Gerald Laird, Retired


Date of Birth: 11/13/1979
Birthplace: Westminster, California
College: Cypress College

Gerald Laird was first drafted in 1998 by the Oakland Athletics. He played in the Athletics' minor league system for two years before they traded him to the Texas Rangers in January, 2002. He continued to play in the minor leagues through 2003, when he joined the Rangers for 19 games.

Laird missed much of the 2004 season with a thumb injury that limited his playing time with the Rangers to 49 games. The following season, he was back in the minors, playing in just 13 games with the Rangers in 2005. He became their backup catcher in 2006 and he played in 78 games that year. He finished the season with 72 hits, 20 doubles, and a .296 batting average.

In 2008, Laird had career highs in hits (95) and doubles (24) and he had a .276 batting average in 95 games. Although he played well for them in 2008, the Rangers traded him to the Detroit Tigers in December, 2008.

Laird was the Tigers' starting catcher in 2009, playing in 135 games. Although his batting average was just .225, he excelled behind the plate, leading the American League in throwing out runners trying to steal with a .416 caught stealing percentage. That year, he had a .997 fielding percentage.

Laird signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in December, 2010, but he only played in 37 games with them in 2011. The following November, he signed again with the Tigers and served as their backup catcher and designated hitter in 2012.

In November, 2012, Laird signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. He batted .281 in 47 games with the team in 2013. He finished the 2014 season with 31 hits and a .204 batting average in 53 games.

Laird signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 2, 2015. After just one game in 2015, he suffered a back injury that ended his season. The Diamondbacks released him on August 24th.

Laird played in the Mexican Baseball League in 2016.

Laird retired on April 2, 2017.

Career batting statistics for Laird through 2016 include:

  • 799 games played
  • 597 hits
  • 137 doubles
  • 238 RBIs
  • 494 strikeouts to 193 walks
  • .243 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Laird as a catcher through 2016 include:

  • 754 games played
  • 380 assists
  • 4,509 putouts
  • 52 errors
  • .348 caught stealing percentage
  • .989 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Gerald Laird
ESPN - Gerald Laird