Matt LeCroy

Matt LeCroy played baseball at Clemson University, studying education. He helped the USA win a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and then went back to Clemson, after which he was drafted in the first round of the 1997 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. LeCroy played first base, catcher, and designated hitter, and he was known for his power.

He started in the minors and through that, LeCroy won a silver medal with the USA team at the 1999 Pan American Games, which was the first time professional players competed in international competition. He was brought up to the majors in 2000 with the Twins, and played in the bigs through 2007, mostly with the Twins, except for one year (2006) with the Washington Nationals. LeCroy was not known as a top defensive catcher, which led to him often being used at first base or as a designated hitter.

LeCroy played only 472 games over an eight-year career, hitting 60 home runs with 218 RBIs. He had the odd distinction of being the active major league player with the most plate appearances and never recording a stolen base in his career. After his playing career ended, LeCroy caught on with the Nationals as a manager in their minor league system.