Paul Lo Duca
1456934
225248579
2008-07-12T18:06:25Z
GoDevils1
7465734
/* Personal life */
{{Infobox MLB player|
image=PaulLoDuca 20040516.jpg| width=150|
caption=Lo Duca with the Dodgers|
name=Paul Lo Duca|
position=Catcher|
team=Washington Nationals|
number=16|
bats=Right|
throws=Right|
birthdate={{birth date and age|1972|4|12}}|
debutdate=June 21|
debutyear=1998|
debutteam=Los Angeles Dodgers|
statyear=July 2, 2008|
stat1label=[[Batting Average]]|
stat1value=.286|
stat2label=[[Home Runs]]|
stat2value=80|
stat3label=[[Runs Batted In]]|
stat3value=472|
teams=<nowiki></nowiki>
*[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{by|1998}}-{{by|2004}})
*[[Florida Marlins]] ({{by|2004}}-{{by|2005}})
*[[New York Mets]] ({{by|2006}}-{{by|2007}})
*[[Washington Nationals]] ({{by|2008}}-present)
|awards= <nowiki></nowiki>
* 4x [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] selection (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
}}
'''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).
==Collegiate career==
Paul Lo Duca [[walk-on|walked on]] to the baseball team at [[Glendale Community College (Arizona)|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]].<ref>[http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentmedia/archives/1999/99spr/sp/sp990420/sports01.html Paul Lo Duca: The Long Road Home]</ref> 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.
==Professional career==
Despite his college success, Lo Duca spent many years in the [[minor league baseball|minor leagues]] with the San Antonio Missions, finally achieving a breakthrough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in [[2001 in baseball|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 [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Games]]. In [[2002 in baseball|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.<ref name="MLBStats">[http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=134001&y=2002 Paul Lo Duca: Biography and Career Highlights]</ref> In [[2003 in baseball|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 [[baserunner]]s trying to [[Stolen base|steal]]. In [[2004 in baseball|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.
===2006 season===
Lo Duca was traded to the Mets for two minor leaguers before the [[2006 in baseball|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.
===Career transactions===
[[Image:Paul Lo Duca.jpg|thumb|Lo Duca with the Nationals in 2008.<BR><small>''Photo by [[User:Chrisjnelson|Chris Nelson]]''</small>]]
*Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the [[1993]] [[Major League Baseball Draft|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 in baseball|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.
===Highlights===
* 4-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] (2003-05) as a Reserve, and one [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|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]].
==Mitchell Report==
On December 13, 2007, Lo Duca was named in the [[Mitchell Report (baseball)|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 (baseball)|Mitchell Report]] also says that Dodgers were concerned that Lo Duca had stopped taking steroids. The notes of the October 2003 meeting say:
{{cquote|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. <ref name = "report_pg_209">{{cite web | url = http://files.mlb.com/mitchrpt.pdf | title = Mitchell Report | format = PDF | pages = 209 | accessdate = 2007-12-31 }}</ref>}}
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.
==Personal life==
Born in Brooklyn, NY but raised in Glendale, AZ (western suburb of Phoenix). 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.<ref name="NYPostDivorce">[http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/foul_bawl_from_met_lo_ducas_sexy_wife_regionalnews_cary_cardwell_in_san_antonio_and_larry_celona_in_new_york.htm Lo Duca's Wife Files for Divorce (New York Post)]</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/440974p-371469c.html Lo Duca stops talking to the media]</ref> Lo Duca has a daughter Bella Lucia with his estranged wife.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imdb.com/name/nm1187218/bio
|title= Sonia Flores Bio |publisher=[[IMDB]]| accessdate=2008-01-15}}</ref>
==Trivia==
{{trivia|date=December 2007}}
* 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 bean]]s to him in the back yard and he would use a broomstick to hit them. This technique helped him develop his hand/eye coordination.<ref name="ESPNSwing">[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1815971 Lo Duca's Swing Perfected Early On]</ref>
* 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 (baseball player)|David Wright]] when he made it to the finals.
* He is the only player to have caught all three Martínez brothers. [[Ramón Martínez (pitcher)|Ramón]] with the Dodgers in 1998, [[Pedro Martínez|Pedro]] with the Mets in 2006 and 2007, and Jesús while in the minor leagues.
==See also==
*[[List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report]]
==External links==
*[http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/loducpa01.shtml Baseball Reference] - career statistics and analysis
*{{imdb name|id=1631048|name=Paul Lo Duca}}
==References==
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[[Category:Major league players from New York]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Florida Marlins players]]
[[Category:Italian-American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:Washington Nationals players]]
[[Category:Major league catchers]]
[[Category:Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players]]
[[Category:Arizona State University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:People from New York City]]
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[fr:Paul LoDuca]]
[[ja:ポール・ロデューカ]]
[[pt:Paul Lo Duca]]