Paul Lo Duca
Encyclopedia
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball
catcher
. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
(-), Florida Marlins (2004-), New York Mets
(-), and Washington Nationals
(2008). He currently is an analyst for the TVG Network
analyzing horse races.
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
. 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 also was named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award
, and his 37-game hitting streak
is the second longest in school history. He was named ASU "On Deck Circle" Most Valuable Player; other winners include Dustin Pedroia
, Willie Bloomquist
, Ike Davis
, and Barry Bonds
.
after being drafted in the 25th round of the 1993 Amateur Draft. He spent the 1995 off-season abroad with the Adelaide Giants
in the Australian Baseball League, but finally achieved a breakthrough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 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. Lo Duca's primary strength is as a contact hitter, like Scioscia, but unlike the power-hitting Piazza.
After becoming an everyday big league player, Lo Duca was 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. In , Lo Duca's 25-game hitting streak was the second longest in Dodgers history and defensively he ranked first in the National League
in throwing out baserunners. In 2004 he led National League
catchers in RBI. In the field in 2004 he allowed 93 stolen bases, more than any other catcher in Major League Baseball. He was traded from Los Angeles along with Juan Encarnacion
and Guillermo Mota
to the Marlins for Hee Seop Choi, Brad Penny
, and minor league
pitching prospect Bill Murphy at the 2004 trading deadline and was later traded to the Mets for two minor league prospects, pitcher
Gaby Hernandez and outfielder
Dante Brinkley. This was part of a Marlins "market correction" where most of their large salaries were traded away after the 2005 season.
Lo Duca was a member of the 2006 All-Star Team; the Mets finished that year with a 97-65 record and made the postseason (his first playoff experience). Lo Duca hit .318, his highest average since 2001. He also had a .355 on-base percentage, a career high.
Lo Duca collected his 1,000th career hit on May 30, 2007 off Barry Zito
. His batting average fell 48 points that year to .272, and he played only 119 games after making a trip to the disabled list
in August.
After the 2007 season Lo Duca agreed to a $5 million, one-year deal with the Washington Nationals
on December 10. He was released by the Nationals on July 31, 2008, and on August 8, he signed a minor league deal to return to the Florida Marlins organization. LoDuca was called up on August 16.
He became a free agent after the 2008 season and did not play in 2009. In June 2009 he joined TVG Network
as an analyst, and began working on 2009 Belmont Stakes
day.
On January 19, 2010, Lo Duca signed with the Colorado Rockies. His role with the club was as a backup catcher, and occasionally to play first base and the outfield.
On May 29, 2010, he was released, and in June he returned to work for TVG as he's on-site daily at Monmouth Park during its 50-day elite meet where he also serves as an on-site analyst.
in his connection with human growth hormone
(HGH). Lo Duca allegedly received the HGH from former clubhouse attendant and known steroids dealer Kirk Radomski
, who produced three checks from Lo Duca totaling $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
cites an October 2003 meeting among Dodgers officials that included discussion of the possible use of steroids by some players. The notes of the meeting say:
Six months later the Dodgers traded Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins. Mitchell did not identify the Dodgers officials involved, nor if other players were traded because they stopped taking steroids.
, and attended Apollo High School
, after attending St Simon and Jude middle school. On August 7, 2006, the New York media leaked a story about his divorce suit with his wife, Sonia (Flores) Lo Duca, a former Playboy
model. 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. Lo Duca has a daughter Bella Lucia with his estranged wife.
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...
. Previously, Lo Duca played for 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...
(-), Florida Marlins (2004-), New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(-), and Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
(2008). He currently is an analyst for the TVG Network
TVG Network
TVG Network is an American specialty channel dedicated to horse racing. The company broadcasts from Los Angeles, California and is available in the United States on Dish Network and DirecTV as well as select cable companies...
analyzing horse races.
Collegiate career
Lo Duca walked on to the baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team at Glendale Community College
Glendale Community College (Arizona)
Glendale Community College is a community college in Glendale, Arizona USA. GCC opened its doors in 1965. Since then more than 350,000 students have taken credit classes. Programs include associate degrees, certificate programs, industry-specific training and university transfer. The school...
(AZ) after he was not recruited or drafted out of high school. He hit
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 :...
.449 and .461 in his two years at the community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
before transferring to Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. In 1993 (the one year he played at ASU) Lo Duca was named The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
Player of the Year, setting school records with a .446 batting average and 129 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. He also was named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award
Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player. It is awarded by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Though the award can be presented to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.-Past...
, and his 37-game hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
is the second longest in school history. He was named ASU "On Deck Circle" Most Valuable Player; other winners include Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...
, Willie Bloomquist
Willie Bloomquist
William Paul Bloomquist is a Major League Baseball utility player. He has played every position, aside from either of the battery positions, during his MLB career....
, Ike Davis
Ike Davis
Isaac Benjamin "Ike" Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the New York Mets. He and his father Ron Davis, who pitched in the majors for 11 years, are the 197th father-son combination to have both played in the major leagues.He led his high school team to three straight Arizona state...
, and Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
.
