Mike Lieberthal
Encyclopedia
Michael Scott "Mike" Lieberthal (born January 18, 1972, in Glendale, California
), nicknamed Lieby, is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
. He batted and threw right-handed.
In a 14-year career, Lieberthal played for the Philadelphia Phillies
(–) and the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He compiled a career batting average
of .274, with 150 home run
s and 610 runs batted in
. During his career he won the Gold Glove Award, and was twice an All Star.
His 1999 season (.300, 31 home runs, 96 RBIs, Gold Glove Award) was arguably the best ever of any Phillies catcher, and he caught more games in his career than any other Phillies catcher (1,139). His career 149 home runs at catcher were the most in team history. Lieberthal had a .310 batting average, a .381 on base percentage
, and .510 slugging percentage lifetime against left-handed pitching.
, and graduated in 1990. Lieberthal hit four home runs in a single game for his high school: (1) a single home run, (2) a 2-run home run, (3) a 3-run home run, and (4) a grand slam. Immediately after that game, Lieberthal's team was ranked among the top 3 high school teams in the United States by USA Today, and advanced on that list to #1 a few days later.
Lieberthal was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies
in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1990 Major League Baseball Draft
, despite weighing only 155 pounds at the time.
in 1990 (Rookie League), Spartanburg ("A"; for which he batted .305) and Clearwater
("A+") in , Reading
in ("AA"), and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
from 1992–95 ("AAA").
. He recorded his first career base hit in the 4th inning against Pedro Astacio
. On July 16, 1994 he hit his first homerun off of Ramon Martinez in the 3rd inning of a 10-6 Phillies victory against the Dodgers.
In , he had surgery for torn cartilage
in his left knee. In June , he won Player of the Month award after batting .400, but his season was shortened by a pelvic stress fracture
injury. In , he hit .339 in games that were late and close.
In , he hit 31 home runs and 96 RBIs for the Phillies, while hitting .300 with a career-best .551 slugging percentage. He hit .377 against left-handers, and was 8th in the league with 8 sacrifice flies and 11 HBP. He was an All Star for the first time, only the second Phillie catcher ever to receive the honor (joining Bob Boone
). He also won a Gold Glove Award
, after posting a .997 fielding percentage—a new Phillie record at catcher. He joined Johnny Bench
, Lance Parrish
, and Ivan Rodriguez
as the only catchers to have hit 30 home runs in the same season that they won the Gold Glove Award. He also became the eighth major league catcher to bat .300 and hit 30 homers in the same season. He also became the first Phillie to bat .300 and hit 30 home runs since Greg Luzinski, in 1977.
In , Lieberthal was again an All Star, and hit .350 against left-handers. A play at the plate involving a collision with Bernie Williams
resulted in an ankle injury that knocked him out for the rest of the season. In September 2000, he had surgery to remove a bone spur
in his right elbow.
In May , Lieberthal was picked off at first base and tore his ACL
and MCL
and cartilage
in his knee while attempting to dive back to the bag. He had surgery in June, and missed the rest of the season. In October , he injured the same knee as he stepped out of a golf cart near his home. He tore the meniscus
, and had surgery.
In 2002, he was 5th in the league in HBP (14), and batted .346 against left-handers. He was the Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year, the first catcher to win it, and also was a co-winner of the Player's Choice NL Comeback Player award
.
In , Lieberthal hit .313 (12th in the NL), and was 8th in the league in HBP (12). In , he was 6th in the league with 14 intentional walks, and struck out only 35 times, while walking 35 times. In 2006, Lieberthal batted .310 in games that were late and close. He left as the Phillies' all-time catching leader in home runs, RBI, and games caught.
Ironically, despite his excellent work behind the plate during his tenure with the Phils, every season he played for the Phillies, they never made the playoffs, but the year before (1993) and the year after (2007) his time with the Phils, they made the playoffs.
with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 2006. He received a $1.15 million contract, with a club option for 2008. He made more money than the Dodgers' starting catcher, All-Star Russell Martin
.
After playing in only 38 games in 2007 and hitting .234, Lieberthal's $1.4 million option was not picked up by the Dodgers, who instead bought out the contract for $100,000, and he became a free agent on October 30, 2007.
