Jason LaRue #23

Career highlights: In 2001 led all Major League catchers in caught-stealing percentage (60.3) and received Baseball Prospectus' Golden Gun Award...was selected to represent the International League at the 2000 Triple-A All- Star Game...in 1999 was an International League All-Star, was voted the best defensive catcher in the league by IL managers and was named honorable mention on Howe Sportsdata's All-Prospect Team...twice has been named International League Player of the Week (4/24-4/30, 2000; 8/2-8/7, 1999)...in 1998 was selected by USA Today as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year, was named honorable mention on Howe Sportsdata's All-Prospect Team and represented Chattanooga in the 1998 Double-A All-Star Game...in 1998 led the Southern League in hitting and slugging percentage...twice in 1998 was named Southern League Player of the Week...in 1997 was a mid- and post-season South Atlantic League All-Star selection...in his career has played 2g at 1B (5/28/01 vs Cubs, start on 8/ 27/03 vs Mil), 3g at 3B (last 3gs of 2001 season) and 3g in LF (6/13/01 at WSox, 8/26/01 at Mtl, 8/24/03 at Hou, 0gs). 2002 In his second full season as the Reds' starting catcher hit .249 (12hr, 52rbi) in 113g and 100 starts...for the second straight season had a career-high 12 homers...also established career highs in batting average, runs scored (42), hits (88) and RBI...made his last appearance of the season on 9/21...on 9/24 had surgery to repair a hernia (Dr. Joann Lohr)...is his only career appearance on the disabled list...on 9/18 at Pit left the game with a bruised right calf suffered on a play at the plate...missed 3g, then started the nightcap of the 9/21 day/night DH vs Phi before the hernia ended his season...finished the season by hitting safely in 14 of his last 15g (.327, 4hr, 10rbi), including a career-high 13-game hitting streak (9/1-9/17, .348, 4hr, 10rbi)...with 13hbp led the club and ranked sixth in the National League...in his 100 starts Reds pitchers went 48-52 and posted a 4.68era (906.1ip, 471er) while he caught...caught 1 of the club's 2 complete games, Chris Reitsma's 2-0 win on 7/15 at Mil...threw out 25-57 baserunners attempting to steal (44%)...led the Major Leagues with 20 passed balls, including 8pb while catching knuckleballer Jared Fernandez...did not commit an error in 75g from 5/24-9/15...hit the second and third grand slams of his career...in the 7-5 win at Pit on 7/18 snapped the 2-2 tie with an eighth-inning grand slam off Brian Boehringer...in the 10-5 loss on 9/4 at StL his slam off Jamey Wright capped the Reds' 5-run second inning...was responsible for 1 of the team's 8 walkoff wins...in the 10-inning, 5-4 victory on 4/18 vs Hou ended the game with a bases-loaded RBI-single off Ricky Stone...twice in his first 9g of the season tied his career high with 3 hits (4/7 vs Mtl, 4/11 at Pit), then produced his third and final 3-hit game on 8/10 vs SD...on 5/4 at SF broke up the Giants' no-hit bid with a single off Ryan Jensen leading off the eighth inning...on 5/29 at Fla tied his career high with 4 strikeouts (3x)...on 7/16 at Mil produced his third career 2-HR game...in the 13-inning, 6-4 victory vs LA on 8/1 tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a 2-strike, 2-out, 2-run double off Giovanni Carrara...on 8/22 at Ari hit his only triple of the season...had a season-high hitless skid of 0-for-12 (5/29-6/4)...had 19 multi-hit games, including 16 2-hit games and the 3 career-high 3-hit games...in spring training went 0-for-28 from 3/9-3/25 but finished the exhibition season with a 6-game hitting streak (8-15, .533), then had a single and a double on Opening Day vs the Cubs. 2001 In his 1st season as the Reds starting catcher, made 95 starts behind the plate and hit .236 (86-364) with 12 home runs and 43 RBI...Led all N.L. catchers in caught-stealing percentage, throwing out 41 of 68 (60%) runners and ranked 2nd in the Majors to Texas Ivan Rodriguez (72%)...threw out 23 of the last 32 (71%) baserunners attempting to steal on the season...led all N.L. catchers with 15 passed balls...Smacked his 1st career grand slam off Houston's Kent Bottenfield on May 18...Recorded his 2nd-career 2-homer game on Aug. 2 at Los Angeles (NL). 2000 Spent a majority of the season at Louisville (AAA)...did appear in 31 games with the Reds, hitting .235 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI...in his 31 starts, the Reds went 16-15 and posted a 3.78 ERA...Was selected to the Triple-A All-Star Game, but did not play because of the birth of his 1st child, Tyler...Notched his 1st-career multi-home run game when he connected twice at Chicago (N.L.) on Aug. 12. 