Andrew Christian Laroche... Is a 2001 graduate of Fort Scott (KS) High School... Attended Grayson County Community College and was slated to attend Rice University before signing with the Dodgers... Played with his older brother, Adam, for the Pirates in 2008-09, becoming the eighth set of brothers to play as teammates for the Bucs and the first since Eddie and Johnny O'Brien in 1958... His father, Dave, appeared in 647 games over 14 seasons from 1970-83 and pitched for the Indians from 1975-77, leading the club in appearances and saves in both 1975 and 1976... Captured a gold medal while playing for Team USA in the IBAF World Cup in Taiwan following the 2007 season... Invited children with down syndrome to PNC Park for a VIP treatment during the 2009 season; guests got one-on-one time with Andy, watched batting practice from the Pirates dugout, met Andy's teammates and received autographs and memorabilia.
2013
Spent all but one game of the season with the Buffalo Bisons (AAA) as the primary third basemen... Appeared in 89 games at 3B, seven at 2B, six at 1B and three as the DH... His .271 average was his highest average since 2008 (.297)...Made one appearance for the Blue Jays on June 9 at TEX, going 0-4, playing 3B...Ranked 3rd on the Bisons in doubles (21), home runs (12) and RBI (51)...Batted .298 vs. LHP and .263 against RHP.
2012
Split time between Columbus (AAA) and Pawtucket (AAA) of the International League...Began the season in the Cleveland Indians organization, appearing in 46 games with Columbus (AAA), posting a .234 batting average with a .338 OBP...Spent time on the disabled list twice while with Columbus, April 11-20 and from June 16-25, both times with a left shoulder
strain...Was released by Cleveland on June 26... Signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox two days later...Was assigned to Pawtucket of the International League (AAA) where he hit .264 with a .800 OPS...Recorded 22-XBH in 50 games with Pawtucket.
2011
Opened the season on the Oakland A's Major League roster...Appeared in 27 games at third base, 9 games at shortstop and 8 games at second base for the A's (1G at 1B)...Hit .286 (8-28) off LHP and .294 (10-34) in April in Oakland...Was designated for assignment on June 5 and outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento on June 8, spending the rest of the season with the River Cats...Hit .308 (16-52) off LHP with Sacramento...Appeared in 33 games at second base, 14 games at SS and 3 games at first base.
2010
Batted .206 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 102 games with Pittsburgh...hit .256 (22 for 86) against left-handed pitching compared to .180 (29 for 161) with three of his four home runs against righthanders...compiled his best batting average in April when he hit .333...batted .168 from May 1 through
the end of the season...hit .229 before the All-Star Break, .109 after the break...made a total of 52 starts
at third base, four at second base and two at first base...committed 10 errors at third base (five throwing/
five fielding) for a .938 fielding percentage...also had one throwing error at second base...went 5-for-38
(.132) with two walks, a home run and three RBI as a pinch hitter...was 2-for-10 (.200) prior to the All-
Star break and 3-for-28 (.107) after...is now 9 for 59 (.153) in his career in the pinch.
2009
Spent first full season in the Majors with
Pittsburgh...Made 146 appearances (142 starts) at third base - the most starts by a Bucco third baseman since Aramis Ramirez made 155 in
2001...Ranked third among N.L. third basemen in fielding pct. (.968) behind San Diego's Kevin Kouzmanoff (.990) and Los Angeles' Casey Blake
(.973)...Ranked second in assists (321) behind Washington's Ryan
Zimmerman (325)...Also ranked second in double plays turned (34) behind
Philadelphia's Pedro Feliz (35) and third in total chances (432) behind
Zimmerman (459) and Feliz (437)...Led Pirates in games played, hits,
doubles and RBI...Made Opening Day start at third base for the
Pirates...Committed three errors in his first two starts and went hitless in
his first 18 at bats to start the season...Snapped hitless streak with a single
in eighth game on 4/16 vs. Houston...Went 3-for-4 with two doubles on
4/18 vs. Atlanta...Connected off Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo for first home
run on 5/4 at PNC Park...Reached base safely in 22 straight games from 4/16 thru 5/9; hit safely in 11 consecutive games from 4/16-27...Had
three hits on 5/20 at Washington...Hit safely in 11 straight games again from 5/15-26...Appeared in the second spot of the lineup for the first
of 21 times on 5/30 and went 2-for-4 with an RBI...Batted .330 in 28 games during the month of May, tying Freddy Sanchez for highest average
on the team...Recorded first big league triple and knocked in three runs on 6/1 vs. New York...Suffered a right knee contusion on 6/4 vs. New