In January , Lieberthal announced his retirement. "I'm done," Lieberthal said. "If [the Dodgers] had picked up my option, I probably would have played 1 more year. But I didn't want to go anywhere else. There were a lot of reasons. The money was great as a backup, but I have made [enough] money in baseball. I just didn't want to go through what I have to go through with my body to play 20–25 games a year. It's not worth it."
It was suggested that while it was unlikely that Lieberthal would choose to coach, enjoying golf and married life for the immediate future, he had expressed an interest in being a television analyst.
's no-hitter
on April 27, 2003.
in 2005.
in 2001 alongside teammates Doug Glanville
and Pat Burrell
, as well as fellow major league baseball stars Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey, Jr.
, and Dave Collins
, among others.
Beginning in 2001, he co-hosted a celebrity billiards tournament, with Doug Glanville
and Randy Wolf
, to raise money for the Philadelphia Futures mentor program (since 2001, the event raised over $325,000 for the Futures program).
, Shawn Green
, Sid Gordon
, and Al Rosen
, and was 7th on the all-time list in hits (behind Gordon) and RBIs (behind Rosen). Lieberthal's father is Jewish, and he is therefore considered Jewish under Reform Judaism, and is also listed as such by the American Jewish Historical Society and others. The next Jewish player for the Phillies was Michael Schwimer
, who debuted in 2011.
When it was pointed out to Lieberthal that he, Brad Ausmus
, and Jesse Levis
, were all catchers, and that Jewish kids were thought to be smarter than to subject themselves to the rigors of that position, he responded with a smile: "We are smart. You don't have to hit to catch. We don't have to hit 40 homers. We don't have to run. We don't have to steal bases. All you have to do is catch, and you'll be in this league forever. We get beat up a little bit, but it's the quickest way to the major leagues."
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
), nicknamed Lieby, is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. He batted and threw right-handed.
In a 14-year career, Lieberthal played for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(–) and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He compiled a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .274, with 150 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 610 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. During his career he won the Gold Glove Award, and was twice an All Star.
His 1999 season (.300, 31 home runs, 96 RBIs, Gold Glove Award) was arguably the best ever of any Phillies catcher, and he caught more games in his career than any other Phillies catcher (1,139). His career 149 home runs at catcher were the most in team history. Lieberthal had a .310 batting average, a .381 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
, and .510 slugging percentage lifetime against left-handed pitching.
Early life
Lieberthal was an all-American catcher at Westlake High SchoolWestlake High School (California)
Westlake High School, often known simply as Westlake or Westlake High is a public high school in Westlake Village, California, hosting grades 9–12...
, and graduated in 1990. Lieberthal hit four home runs in a single game for his high school: (1) a single home run, (2) a 2-run home run, (3) a 3-run home run, and (4) a grand slam. Immediately after that game, Lieberthal's team was ranked among the top 3 high school teams in the United States by USA Today, and advanced on that list to #1 a few days later.
Lieberthal was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1990 Major League Baseball Draft
1990 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:The draft went a record 101 rounds, surpassing 1989's total of 88, and included a record 1,487 selections. The Astros led all clubs with 100 selections. Seattle was second with 75,...
, despite weighing only 155 pounds at the time.
Minor leagues
Lieberthal played in the minor leagues from 1990–. He played for MartinsvilleGreeneville Astros
The Greeneville Astros are a minor league baseball team of the Appalachian League, and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Greeneville, Tennessee, and play their home games at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum College....
in 1990 (Rookie League), Spartanburg ("A"; for which he batted .305) and Clearwater
Gulf Coast Phillies
The Gulf Coast League Phillies are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.The team plays in Clearwater, Florida primarily at the Carpenter Complex. The GCL Phillies played some games at the Joe DiMaggio Complex in Clearwater in 2009 while the Carpenter Complex was...
("A+") in , Reading
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
in ("AA"), and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
from 1992–95 ("AAA").
Philadelphia Phillies (1994–2006)
He made his major league debut on June 30, 1994, at the age of 22 as the starting catcher against the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He recorded his first career base hit in the 4th inning against Pedro Astacio
Pedro Astacio
Pedro Julio Astacio is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Colorado Rockies , Houston Astros , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals...
. On July 16, 1994 he hit his first homerun off of Ramon Martinez in the 3rd inning of a 10-6 Phillies victory against the Dodgers.
