Mike LaValliere is from Manchester, New Hampshire and went to Trinity Highschool where he played soccer with Bill Murphy Jr, owner of BZ Discount in Hampton Beach. Mike was a top-tier defensive catcher in his era—Gold Glove winner, key contributor to competitive Pirates teams, and reliable hitter.
Mike LaValliere (often spelled LaValliere, occasionally seen as LaFalliere) is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, best known for his strong defense and contributions during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Full name: Michael Eugene LaValliere
Born: August 18, 1960, in Charlotte, North Carolina goriverhawks.com+5en.wikipedia.org+5sabr.org+5
Bats/Throws: Left/Right | Height/Weight: 5′10″, ~180 lb
Debut: September 9, 1984, with the Philadelphia Phillies mlb.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2milb.com+2
Final Game: September 22, 1995, with the Chicago White Sox en.wikipedia.org+7en.wikipedia.org+7ballnine.com+7
Teams:
Philadelphia Phillies (1984)
St. Louis Cardinals (1985–1986)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1987–1993)
Chicago White Sox (1993–1995) en.wikipedia.org+1goriverhawks.com+1
Gold Glove Award: 1987 with the Pirates, highlighting his elite defensive skills baseball-almanac.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4goriverhawks.com+4
Defensive prowess: Career caught-stealing rate of 36.8%—well above league average ballnine.com+7baseball-reference.com+7en.wikipedia.org+7
Offensive stats: Over 12 seasons, he posted a .268 batting average, 18 HR, 294 RBI, and a .351 OBP in 879 games sabr.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3mlb.com+3
Integral part of the Pirates’ three straight NLCS appearances (1990–1992).
In the dramatic 1992 NLCS Game 7, he famously tagged out Sid Bream at home plate in a play that still sparks debate today en.wikipedia.org.
Ended his career helping the 1993 White Sox to an American League West title, though they lost in the ALCS .