York and missed one game...Returned to action on 6/6 at Houston and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored...Delivered two-out, two-run single in 9th
inning at Atlanta on 6/11, breaking a 1-1 tie and giving the Pirates a 3-1 win...His third home run came in the same game as his brother Adam
on 6/17 at Minnesota, marking the first time since 9/15/38 that two brothers homered in the same game for the Pirates (Paul and Lloyd
Waner)...Went 8-for-51 (.157) from 6/12-26, dropping average from .298 to .269...Tripled in back-to-back games on 6/27-28...Made 23 straight
starts before sitting out on 7/1 vs. Chicago...Had five RBI and hit .188 in 24 games during the month of July...Had a 28-game errorless streak
from 6/25 thru 7/28...Had third two-error game on 8/4 vs. Arizona...Hit safely in five of his first six games in August (6-for-23), but went 12-
for-65 (.185) in final 19 and hit .205 during the entire month...Connected off Doug Davis for fifth home run on 8/5 at PNC Park - his first at
home since 5/4...Went 6-for-36 with a double, homer and four RBI in 10 games from cleanup spot of lineup from 8/18-31...Went 4-for-43 in 12-
game stretch from 8/19 thru 9/1, dropping average from .260 to .244...Snapped an 0-for-13 streak with a single as a pinch hitter off Francisco
Cordero at Cincinnati on 9/2...Hit eighth in the lineup for the first and only time on 9/7 vs. Chicago and hit a solo homer...Also hit a solo homer
on 9/11 at Houston...Hit safely in 15 straight starts from 9/7-29...Hit 10th home run on 9/26 vs. Los Angeles...Had a career day, going 5-for-5
with two home runs, six RBI and four runs scored on 9/28 vs. Los Angeles...Hit .321 with five home runs in 22 games during the month of September
and hit safely in 18 of his last 20 starts (27-for-82, .329)...Batted .290 (54-for-186) in 55 games from the sixth spot of the lineup, .289 (26-for-
90) in 21 games from the second spot, .214 (15-for-70) in 19 games from the fifth spot and .167 (6-for-36) in 10 games from the fourth spot.
2008
Was rated as Los Angeles' second-best prospect by Baseball America entering the season...Began season on 15-day disabled list recovering from right thumb surgery performed on 3/10 by Dr. Steve Shin in Los Angeles...Suffered a tear
of the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb while attempting to catch a pickoff throw from catcher Danny Ardoin in the 3/7 spring
training game vs. St. Louis; the ball deflected off St. Louis baserunner D'Angelo Jimenez
and struck LaRoche on his throwing hand...Began a rehab assignment with Double-A
Jacksonville on 4/23...Hit safely in each of his six games with the Suns before having
rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Las Vegas on 4/29...Homered in second game of
rehab on 4/30 at Albuquerque...Was recalled from his rehab assignment, reinstated from
the disabled list and optioned back to Las Vegas on 5/3...Went 2-for-2 with a home run,
two RBI and four walks in 13-inning contest on 5/11 vs. Nashville...Hit .308 (8-for-26) in
first seven games of June before being recalled by Los Angeles on 6/10...Hit a solo home
run while starting at first base in first game with Dodgers on 6/11 at San Diego...Hit safely
in five straight games from 6/20-26...Made first career start at second base on 6/26 vs. Chicago (AL)...Hit second home run on 7/4
at San Francisco...Hit .188 (6-for-32) in 16 games in July before being optioned back to Las Vegas on 7/27...Was acquired by
Pittsburgh on 7/31 and started 45 of the final 54 games at third base...Made first start with Pirates on 8/1 at Wrigley Field and
singled in first at bat (went 1-for-4 with a run in game)...His first home run with Bucs was a two-run shot off Chad Gaudin at Wrigley
Field which tied the game 5-5 in the 8th inning on 8/3 (Bucs lost 8-5)...Went 0-for-5 on 8/4 at Arizona and injured right thumb in
final at bat...Missed next four games before walking as a pinch hitter on 8/10 at Philadelphia...Returned to starting lineup on 8/11
at New York (NL)...Homered and had first multi-hit game with Bucs on 8/16 vs. New York...Went hitless in 27 straight at bats from
8/18 thru 8/27; the longest hitless streak by a Pittsburgh player since Daryle Ward went 0-for-30 from July 10-20, 2005...Snapped
streak with a single off Milwaukee's Dave Bush at PNC Park on 8/29...Swiped third base on 8/31...Hit third and final homer with
Bucs on 9/2 at Cincinnati...Had career-high three hits and swiped second base on 9/6 at San Francisco...Went hitless in next 21 at
bats from 9/7-13 before collecting three hits again on 9/14 vs. St. Louis...Went 5-for-46 (.109) in a 13-game stretch from 9/7-20...Had
two-run single on 9/17 vs. Los Angeles...Snapped 0-for-16 streak with a two-hit performance in final game on 9/28 at San Diego...Hit
.166 with five home runs and 18 RBI in 76 combined games between the Pirates and Dodgers.
