he was traded to the

for cash or a player to be named later. McKenry made his debut for the Pirates on June 13 and recorded his first major league hit, a single off

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 ...

starter

J. A. Happ James Anthony Happ (born October 19, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He won the World Series as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, and was an Major League Basebal ...

, two days later. He hit his first major league home run on July 8, 2011 against the Chicago Cubs' Carlos Marmol. On July 26, McKenry was involved in a controversial play against the

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

in the bottom of the 19th inning. With runners on the corners, Scott Proctor hit a ground ball to Pedro Alvarez, who threw to McKenry, who appeared to tag

Julio Lugo Julio Cesar Lugo (November 16, 1975 – November 15, 2021) was a Dominican professional baseball shortstop. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, St ...

out at home. However, home plate umpire

Jerry Meals Gerald William Meals (born October 20, 1961) is an American former Major League Baseball umpire. After serving as an NL reserve umpire from 1992 to 1997, he became a full-time umpire in 1998. Meals was promoted to crew chief in 2015, and worked ...

called him safe, allowing Lugo to score the walk-off run. McKenry has been given the nickname "Fort McKenry" or simply "The Fort" by fans and media in Pittsburgh due to his defensive skills behind the plate as the Pirates' catcher and the similarity of his name to

Fort McHenry Fort McHenry is a historical American Coastal defense and fortification, coastal bastion fort, pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, Baltimore, Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War ...

, the famous fort in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

known for its role in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. On April 14, 2013 McKenry posted his first multi-homer game in the major leagues as he hit 2 home runs, rallying the Pirates to a 10-7 win over the

. On July 30, 2013, McKenry underwent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and was ruled out for the rest of the 2013 season. On December 2, 2013, the Pirates acquired Chris Stewart from the

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

, and designated McKenry for assignment. He was non-tendered by the Pirates later that day, becoming a free agent.

Colorado Rockies (second stint)

On January 16, 2014, McKenry signed a minor league contract with the

. On March 20, the Rockies selected McKenry's contract after he made the

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 year ...

roster as Wilin Rosario's backup catcher. In 57 games for the Rockies, he batted .315/.398/.512 with eight home runs and 22 RBI. McKenry played in 58 games for Colorado in 2015, slashing .205/.329/.402 with four home runs and 17 RBI. On October 14, 2024, McKenry was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

; he subsequently rejected the assignment and elected free agency.

Texas Rangers

On December 30, 2015, McKenry signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He played in 13 games for the Triple–A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

, slashing .220/.389/.342 with no home runs and nine RBI. On May 14, 2016, McKenry opted out of his contract and became a free agent.

St. Louis Cardinals

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

. On July 7, the Cardinals selected McKenry's contract, adding him to their active roster. He logged two plate appearances for St. Louis before he was designated for assignment on July 19. He elected free agency on July 22.

Atlanta Braves

On July 22, 2016, McKenry signed a minor league contract with the

. In 14 games 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 ...

, he batted .267/.365/.378 with one home run and three RBI.

Milwaukee Brewers

On August 15, 2016, McKenry was traded to the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

in exchange for an unknown return. In 14 games for the Triple–A Colorado Springs SkySox, he batted .250/.500/.406 with one home run and six RBI. McKenry elected free agency following the season on November 7.

Tampa Bay Rays

On December 16, 2016, McKenry signed a minor league contract with the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

. He spent the 2017 season with the Triple–A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

, playing in 74 games and hitting .209/.338/.324 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI. McKenry elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Post-playing career

On February 2, 2018, McKenry announced his retirement to join MTSU as the director of player development. On February 9, 2018, the

announced he would serve as a studio analyst on the team's pregame and postgame shows.

Personal life

McKenry is the son of Cliff and Shelia McKenry. He married his wife, Jaclyn, in 2008.

References

External links

Middle Tennessee State Bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McKenry, Michael 1985 births Living people Baseball players from Knoxville, Tennessee Major League Baseball catchers Colorado Rockies players Pittsburgh Pirates players St. Louis Cardinals players Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders baseball players Tri-City Dust Devils players Asheville Tourists players Waikiki Beach Boys players Modesto Nuts players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Tulsa Drillers players Leones del Escogido players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Pawtucket Red Sox players Round Rock Express players Memphis Redbirds players Gwinnett Braves players Durham Bulls players Farragut High School alumni Major League Baseball broadcasters Pittsburgh Pirates announcers