Professional career
Despite his college success, Lo Duca spent many years in the minor leaguesMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
after being drafted in the 25th round of the 1993 Amateur Draft. He spent the 1995 off-season abroad with the Adelaide Giants
Adelaide Giants
The Adelaide Giants were one of the foundation members of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. They competed in all 10 seasons but however never once made the leagues final playoff series...
in the Australian Baseball League, but finally achieved a breakthrough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in at age 29. Lo Duca drew comparisons to Dodgers predecessors Mike Scioscia
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....
and Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
-- all three were capable and popular everyday catchers who were homegrown through the Dodgers' organization, and all three are of Italian-American ancestry. Lo Duca's primary strength is as a contact hitter, like Scioscia, but unlike the power-hitting Piazza.
After becoming an everyday big league player, Lo Duca was named to four All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. In 2002 he was one of the best contact hitters in the majors – only Jason Kendall
Jason Kendall
Jason Daniel Kendall is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969–1980.-High school:...
struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
less often and no one had a better percentage of swings and misses. In , Lo Duca's 25-game hitting streak was the second longest in Dodgers history and defensively he ranked first in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in throwing out baserunners. In 2004 he led National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
catchers in RBI. In the field in 2004 he allowed 93 stolen bases, more than any other catcher in Major League Baseball. He was traded from Los Angeles along with Juan Encarnacion
Juan Encarnación
Juan De Dios Encarnación is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His last major league team was the St. Louis Cardinals...
and Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
to the Marlins for Hee Seop Choi, Brad Penny
Brad Penny
Bradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....
, and minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
pitching prospect Bill Murphy at the 2004 trading deadline and was later traded to the Mets for two minor league prospects, pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Gaby Hernandez and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Dante Brinkley. This was part of a Marlins "market correction" where most of their large salaries were traded away after the 2005 season.
Lo Duca was a member of the 2006 All-Star Team; the Mets finished that year with a 97-65 record and made the postseason (his first playoff experience). Lo Duca hit .318, his highest average since 2001. He also had a .355 on-base percentage, a career high.
Lo Duca collected his 1,000th career hit on May 30, 2007 off Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
. His batting average fell 48 points that year to .272, and he played only 119 games after making a trip to the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
in August.
After the 2007 season Lo Duca agreed to a $5 million, one-year deal with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
on December 10. He was released by the Nationals on July 31, 2008, and on August 8, he signed a minor league deal to return to the Florida Marlins organization. LoDuca was called up on August 16.
He became a free agent after the 2008 season and did not play in 2009. In June 2009 he joined TVG Network
TVG Network
TVG Network is an American specialty channel dedicated to horse racing. The company broadcasts from Los Angeles, California and is available in the United States on Dish Network and DirecTV as well as select cable companies...
as an analyst, and began working on 2009 Belmont Stakes
2009 Belmont Stakes
The 2009 Belmont Stakes was the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes. The race took place on June 6, 2009, and was televised on ABC and ESPN360.com. The value of the race was $1,000,000 in stakes. Post time was 6:19 p.m. EST...
day.
On January 19, 2010, Lo Duca signed with the Colorado Rockies. His role with the club was as a backup catcher, and occasionally to play first base and the outfield.
On May 29, 2010, he was released, and in June he returned to work for TVG as he's on-site daily at Monmouth Park during its 50-day elite meet where he also serves as an on-site analyst.
Mitchell Report
On December 13, 2007, Lo Duca was named in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
in his connection with human growth hormone
Growth hormone
Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior...
(HGH). Lo Duca allegedly received the HGH from former clubhouse attendant and known steroids dealer Kirk Radomski
Kirk Radomski
Kirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985–1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
, who produced three checks from Lo Duca totaling $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
Adam Riggs
Adam David Riggs is a former professional baseball first baseman. He played parts of four years in Major League Baseball, but is better known for the four seasons he spent with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League.He is an alumnus of the University of South Carolina Aiken and...
, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagné
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
, and Matt Herges
Matt Herges
Matthew Tyler Herges is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Herges is an alumnus of Illinois State University and is the brother-in-law of former Major League Baseball player Todd Hollandsworth....
.
The Mitchell Report
Mitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
cites an October 2003 meeting among Dodgers officials that included discussion of the possible use of steroids by some players. The notes of the meeting say:
Six months later the Dodgers traded Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins. Mitchell did not identify the Dodgers officials involved, nor if other players were traded because they stopped taking steroids.
Personal life
Lo Duca was born in Brooklyn, New York, but was raised in Glendale, ArizonaGlendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, and attended Apollo High School
Apollo High School (Arizona)
Apollo High School is a secondary school located in Glendale, Arizona. It is part of the Glendale Union High School District . It enrolls approximately 1,900 students, grades 9-12...
, after attending St Simon and Jude middle school. On August 7, 2006, the New York media leaked a story about his divorce suit with his wife, Sonia (Flores) Lo Duca, a former Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
model. The leak by the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
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. Lo Duca has a daughter Bella Lucia with his estranged wife.
See also
- 1993 College Baseball All-America Team1993 College Baseball All-America TeamAn All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
- List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report