Matt LeCroy

Mathew Hanks LeCroy
Born: Dec. 13, 1975
Debut: 2000 | Pos: C
H: 6'2" | W: 225 | B: R | T: R

>> Visit the Matt LeCroy biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Matt LeCroy has returned to the major leagues in what could be a full-time role in 2003.  His success will overshadow his early appearances in the 2000 season when the young player was rushed to the majors.

He made his mark in late 2002 when the Twins made a playoff run. In 4 games, LeCroy posted 5 hits in 12 at-bats and drove in a run. Following the season, the Twins released designated hitter David Ortiz -- a move that seemed to open the door for LeCroy to fill the role in 2003.

"His attitude is very good and he's very smart.  He's a smart hitter and once he gets in the lineup on a consistent basis, he'll be fine,"  said Twins batting coach Scott Ullger in a wire story in spring 2003.

That season, he hit just .174 in 167 at-bats in 56 games. He hit 5 home runs before being sent back to the minors for more work.

LeCroy, born in Belton, S.C., was a star catcher at Clemson before being drafted by the Twins in the 1st round -- the 50th overall pick -- in the 1997 amateur draft. 

A 1994 graduate of Belton-Honea Path High School (S.C.), LeCroy played tennis and was All-State in baseball for four years and All-State in football his senior year. 

He attended Clemson University and hit 15 home runs and drove in 72 runs as a freshman.  The numbers earned him a spot as the catcher on Baseball America's Freshman All-American Team.  In 1996, he was a member of Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

He played for 3 minor league teams in 1998, combining to hit 23 home runs and drive in 95 runs.  He followed it up in 1999 with 30 home runs and 99 RBIs between Ft. Myers and Salt Lake.

Following his early debut with the Twins in early 2000, he returned to the minors where he found his stroke again, hitting 15 home runs in 70 games.

In 2001, he began the season in Edmonton (AAA) and led the team in home runs and RBIs when he was recalled to the Twins on Sept. 1.  In 15 major league games, he hit .425 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI.

In 2002, he started the season with Edmonton (AAA). From there, he bounced back and forth between the AAA team and the Twins.  One of the highlights of his season was a 2-home run performance on Sept. 13 in a game against Cleveland.