In , he had surgery for torn cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
in his left knee. In June , he won Player of the Month award after batting .400, but his season was shortened by a pelvic stress fracture
Pelvic fracture
Pelvic fracture is a disruption of the bony structure of the pelvis, including the hip bone, sacrum and coccyx. The most common cause in elderly is a fall, but the most significant fractures involve high-energy forces such as a motor vehicle accident, cycling accidents, or a fall from significant...
injury. In , he hit .339 in games that were late and close.
In , he hit 31 home runs and 96 RBIs for the Phillies, while hitting .300 with a career-best .551 slugging percentage. He hit .377 against left-handers, and was 8th in the league with 8 sacrifice flies and 11 HBP. He was an All Star for the first time, only the second Phillie catcher ever to receive the honor (joining Bob Boone
Bob Boone
Robert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
). He also won a Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, after posting a .997 fielding percentage—a new Phillie record at catcher. He joined Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
, Lance Parrish
Lance Parrish
Lance Michael Parrish, aka "Big Wheel", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , Seattle Mariners , Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , and the Toronto Blue Jays...
, and Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
as the only catchers to have hit 30 home runs in the same season that they won the Gold Glove Award. He also became the eighth major league catcher to bat .300 and hit 30 homers in the same season. He also became the first Phillie to bat .300 and hit 30 home runs since Greg Luzinski, in 1977.
In , Lieberthal was again an All Star, and hit .350 against left-handers. A play at the plate involving a collision with Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
resulted in an ankle injury that knocked him out for the rest of the season. In September 2000, he had surgery to remove a bone spur
Bone spur
Osteophytes, commonly referred to as bone spurs, are bony projections that form along joint margins. They should not be confused with enthesophytes, which are bony projections which form at the attachment of a tendon or ligament.-Pathophysiology:...
in his right elbow.
In May , Lieberthal was picked off at first base and tore his ACL
ACL
- Companies and organizations :* American Classical League* Arctic Co-operatives Limited* Asianet Communications Limited* Association for Computational Linguistics* Atlantic Coast Line Railroad* Atlantic Container Line* Australian Christian Lobby- Sports :...
and MCL
MCL
- Medicine :* Mantle cell lymphoma* Mast cell leukemia* Maximum comfortable levels of auditory stimuli* Medial collateral ligament* Medical Center Leeuwarden* Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans* Midclavicular line* Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis...
and cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
in his knee while attempting to dive back to the bag. He had surgery in June, and missed the rest of the season. In October , he injured the same knee as he stepped out of a golf cart near his home. He tore the meniscus
Meniscus
The meniscus is the curve in the upper surface of a liquid close to the surface of the container or another object, caused by surface tension. It can be either convex or concave. A convex meniscus occurs when the molecules have a stronger attraction to each other than to the material of the...
, and had surgery.
In 2002, he was 5th in the league in HBP (14), and batted .346 against left-handers. He was the Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year, the first catcher to win it, and also was a co-winner of the Player's Choice NL Comeback Player award
Players Choice Award
The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association .The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, while two awards each go to one player in all of Major...
.
In , Lieberthal hit .313 (12th in the NL), and was 8th in the league in HBP (12). In , he was 6th in the league with 14 intentional walks, and struck out only 35 times, while walking 35 times. In 2006, Lieberthal batted .310 in games that were late and close. He left as the Phillies' all-time catching leader in home runs, RBI, and games caught.
Ironically, despite his excellent work behind the plate during his tenure with the Phils, every season he played for the Phillies, they never made the playoffs, but the year before (1993) and the year after (2007) his time with the Phils, they made the playoffs.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2007)
Lieberthal signed as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 2006. He received a $1.15 million contract, with a club option for 2008. He made more money than the Dodgers' starting catcher, All-Star Russell Martin
Russell Martin
Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr is a Canadian Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Yankees.Martin became the everyday catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately upon his Major League debut, and continued in that role for nearly 5 years...
.
After playing in only 38 games in 2007 and hitting .234, Lieberthal's $1.4 million option was not picked up by the Dodgers, who instead bought out the contract for $100,000, and he became a free agent on October 30, 2007.
In January , Lieberthal announced his retirement. "I'm done," Lieberthal said. "If [the Dodgers] had picked up my option, I probably would have played 1 more year. But I didn't want to go anywhere else. There were a lot of reasons. The money was great as a backup, but I have made [enough] money in baseball. I just didn't want to go through what I have to go through with my body to play 20–25 games a year. It's not worth it."