2007
Entered the season rated as the Dodgers' top prospect by Baseball America and reached the big leagues for the first time in his five-year professional career...in limited Major League action, hit .226 with a homer and 10 RBI in 35 games...dealt with a protruding disk in his back for much of the season...hit 19 homers between the Majors and minors, the fourth consecutive season in which he has hit 19 or more round-trippers...recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on May 6...was hitting .235 with three homers and 11 RBI in 24 games for the 51s at the time of his promotion...collected his first Major League hit on May 6 in just his second at-bat, cracking a ground-rule double off Atlanta's Kyle Davies...reached base in 10 of his first 17 plate appearances (.588 OBP) in the Majors, including five walks and no strikeouts...drew one walk every 5.75 plate appearances, the third-best mark in the NL and fifth best in the Majors behind Barry Bonds (3.61), Jack Cust (4.83), Pat Burrell (5.25), and Jim Thome (5.64) (min. 100 plate appearances) Slugged his first Major League home run on Sept. 20 at Colorado off Matt Herges...in 73 games for Triple-A Las Vegas, hit .309 with 18 homers and 48 RBI...posted a .399 on-base percentage and .589 slugging percentage...appeared in 30 games at third base for the Dodgers and made three errors in 73 total chances...made one appearance for one inning in left field...was named as the Topps Pacific Coast League Player of the Month in July when he batted .411 with 12 homers and 28 RBI for the 51s...with Triple-A Las Vegas, hit .370 (30-for-81) against left-handers.
2006
Batted a combined .315 (136-for-432) with 27 doubles, 19 home runs and 81 RBI in 127 games at Double-A Jacksonville (62) and Triple-A Las Vegas (55)...Batted .309 (71-for-230) with nine homers and 46 RBI for the Suns before being promoted to Las Vegas on June 12...had 21 multiple-hit games with Jacksonville...Went 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBI on May 18 against Mississippi...duplicated that performance on June 11 while playing Huntsville...Suffered a slight tear of the labrum in his left shoulder after making a diving stop on June 15...had successful surgery to repair the labrum in October...Hit .322 (65-for-202) with the 51s including 10 home runs, 35 RBI a .410 on base percentage and a .514 slugging percentage...Homered in his first two Triple-A games, that included his first Triple-A at-bat (on the first pitch delivered) against Colorado Springs on June 12...Hit safely in 10 straight games (July 18-28) and batted .421 (16-for-38) over that stretch...Had 19 multiple-hit games at Las Vegas, hitting safely in 40 of 55 games.
2005
Entered the season as the club's fifth-best prospect, according to Baseball America and had a breakthrough season at the plate, earning him the Dodger organization's Branch Rickey Player of the Year honors ... Named Dodger Minor League Player of the Month for the months of April and May ... Named to the Florida State League All-Star team despite playing just 63 games prior to his promotion...his 21
homers ranked fifth in the FSL ... Following his promotion, helped Double-A Jacksonville win the Southern League Championship and the
Phoenix Desert Dogs win the Arizona Fall League title ... Selected to play in the 2005 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game and went 2-for-2 ... Rated by Baseball America as the Florida State League's best batting prospect and best power prospect ... Selected to the Florida State League Season-end All-Star team as a third baseman ... After playing in 63 games and carrying a .333 batting average with 21 home runs at Single-A Vero Beach, was promoted to Double-A Jacksonville where he hit nine more home runs and drove in 43 runs in just 64 games ... Led all Dodger minor leaguers in home runs (30), RBI (94), and total bases (263) ... Was named the Florida State League player of the week for April 18-24 ... Was ranked 12th on the Baseball America Top 25 Midseason Prospects ... Named to the Baseball America Mid-Season Classification High Class A All-Star team ... Played for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League...finished the Arizona Fall League season batting .353 with 15 RBI and a .393 on-base percentage ... Ranked as the second-best prospect in the Dodger organization by Baseball America at season's end...also rated as having the Best Infield Arm in the Dodger farm system by Baseball America ... Was featured on the cover of both At The Yard and Baseball America magazines.
2004
Entered season tabbed by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the Dodger organization ... Also recognized by Baseball America as having the best infield arm in the Dodger system ... After playing in 65 games for Columbus, was promoted to Vero Beach ... In a combined 127 games between the two teams, had 23 homers, 33 doubles and 75 RBI ... Had seven homers, seven doubles and 21 RBI in May...in 18 June contests before moving up to Vero Beach,
batted .373 with three homers, seven doubles and 12 RBI ... Selected as Florida State League Player of the Week for July 26-Aug. 1 after batting .346 (9-for-26) with three home runs, three doubles and 13 RBI in six games.
2003
Before signing with the Dodgers, played 25 games for Wareham in the Cape Cod League and batted .326 with
six home runs and 18 RBI ... Upon joining the Dodgers, served as the designated hitter in six games for Ogden while recovering from a broken leg suffered in the Cape Cod League.
