Jarrod Saltalamacchia

[Sweet Lu]

Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia (born May 2, 1985, in West Palm Beach, Florida), nicknamed "Salty" is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.

His last name is the longest in Major League Baseball history.[1] Saltalamacchia is Italian for "jump over" (salta) the thicket (lamacchia, a kind of tall shrub).

Baseball careerSaltalamacchia was drafted out of Royal Palm Beach High School in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves.

[edit] Atlanta BravesIn 2006, Saltalamacchia had a breakout season for the Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, where the switch-hitting slugger hit .314 with 35 doubles, 19 homers, and 81 RBIs in 129 games. Saltalamacchia ranked 18th in Baseball America top 100 prospects in 2006, he would rank 36th the following year.[2]

Saltalamacchia batting for the Braves in 2007.In the 2007 season, Saltalamacchia started at catcher for the Double-A Mississippi Braves. In 22 games played, he belted 7 home runs with a batting average of .373.

On his 22nd birthday, he was called up to Atlanta to replace Brayan Peña on the roster and to fill in for Brian McCann, who re-injured his finger on May 1, 2007.[3] Saltalamacchia's call-up made him the new record-holder of the longest last name in Major League Baseball history, at 14 letters.[4]

On May 6, 2007, Saltalamacchia had the first hit of his major league career in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the seventh inning, with two outs and two men on base, Saltalamacchia got his first RBI, which also drove in the winning run for the Braves. On May 27, 2007, Saltalamacchia hit his first major league home run, a solo shot off Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies. On June 26 in a start at first base, Saltalamacchia had his first multi-home run game. Both blasts came batting right-handed off Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik.

Because Saltalamacchia was "blocked" (by McCann, who was recently signed to a large contract with Atlanta), he was the subject of much trade speculation within baseball, and was traded to the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2007, with Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Beau Jones for first baseman Mark Teixeira and reliever Ron Mahay.

In 2007, Saltalamacchia batted .284 with 4 home runs and 12 RBI in 47 games with Atlanta.

[edit] Texas RangersUpon joining the Rangers after being traded Saltalamacchia changed his number to 25. In his first game with the Rangers on August 1, 2007, Saltalamacchia started at first base and drove in two runs.

On August 22, 2007, Saltalamacchia had two home runs and seven RBIs in the historic 30–3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.[5]

In 46 games with the Rangers in 2007, Saltamacchia batted .251, collecting 7 home runs and 21 RBIs.

On March 26, 2008, Saltalamacchia lost the starting catching job to Gerald Laird, and the Rangers chose to send him down to the minors to catch every day instead of sitting as the backup.[6] However, Saltalamacchia was soon called up on April 25, 2008.[7]

Saltalamacchia during his tenure with the Rangers in 2009.After the Rangers signed free agent Andruw Jones, Saltalamacchia gave up his number 25 to Jones and selected the number 21.[8] On April 25, 2009, Saltalamacchia struck out in his 28th consecutive game played, setting a new MLB strikeout streak record for a position player (pitcher Bill Stoneman holds the all-time record with 37 games). Saltalamacchia's streak started on July 23, 2008.[9] Saltalamacchia suffered a shoulder injury on August 15, 2009 and was placed on the disabled list.

Saltalamacchia was placed on the disabled list after the 2nd game of the 2010 season. On April 27, 2010, Saltalamacchia was removed from the DL and assigned to the Oklahoma City RedHawks.[10] He has struggled with throwing the ball back to the pitcher.

[edit] Boston Red SoxSaltalamacchia was traded to the Boston Red Sox just before the Major League Baseball trading deadline on July 31, 2010. The Rangers received minor league prospects Chris McGuinness, Ramon Mendez, a player to be named later (Michael Thomas), and cash. He reported to the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox, wearing uniform number 39.[11][12] Saltalamacchia was called up on August 11 after Kevin Cash went on the disabled list needing surgery in his left thumb, in September 2010.[13][14]

In the 2011 season, Saltalamacchia was slated at the beginning of the year to be Boston's primary catcher. Out of the gate, he struggled defensively and showed weakness in the batter's box.[15] However, he showed real improvement at the plate as the season progressed, hitting .327 in the month of June. So far in July, he has hit .279, homering in back to back games against the Orioles and going 3 for 4 with 4 RBI two games later.[16]

[edit] PersonalSaltalamacchia and his former Rangers teammate, Kason Gabbard, were childhood friends. Both were traded to the Rangers from different teams on July 31, 2007.[17] They were nearly potential teammates once again when the Red Sox, having reacquired Gabbard in 2009, released him from their farm system into free agency on July 24, 2010, exactly one week before Saltalamacchia was traded to Boston

[Sweet Lu]

Career statistics

(through August 9, 2011)

Batting average .250

Hits 264

Home runs 34

Runs batted in 133

[Sweet Lu]

my wife jsut loves saying his last name for no reason at all