Lucroy lauded at State of the Union for charity efforts

While Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy has visited Washington, D.C., plenty of times to play the Nationals, Tuesday night saw him step into a completely different atmosphere.

Lucroy attended President Barack Obama's State of the Union address as a guest of U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.).

Johnson cited Lucroy's charitable efforts, which most notably includes Fisher House in Wisconsin, a facility that serves families of veterans receiving care at Milwaukee's Zablocki VA Medical Center.

In November, Lucroy traveled with veterans on an Honor Flight to visit the World War II and Korean War memorials in Washington. He has also provided scholarships to military families.

"Mr. Lucroy, the All-Star catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, has become a hero to Wisconsin sports fans with his excellent performance on the field," Johnson said in a statement when the announcement was made. "But to me, he is an even bigger hero off the field: He is using his baseball fame to highlight some great Wisconsin charities."

The 28-year-old said his goal in coming to the nation's capital was to maximize the experience.

Heading to dinner with @JLucroy20 before the #SOTU. pic.twitter.com/OUzSn6n2z6

- Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) January 21, 2015