It was suggested that while it was unlikely that Lieberthal would choose to coach, enjoying golf and married life for the immediate future, he had expressed an interest in being a television analyst.
Fielding
In 1996, he threw out 36% of runners attempting to steal. In 1997 he allowed only .64 steals per 9 innings, 3rd-best in the league. In 1999, Lieberthal led National League receivers with a .997 fielding percentage. Lieberthal caught Kevin MillwoodKevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on April 27, 2003.
Retirement
On April 28, 2008, Lieberthal announced that he would sign a one-day contract with the Phillies on June 1, throw out the ceremonial first pitch and then officially retire. He would be the first Phillies player to retire in the same manner since Doug GlanvilleDoug Glanville
Douglas Metunwa Glanville is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and the Texas Rangers....
in 2005.
Movie appearance
Lieberthal appeared in the motion picture Summer CatchSummer Catch
Summer Catch is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel, and Matthew Lillard. The story takes place on Cape Cod, but the majority of the film was shot in Southport, North Carolina.-Plot:...
in 2001 alongside teammates Doug Glanville
Doug Glanville
Douglas Metunwa Glanville is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and the Texas Rangers....
and Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
, as well as fellow major league baseball stars Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
, and Dave Collins
Dave Collins
David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from to .Collins is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the storied Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City, SD...
, among others.
Charitable fundraising
From 1998, he sponsored "Lieby's VIPs," in which he purchased $30,000 worth of tickets for children with cancer, and their families. In addition, he treated the children to a Halloween party. He served as 2000 Chairman of C.A.D.E.'s (Corporate Alliance for Drug Education) fundraising drive.Beginning in 2001, he co-hosted a celebrity billiards tournament, with Doug Glanville
Doug Glanville
Douglas Metunwa Glanville is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and the Texas Rangers....
and Randy Wolf
Randy Wolf
Randall Christopher Wolf is a left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Randy's older brother Jim is a Major League umpire. Unlike his brother Jim and Houston Astros relief pitcher Ross Wolf, Randy is a boss...
, to raise money for the Philadelphia Futures mentor program (since 2001, the event raised over $325,000 for the Futures program).
Jewish heritage
Through 2010, Lieberthal had hit the 5th-most career home runs of any Jewish major league baseball player, behind Hank GreenbergHank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
, Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
, Sid Gordon
Sid Gordon
Sidney "Sid" Gordon , known as "Sid," was a stocky, powerfully built American right-handed Major League Baseball outfielder, third baseman, and first baseman....
, and Al Rosen
Al Rosen
Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
, and was 7th on the all-time list in hits (behind Gordon) and RBIs (behind Rosen). Lieberthal's father is Jewish, and he is therefore considered Jewish under Reform Judaism, and is also listed as such by the American Jewish Historical Society and others. The next Jewish player for the Phillies was Michael Schwimer
Michael Schwimer
Michael Fredarick Schwimer is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.The 6' 8" closer was drafted by the Phillies in 2008, out of the University of Virginia...
, who debuted in 2011.
When it was pointed out to Lieberthal that he, Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
, and Jesse Levis
Jesse Levis
Jesse Levis is an American Major League Baseball scout and former Major League Baseball player...
, were all catchers, and that Jewish kids were thought to be smarter than to subject themselves to the rigors of that position, he responded with a smile: "We are smart. You don't have to hit to catch. We don't have to hit 40 homers. We don't have to run. We don't have to steal bases. All you have to do is catch, and you'll be in this league forever. We get beat up a little bit, but it's the quickest way to the major leagues."
Miscellaneous
- Lieberthal had a fan group at Veterans StadiumVeterans StadiumPhiladelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
called "Lieby's Lil Ladies."
- On NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's "The Office," the character of Dwight SchruteDwight SchruteDwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
has a bobblehead doll of Lieberthal on his desk, although its jersey number is 7. Lieberthal wore 7 while a member of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the then Triple-A affiliate of the Phillies. - Played Little LeagueLittle LeagueLittle League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
, PONY League Baseball, Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Connie MackConnie Mack (baseball)Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
, and American LegionAmerican LegionThe American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
baseball.