{{short description|American baseball player (born 1974)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | image=DSC03067 Jason LaRue.jpg | caption=LaRue with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 | name=Jason LaRue | position=[[Catcher]] | bats=Right | throws=Right | birth_date={{Birth date and age|1974|3|19}} | birth_place=[[Houston, Texas]], U.S. |debutleague = MLB | debutdate=June 15 | debutyear=1999 | debutteam=Cincinnati Reds |finalleague = MLB | finaldate=August 3 | finalyear=2010 | finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals |statleague = MLB | stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]] | stat1value=.231 | stat2label=[[Home run]]s | stat2value=96 | stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]] | stat3value=348 | teams= *[[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1999}}–{{mlby|2006}}) *[[Kansas City Royals]] ({{mlby|2007}}) *[[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|2008}}–{{mlby|2010}}) }} '''Michael Jason LaRue''' (born March 19, 1974) is a former [[Major League Baseball]] [[catcher]] who played for the [[Cincinnati Reds]], [[Kansas City Royals]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals]].
==Biography== A native of [[Bulverde, Texas]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-11-19 |title=Cardinals sign catcher Jason LaRue |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/stl/y2007/m11/d19/c2303956.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312111553/http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/stl/y2007/m11/d19/c2303956.jsp |archive-date=2016-03-12 |website=MLB.com}}</ref> after being selected in the fifth round of the [[1995 Major League Baseball draft]] out of [[Dallas Baptist University]], LaRue debuted with Cincinnati on June 15, 1999, and became Cincinnati's starting catcher in 2001. 2005 was his best overall season with 14 HR, 60 RBI, and .260 batting average.
[[File:Jason LaRue 2006.jpg|200px|thumb|left|LaRue with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in 2006]] LaRue agreed to a two-year, $9.1 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds on December 20, 2005. On November 20, 2006, LaRue was traded to the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named later. Since a player could not be agreed upon, the Royals opted to send the Reds cash considerations in the amount of one dollar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaegel |first=Dick |date=2008-04-07 |title=Mailbag: Projecting Butler, Gordon |url=http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080407&content_id=2501099&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301003800/http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080407&content_id=2501099&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |archive-date=2012-03-01 |website=MLB.com}}</ref>
On [[Mother's Day (United States)|Mother's Day]], May 14, 2006, LaRue was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a [[pink bat]] to benefit the [[Susan G. Komen for the Cure|Breast Cancer Foundation]]. He was also one of a handful of players to hit a home run with a pink bat.
On November 19, 2007, he signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals as the backup to [[Yadier Molina]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Strauss |first=Joe |date=2007-11-20 |title=Cardinals sign catcher, minor-league pitchers |url=http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/3DF5FCFDADE27FB086257399001C4715?OpenDocument |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121043529/http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/3DF5FCFDADE27FB086257399001C4715?OpenDocument |archive-date=2007-11-21 |website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}}</ref> During the season, he was used primarily for his defensive ability as his hitting stats had dwindled. LaRue re-signed with the Cardinals following the 2008 season for one year.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 31, 2008 |title=Cardinals sign catcher Jason LaRue; veteran backstop agrees to one-year pact for 2009 |url=http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20081031&content_id=3657188&vkey=pr_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190556/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20081031&content_id=3657188&vkey=pr_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl |archive-date=2016-03-03 |work=MLB.com}}</ref>
LaRue returned to the Cardinals for 2010, his third season with the team. On August 10, 2010, he suffered a concussion caused by a kick to the head by the [[Cincinnati Reds]]' [[Johnny Cueto]], during a bench-clearing brawl.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alper |first=Josh |date=August 18, 2010 |title=Jason LaRue May Be Out For Season After Johnny Cueto's uncalled for Kick to the Head |url=http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/08/18/jason-larue-may-be-out-for-season-after-johnny-cuetos-kick-to-t/?synd=fanhouse |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710105801/http://www.aolnews.com/2010/08/18/jason-larue-may-be-out-for-season-after-johnny-cuetos-kick-to-t/ |archive-date=2012-07-10 |work=MLB FanHouse}}</ref> On August 19, LaRue was placed on the 60-day disabled list, ending his season.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bleach |first=Michael |date=August 19, 2010 |title=Cards acquire third baseman Feliz |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100819&content_id=13648788&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023010900/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100819&content_id=13648788&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=2013-10-23 |work=MLB.com}}</ref>
The concussion was initially thought to be slight, but LaRue experienced severe post-concussion symptoms. On September 18, LaRue announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. He told the ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' that his symptoms were so severe that he'd been ordered to go back to his home in [[San Antonio]], where he lived during the offseason because he was in no condition to be left alone. He could not drive or cook for himself for a time, could not watch television or even ride in a car as a passenger with his eyes open. He'd suffered close to 20 concussions dating to his days as a high school football and baseball player, and doctors told him that as a catcher he was vulnerable to a concussion that was at least as severe as the one he'd suffered in the brawl.<ref>{{cite news |last=Strauss |first=Joe |date=August 10, 2010 |title=Catcher LaRue says career is over |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/article_324aa4d7-ff34-5706-b12a-b1a023d58d00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914174035/http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_324aa4d7-ff34-5706-b12a-b1a023d58d00.html |archive-date=2012-09-14 |accessdate=2024-10-19 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}}</ref>
LaRue was known throughout his career to be a defensive specialist. In 2001, he led the major leagues with a 61% caught-stealing percentage, and he has a career 39% caught-stealing percentage.
==Personal== LaRue lives in [[Blanco, Texas]], with his wife Heather, and three sons: Tyler, Dylan, and Brayden. He has a brother, Shaun LaRue and two sisters, Tricia Maynard and Brooke Albert.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jason LaRue Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/jason-larue-150178 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb=150178 |espn=4091|br=l/larueja01|fangraphs=337|brm=larue-001mic}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larue, Jason}} [[Category:1974 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Baseball players from Houston]] [[Category:Major League Baseball catchers]] [[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]] [[Category:Dallas Baptist Patriots baseball players]] [[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]] [[Category:Louisville Bats players]] [[Category:Kansas City Royals players]] [[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]] [[Category:People from Blanco, Texas]] [[Category:People from Bulverde, Texas]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Greater San Antonio]]