1999 At Class AAA Indianapolis was an International League All-Star ... was voted the best defensive catcher in the league by IL managers ... was named honorable mention on Howe Sportsdata's all-prospect team ... in his Major League debut hit .211 with 3 HR and 10 RBI in 36g and 27 starts during 2 stints with the Reds (6/15-8/2, 8/27-end of season) ... started behind the plate in three of the Reds' four 1-hitters (6/24 at Hou, 6/30 vs Ari, 7/21 vs StL) and in 4 of their 11 shutouts (6/24, 6/30, 7/21, 9/18 at Pit) ... Ron Villone started all three 1-hitters ... began the season at Indy and in 50g there hit .249 (6 HR, 20 RBI) before he was promoted on 6/15, when Brian Johnson went on the Reds' 15-day disabled list ... on 6/15 vs Mets made his Major League debut after just 397 minor league games ... entered that game as a defensive replacement and went 0-for-2 ... made his first big league start in his third game, on 6/20 vs Mil, and caught the 7-4 loss ... on 7/5 vs Hou recorded his first Major League hit, a single off Chris Holt after starting his career 0-for-12, and then his first career stolen base ... on 7/10 at Cle recorded his first career double, first career RBI, and first run scored ... on 7/20 vs Det recorded his first career multi-hit game, both doubles ... from 7/23-7/27 made 5 consecutive starts while Eddie Taubensee recovered from a sore right wrist ... Reds went 4-1 in those games ... on 7/23 at SF hit his first career HR, a 2-run shot off Robb Nen ... hit his other 2 HR on 8/30 vs Atl (off Chen) and 9/18 at Pit (off Peters) ... in 19g and 16 starts during his first stint with the Reds hit .154 (1 HR, 3 RBI) before returning to Indianapolis on 8/3, when Juan Guzman was added to the Reds' roster ... in his first plate appearance back at Indy, on 8/4 vs Richmond, homered off Everett Stull as part of a streak in which he homered in 5 consecutive games to earn International League Player of the Week honors for the week of 8/2-8/7 (12-21, .571, 6 HR, 11 RBI) ... in his second plate appearance in that 8/4 game hit a 3-run triple ... in his second stint overall at Indy hit .256 (6 HR, 17 RBI) in 20g until he was recalled again on 8/27, when Hal Morris went on the Reds' disabled list ... after his second promotion immediately put together a career-high 6-game hitting streak (8/28-9/8) during which he hit .533 (1 HR, 5 RBI) ... after his second recall hit .289 (4 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI) in 17g and 11 starts for the Reds the rest of the season ... on 8/30 vs Atl had 3 hits and 3 RBI, both career highs ... had 4 multi-hit games, including three 2-hit games and the career-high 3-hit game on 8/30 ... Reds pitchers went 17-10 in his 27 starts behind the plate and posted a 3.81 ERA overall while he caught ... threw out 8-21 (38%) baserunners attempting to steal ... was credited with 2 errors and 2 passed balls ... at Indy threw out 27-72 (38%) baserunners attempting to steal ... prior to the season was rated by Baseball America as the organization's fourth-best prospect and the Southern League's 10th-best prospect. 1998 Selected by USA Today as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year, was named honorable mention on Howe Sportsdata's All-Prospect Team and represented Chattanooga in the 1998 Double-A All-Star Game...in 1998 led the Southern League in hitting and slugging percentage...twice in 1998 was named Southern League Player of the Week. 1997 Was a mid- and post-season South Atlantic League All-Star selection...led all Reds minor league players in doubles...ranked fifth in the SAL in hitting...batted at least .300 every day of the season except 2 days and didnbt fall below .293 all season....was added to the 40-man roster on 11/20...combined to hit .350 with 14hr and 87rbi in 120g at Chattanooga and Indianapolis...at Chattanooga led the Southern League in hitting and slugging percentage (.617) and ranked second with a .429 on-base percentage, third with 61 extra-base hits and fourth in doubles and triples...began the season at Chattanooga and hit .331 with 3hr and 19rbi in 36g before he was promoted to Indy on 5/25...from 5/27-6/17 appeared in 15g for the Indians before he returned to Chattanooga...finished the season with the Lookouts and hit .383 with 11hr and 63rbi in his last 69g...at Chattanooga put together a season-high 15-game hitting streak from 5/14-6/27, a streak interrupted after 8g by his promotion to Indy...from 7/31-8/22 hit safely in 20-21 games, including hitting streaks of 8 and 12g...in the Southern League hit .400 in May, .345 in June, .360 in July, .396 in August and .462 in September...hit .314 with 5hr vs LHP and .388 with 9hr vs RHP...hit .402 with RISP...played for Maryvale in the Arizona Fall League (.273, 4hr, 11rbi, 28g). 1996 Appeared in just 37g because of a broken left leg suffered during a home plate collision in June. 1995 Appeared in 58g during his first professional season, including 54 as a catcher.