Michael Scott Lieberthal (born January 18, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He batted and threw right-handed.
In a 14-year career, Lieberthal played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1994–2006) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007). He compiled a career batting average of .274, with 150 home runs and 610 runs batted in. During his career he won the Gold Glove Award, and was twice an All Star.
His 1999 season (.300, 31 home runs, 96 RBIs, Gold Glove Award) was arguably the best ever of any Phillies catcher, and Lieberthal caught more games in his career than any other Phillies catcher (1,139). His career 149 home runs at catcher were the most in team history. Lieberthal had a .310 batting average, a .381 on-base percentage, and .510 slugging percentage lifetime against left-handed pitching.
Lieberthal was inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame on August 10, 2012.
Lieberthal was born in Glendale, California, and is Jewish. His father is Dennis Lieberthal, who was a Major League Baseball scout for the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants (among others, he signed Gabe Kapler).
He was an All-American catcher at Westlake High School, and graduated in 1990. Lieberthal hit four home runs in a single game for his high school: (1) a solo home run, (2) a 2-run home run, (3) a 3-run home run, and (4) a grand slam, though not in that order. Immediately after that game, Lieberthal's team was ranked among the top 3 high school teams in the United States by USA Today, and advanced on that list to #1 a few days later. While at the high school, Lieberthal set career records for at runs (79), hits (105), and home runs (30).
Lieberthal was drafted at 17 years of age by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft, despite weighing only 155 pounds at the time.
Lieberthal played in the minor leagues from 1990–1995. He played for Martinsville in 1990 (Rookie League), Spartanburg ("A"; for which he batted .305) and Clearwater ("A+") in 1991, Reading in 1992 ("AA"), and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre from 1992 to 1995 ("AAA").
Philadelphia Phillies (1994–2006)
He made his major league debut on June 30, 1994, at the age of 22 as the starting catcher against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lieberthal recorded his first career base hit in the 4th inning against Pedro Astacio. On July 16, 1994 he hit his first home run off of Ramon Martinez in the 3rd inning of a 10–6 Phillies victory against the Dodgers.
In 1996, he had surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee. In June 1997, Lieberthal won Player of the Month award after batting .400, but his season was shortened by a pelvic stress fracture injury. In 1996, Lieberthal threw out 36% of runners attempting to steal. In 1997 he allowed only .64 steals per 9 innings, 3rd-best in the league. In 1999, Lieberthal led National League receivers with a .997 fielding percentage. Lieberthal caught Kevin Millwood's no-hitter on April 27, 2003.
In 1999, Lieberthal hit 31 home runs and 96 RBIs for the Phillies, while hitting .300 with a career-best .551 slugging percentage. He was an All Star for the first time, only the third Phillie catcher ever to receive the honor (joining Darren Daulton and Bob Boone). He also won a Gold Glove Award, after posting a .997 fielding percentage—a new Phillie record at catcher. He joined Johnny Bench, Lance Parrish, and Iván Rodríguez as the only catchers to have hit 30 home runs in the same season that they won the Gold Glove Award. He also became the eighth major league catcher to bat .300 and hit 30 homers in the same season. He also became the first Phillie to bat .300 and hit 30 home runs since Greg Luzinski, in 1977.
In 2000, Lieberthal was again an All-Star. A play at the plate involving a collision with Bernie Williams resulted in an ankle injury that knocked him out for the rest of the season. In September 2000, he had surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow.
In May 2001, Lieberthal was picked off at first base and tore his ACL and MCL and cartilage in his knee while attempting to dive back to the bag. He had surgery in June, and missed the rest of the season. In October 2002, he injured the same knee as he stepped out of a golf cart near his home. He tore the meniscus, and had surgery.
In 2002, he was selected the Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year, the first catcher to win it, and also was a co-winner of the Player's Choice NL Comeback Player award.
Lieberthal never reached the playoffs while with the Phillies, being promoted to the majors the year after their World Series loss to Toronto, and leaving via free agency before their return to the postseason in 2007.
Lieberthal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 2006. He received a $1.15 million contract, with a club option for 2008. He made more money than the Dodgers' starting catcher, All-Star Russell Martin.
After playing in only 38 games in 2007 and hitting .234, Lieberthal's $1.4 million option was not picked up by the Dodgers, who instead bought out the contract for $100,000, and he became a free agent on October 30, 2007.