Mike LaValliere

Born: 8/18/1960 in Charlotte, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1984-09-09 | Final Game: 1995-09-22

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Michael Eugene LaValliere

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Biography

Mike LaValliere, born in 1960, was a professional baseball player who enjoyed a career spanning over a decade from 1984 to 1995. Primarily recognized as a catcher, LaValliere played in 879 games across Major League Baseball, showcasing a solid batting average of .268. He recorded a total of 663 hits, including 18 home runs, and drove in 294 runs during his career. Known for his exceptional defensive skills behind the plate, LaValliere also contributed with his speed on the bases, finishing with 5 stolen bases. LaValliere's playing style reflected the evolving nature of baseball during the late 20th century, as he combined a strong defensive presence with a reliable bat. He was part of a generation of catchers who emphasized the importance of both offense and defense, helping to shape the role of the modern catcher in the league. His contributions to teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago White Sox were instrumental in their competitive seasons. LaValliere remains a respected figure in the baseball community, remembered for his dedication to the game and his role in the development of young players in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
879	2473	185	663	109	5	18	294	5	321	244	0.268	0.351	0.338	0.689	-439.2

Career AVG .268 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .351 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +7.5% above league average.

Career SLG .338 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 14.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.689 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1984	PHI	NL	6	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1985	STL	NL	12	34	2	5	1	0	0	6	0	7	3	0.147	—	—	—	—	0.0
1986	STL	NL	110	303	18	71	10	2	3	30	0	36	37	0.234	.257 (-9%)	.325 (-3%)	.395 (-21%)	.720 (-13%)	-653.9
1987	PIT	NL	121	340	33	102	19	0	1	36	0	43	32	0.300	.262 (+14%)	.331 (+14%)	.415 (-12%)	.746 (-1%)	126.4
1988	PIT	NL	120	352	24	92	18	0	2	47	3	50	34	0.261	.254 (+3%)	.317 (+11%)	.377 (-13%)	.695 (-2%)	67.4
1989	PIT	NL	68	190	15	60	10	0	2	23	0	29	24	0.316	.254 (+24%)	.319 (+27%)	.375 (+7%)	.694 (+16%)	668.6
1990	PIT	NL	96	279	27	72	15	0	3	31	0	44	20	0.258	.257 (avg)	.324 (+12%)	.385 (-11%)	.710 (-1%)	148.1
1991	PIT	NL	108	336	25	97	11	2	3	41	2	33	27	0.289	.255 (+13%)	.323 (+9%)	.384 (-6%)	.708 (avg)	93.7
1992	PIT	NL	95	293	22	75	13	1	2	29	0	44	21	0.256	.255 (avg)	.322 (+9%)	.377 (-13%)	.699 (-3%)	-42.4
1993	PIT	NL	1	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0
1993	CHW	AL	37	97	6	25	2	0	0	8	0	4	14	0.258	.265 (-3%)	.332 (-15%)	.403 (-31%)	.735 (-24%)	0.0
1994	CHW	AL	59	139	6	39	4	0	1	24	0	20	15	0.281	.269 (+4%)	.338 (+9%)	.424 (-22%)	.763 (-8%)	-151.0
1995	CHW	AL	46	98	7	24	6	0	1	19	0	9	15	0.245	.266 (-8%)	.337 (-10%)	.417 (-19%)	.755 (-15%)	-286.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
11	25	2	5	0	0	0	1	6	4	0.200

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1993	ALCS	CHA	2	3	0	1	0	1	0	0.333
1992	NLCS	PIT	3	10	1	2	0	0	3	0.200
1991	NLCS	PIT	3	6	0	2	1	2	0	0.333
1990	NLCS	PIT	3	6	1	0	0	3	1	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
3B	1	0	0	1	0	0
C	850	747	4138	416	35	53

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1984	PHI	C	6	2	20	2	0	0
1985	SLN	C	12	11	48	5	0	3
1986	SLN	C	108	93	468	47	6	8
1987	PIT	C	112	99	584	70	5	11
1988	PIT	C	114	105	565	55	8	6
1989	PIT	C	65	59	306	24	3	3
1990	PIT	C	95	87	478	36	5	6
1991	PIT	C	105	100	565	46	1	4
1992	PIT	3B	1	0	0	1	0	0
1992	PIT	C	92	87	421	62	3	6
1993	PIT	C	1	1	12	0	0	0
1993	CHA	C	37	29	164	28	0	2
1994	CHA	C	57	44	305	21	3	3
1995	CHA	C	46	30	202	20	1	1

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Catcher	850
Third Base	1

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1988	Player of the Week	Week of 1988-04-22
1988	TSN All-Star	C
1987	Gold Glove	C

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1995	CHA	AL	$750,000
1994	CHA	AL	$109,000
1994	PIT	NL	$2,100,000
1993	PIT	NL	$2,350,000
1992	PIT	NL	$1,850,000
1991	PIT	NL	$1,035,000
1990	PIT	NL	$575,000
1989	PIT	NL	$482,500
1988	PIT	NL	$215,000
1987	PIT	NL	$120,000
1986	SLN	NL	$70,000
Total Career Earnings			$9,656,500