Adam LaRoche: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 14:45, 25 May 2014
| Adam LaRoche | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Washington Nationals – No. 25 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: November 6, 1979 Orange County, California | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| debut | |
| April 7, 2004, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Career statistics (through May 24, 2014) | |
| Batting average | .266 |
| Hits | 1,271 |
| Home runs | 222 |
| Runs batted in | 767 |
| Runs | 656 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
David Adam LaRoche (born November 6, 1979), is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He is the son of pitcher Dave LaRoche and the brother of third baseman Andy LaRoche.
College baseball career
Adam LaRoche was a 1998 graduate of Fort Scott High School in Fort Scott, Kansas, where he played baseball. He was named an All-American in baseball as a senior. His uncle, Dave Regan, was his high school head coach.[citation needed]
He played for his father, Dave, at Fort Scott Community College in 1999 before transferring to Seminole Community College in Seminole, Oklahoma in 2000, where he was an All-American and the MVP of the Junior College World Series.[citation needed]
Professional baseball career
He had been drafted by the Florida Marlins in both the 1998 and 1999 amateur drafts, but refused to sign. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2000 and did sign.
Atlanta Braves
2004
For the start of the 2004 season, the Braves made LaRoche, who had not yet made his major league debut, their starting first baseman. The left-handed LaRoche platooned with 46 year-old veteran Julio Franco and put up a respectable .278 rookie batting average.LaRoche demonstrated his strong defensive skills at first base, but also a lack of speedon the basepaths.[citation needed]
2005
LaRoche again platooned with Franco in 2005. While he did hit 22 home runs, LaRoche had a very streaky season. He hit .385 in his final 17 games of the year, but just .105 in the 19 games that preceded that streak. He batted .500 with a grand slam in the Braves 2005 NLDS Series against the Houston Astros. With the offseason departure of Franco, LaRoche became the Braves sole starter at first base in 2006.
2006
On May 15, 2006, LaRoche garnered the contempt of Braves fans, players, and management after a play in which he fielded a routine grounder and lackadaisically jogged to first, and was beaten to the bag by Nick Johnson. LaRoche was heavily booed by the crowd (which continued for some time in the following games) and was benched for the play.[1]
On May 28, 2006, LaRoche contributed two of the Braves' record eight home runs in a remarkable win against the Chicago Cubs. In addition, in a wild game against the San Diego Padres on July 14, 2006, LaRoche hit two more home runs and had five RBIs to help the Braves to a 15–12, 11-inning win. He finished the year with a .285 average, 32 home runs, and 90 RBIs — all career-bests.
Pittsburgh Pirates
2007-2009
The Braves traded LaRoche and minor league outfielder Jamie Romak to the Pittsburgh Pirates on January 17, 2007 for reliever Mike González and minor league shortstop Brent Lillibridge.
During the 2009 season he played with his brother Andy LaRoche with the Pirates until July 22, 2009 when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
On May 13, 2009, LaRoche became the first player in major league history to have a home run taken away through the use of video replay.[2]
Boston Red Sox
2009: 6 days in the American League
On July 22, 2009, LaRoche was traded to the Boston Red Sox[3] for minor league pitcher Hunter Strickland and shortstop Argenis Díaz.[4] In six games, LaRoche would go on to hit one home run and three RBIs, with an average of .263. During his brief tenure in Boston, LaRoche lived with his teammate J.D. Drew in Drew's home in Boston.
Return to the Braves
Rest of 2009
On July 31, 2009, after only spending six games with Boston he was dealt back to one of his former teams, the Atlanta Braves for 1st baseman Casey Kotchman.[5] LaRoche was traded by Boston in order to cut payroll and the belief that Kotchman would be a better pinch hitter than LaRoche would.[citation needed]
Arizona Diamondbacks
2010
On January 14, 2010, LaRoche agreed to a 1-year, $4.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His deal included a $7.5 million mutual option with a $1.5 million buyout.[6] In his 1 year tenure with the Diamondbacks, LaRoche hit .261 with 25 home runs and 100 RBI in 151 games.
