Paul Lo Duca

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**Paul Lo Duca**
Lo Duca with the Dodgers
Washington Nationals — No. 16
Catcher
Born: April 12, 1972 (1972-04-12) (age 36)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
June 21, 1998 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Selected MLB statistics (through April 19, 2008)
Batting Average	.287
Home Runs	80
Runs Batted In	470
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004) Florida Marlins (2004-2005) New York Mets (2006-2007) Washington Nationals (2008-present)

Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York) is a catcher for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), the Florida Marlins (2004-2005) and the New York Mets (2006-2007).

1 Collegiate career
2 Professional career
3 Mitchell Report
4 Personal life
5 Trivia
6 See also
7 External links
8 References

[edit] Collegiate career

Paul Lo Duca walked on to the baseball team at Glendale Community College (AZ) after he was not recruited or drafted out of high school. He hit .449 and .461 in his two years at the community college before transferring to Arizona State University.^[1] In 1993, the one year he played at ASU, Lo Duca was named The Sporting News Player of the Year, setting school records with a .446 batting average and 129 hits. He was also named a finalist for the prestigious Golden Spikes Award and his 37-game hitting streak is the second longest in school history.

[edit] Professional career

Despite his college success, Lo Duca spent many years in the minor leagues with the San Antonio Missions, finally achieving a breakthrough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001, at age 29. Lo Duca drew comparisons to Dodgers predecessors Mike Scioscia and Mike Piazza -- all three were capable and popular everyday catchers who were homegrown through the Dodgers' organization, and all three are of Italian-American ancestry. On the other hand, Lo Duca's primary strength is as a contact hitter, like Scioscia but unlike the power-hitting Piazza. Lo Duca would forge another connection with Piazza in being traded away (to the Marlins, and eventually to the Mets) in two of the Dodgers' most unpopular trades in recent memory. Lo Duca still receives a warm response from fans whenever he visits Dodger Stadium.

Since becoming an everyday big league player, Lo Duca has logged some of the best statistics for catchers and been named to four All-Star Games. In 2002, he was one of the best contact hitters in the majors – only Jason Kendall struck out less often and no one had a better percentage of swings and misses.^[2] In 2003, Lo Duca's 25-game hitting streak was the second longest in Los Angeles Dodgers history and, defensively, he ranked first in the National League in throwing out baserunners trying to steal. In 2004, he led National League catchers in runs batted in despite a mid-season trade to the Marlins. In the field, in 2004 he allowed 93 stolen bases, more than any other catcher in major league baseball.

[edit] 2006 season

Lo Duca was traded to the Mets for two minor leaguers before the 2006 season due to the Marlins having a "market correction." Lo Duca was a member of the 2006 All-Star Team, led the Mets to a 97-65 record, and led the Mets into the postseason (his first playoff experience). Lo Duca was highly successful in 2006, hitting .318, his highest since 2001. One major problem was a dismal 49 RBI in a high powered Mets offense. He also had a .355 on-base percentage, a career high.

[edit] Career transactions

Lo Duca with the Nationals in 2008.
Photo by Chris Nelson

Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the 1993 Amateur Draft.
Traded from Los Angeles along with Juan Encarnacion and Guillermo Mota to the Florida Marlins for Hee Seop Choi, Brad Penny, and minor league pitching prospect Bill Murphy at the 2004 trading deadline.
Traded to the New York Mets for two minor league prospects, pitcher Gaby Hernandez and outfielder Dante Brinkley, as part of a Marlins "market correction" where most of their large salaries were traded away.
Agreed to a $5 million, one-year deal with the Washington Nationals on December 10, 2007.

[edit] Highlights

4-time All-Star (2003-05) as a Reserve, and one All-Star selection as a Starter (2006).

Paul collected his 1,000th career hit on May 30, 2007 off of Barry Zito in the 7th inning in the Mets game against the San Francisco Giants.

[edit] Mitchell Report

On December 13, 2007, Lo Duca was named in the Mitchell Report in his connection with steroids. Lo Duca allegedly received the steroids from former clubhouse attendant and known steroids dealer Kirk Radomski, who produced to Mitchell three checks from Lo Duca in the amount of $3200. Federal investigators also seized handwritten notes from Lo Duca to Radomski during a search of Radomski's house. The report also claims that Lo Duca introduced several other baseball players to Radomski, including Adam Riggs, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagné, and Matt Herges.

The Mitchell Report also says that Dodgers were concerned that Lo Duca had stopped taking steroids. The notes of the October 2003 meeting say:

“

Steroids aren’t being used anymore on him. Big part of this. Might have some value to trade . . . Florida might have interest. . . . Got off the steroids . . . Took away a lot of hard line drives. . . . Can get comparable value back would consider trading. . . . If you do trade him, will get back on the stuff and try to show you he can have a good year. That’s his makeup. Comes to play. Last year of contract, playing for 05. ^[3]

”

Six months later the Dodgers traded Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins. Mitchell does not identify the Dodgers officials involved, nor if other players were traded because they stopped taking steroids.

[edit] Personal life

On August 7, 2006 the New York media leaked a story about going through divorce suit with his wife, Sonia (Flores) Lo Duca, a former Playboy model.^[4] The leak by the New York Post led Lo Duca to threaten to stop giving interviews to the media. Lo Duca had been "one of the most helpful and available players in the Mets clubhouse," and has since resumed giving interviews, as long as they pertain to baseball.^[5] Lo Duca has a daughter Bella Lucia with his estranged wife.^[6]

[edit] Trivia

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

At the start of each game, Lo Duca writes the initials "LL" in the dirt behind home plate, in memory of his mother Luci.

As a child, Paul's mother Luci would toss pinto beans to him in the back yard and he would use a broomstick to hit them. This technique helped him develop his hand/eye coordination.^[7]

According to an article written by Tom Verducci in the July 17, 2006 issue of Sports Illustrated, Lo Duca was known as "Captain Red Ass" in the Mets clubhouse. The moniker, originally bestowed by then teammate Billy Wagner, refers to Lo Duca's hot temper.

In the 2006 Home Run Derby Lo Duca pitched to David Wright when he made it to the finals.

He is the only player to have caught all three Martínez brothers. Ramón with the Dodgers in 1998, Pedro with the Mets in 2006 and 2007, and Jesús while in the minor leagues.