Washington Nationals
2011
On January 4, 2011, LaRoche agreed to a 2-year contract with the Washington Nationals.[7] He wears number 25 on the back of his jersey.[8] His contract pays him $7 million in 2011 and $8 million in 2012 with a mutual option for $10 million in 2013. [9] On April 7, LaRoche hit his first home run as a member of the Nationals, a game-winning two-run home run off Florida Marlins reliever Edward Mujica in the 11th inning of a 5–3 Nationals win. His 2011 season ended with labrum surgery on his left shoulder[10] with career-low batting numbers of .172/.288/.258 (BA/OBP/SLG).[11]
2012
LaRoche's 2012 season began much more successfully, hitting .329 in April. He was a consistent bat throughout the season, driving in no fewer than 12 runs each month from April to August.[12]
LaRoche accomplished a rare feat in early September when he homered in each game of a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs (and hit five home runs overall). The only other players to match this feat are Hall-of-Fame sluggers Babe Ruth, Hank Greenberg, Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, and Mike Schmidt.[13]
On October 2, LaRoche reached two personal milestones. He hit his career-high 33rd home run, in the process tying a career high of 100 RBI.[14] He earned his first Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Award.[15]
LaRoche declined his $13.3 million 2013 option on November 1 and became a free agent. Since the Nationals exercised their half, LaRoche wasn't paid a $1 million buyout.[16]
2013
On January 8, 2013, LaRoche signed a 2-year $24 million contract to remain with the Nationals, that included a mutual option for 2015.[17]
Personal life
LaRoche and his wife Jennifer have a daughter, Montana, and a son, Drake. His hobbies include fishing, hunting, and golf. He is the son of former Major League pitcher Dave LaRoche and older brother of Andy LaRoche.
LaRoche suffers from ADHD that was diagnosed during his high school years, which occasionally leads to on field blunders such as in a game against the Washington Nationals in 2006.[18]
LaRoche is one of the co-owners of Outdoor Networks hunting show Buck Commander with friends and pro athletes Chipper Jones, Ryan Langerhans, Tom Martin, and Willie Robertson who is from the Duck Commander series.
See also
References
- ^ LaRoche's lazy play leads to Braves' loss to Nationals Savannah Morning News
- ^ "LaRoche loses HR on reversal, but Pirates win 5-2", Yahoo.com, Alan Robinson, May 13, 2009. Retrieved on 13 May 2009.
- ^ Red Sox get Adam LaRoche from Bucs
- ^ UPDATED: Red Sox acquire Adam LaRoche for two prospects WEEI
- ^ Red Sox Deal Adam LaRoche to Braves for Casey Kotchman
- ^ LaRoche's deal worth $4.5 million ESPN
- ^ Nationals agree to two-year contract with LaRoche MLB.com
- ^ Nationals introduce first baseman LaRoche
- ^ Kilgore, Adam (January 5, 2011). "Adam LaRoche finalizes contract with Washington Nationals". The Washington Post.
- ^ Adam LaRoche Injury: Season-Ending Surgery Scheduled SBNation
- ^ Official MLB.com profile MLB.com
- ^ "Adam LaRoche 2012 Batting Splits". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ Kilgore, Adam (September 7, 2012). "Nationals have firm grasp on National League East". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ Kilgore, Adam (October 2, 2012). "Adam LaRoche reaches 100 RBI, sets career-high in home runs, takes curtain call". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ Wagner, James (November 8, 2012). "Ian Desmond, Adam LaRoche, Stephen Strasburg win Silver Slugger Awards". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ Nicholson-Smith, Ben (November 1, 2012). "LaRoche, Burnett Decline Options". MLB Trade Rumors.
- ^ Nationals re-sign LaRoche to two-year contract MLB.com
- ^ "LaRoche's blunder puts spotlight on attention deficit disorder". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- 1979 births
- Living people
- Atlanta Braves players
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Boston Red Sox players
- Arizona Diamondbacks players
- Washington Nationals players
- Fort Scott Greyhounds baseball players
- Seminole State Trojans baseball players
- Richmond Braves players
- Danville Braves players
- Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
- Greenville Braves players
- Hickory Crawdads players
- Major League Baseball first basemen
- All-Star Futures Game players
- People from Orange County, California
- People from Fort Scott, Kansas
- American baseball players of Mexican descent
- Baseball players from California