Jonathan Lucroy

[CajunCherokee]

Class act.

[Zeebart21]

_ Class act. _

All of our ex athletes should be so classy.

Z

[BeauCajun]

_ All of our ex athletes should be so classy.

Z _

Hmmm. Whachu sayin Willis?

[Dad04]

Can you say 5 Star accomodations, Baby? Hot and cold running shrimp cocktails all day long. Tear it up Jon.

[raginsaints]

you my boy, lucroy

[CajunCracker]

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=288

[CajunCharlie]

Jonathon Lucroy....a "down to earth", talented young man. He will make it to the Big League, and he is doing it in a calucated manner.

[Turner]

Now there is a guy I would like to follow for a decade or so.

[NewsCopy]

  UL - When the Milwaukee Brewers recently announced their spring training rosters, former University of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball standout Jonathan Lucroy received a welcome surprise.

Lucroy's impressive performance two years in the Minor Leagues earned him an invitation to the Brewers' Major League Spring Training Camp at Maryvale Park in Phoenix, Ariz., and the privilege of catching for pitchers from the world's highest level of organized baseball.

"It's a great feeling," Lucroy said. "I was hoping I could go this year. I'll have the chance to go and learn from all the big league guys, and get that kind of experience under my belt so I'll know what to expect next year."

Lucroy's hitting coach for the Class-A Advanced Brevard County Manatees, Corey Hart, agrees.

"Once he sees the way those catchers go about their business, and how they catch a game and control a game, I think that will definitely help him and hopefully rub off on him."

Lucroy began his professional career when he was drafted by the Brewers in the third round of Major League Baseball's 2007 Amateur Player Draft. He spent two months making waves in the short-season, rookie-level Pioneer League, playing for the Helena Brewers in Montana. He was named a Pioneer League Postseason All-Star thanks to his .345 batting average, sixth-best in the league, and was recognized as a Rookie All-Star and the number six Pioneer League prospect by Baseball America.

Lucroy then spent two months with the North Shore Honu in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league.

He started the 2008 season with two and a half months with the Class-A West Virginia Power in Charleston, capping off the experience with an appearance in the South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star Game.

After the break, Lucroy was promoted to the "High-A" Brevard County Manatees in the Florida State League. He finished the season there, before returning to Lafayette for the fall in order to continue taking classes.

With an invitation to the Brewers' Major League Spring Training camp, Lucroy is adapting his preseason preparations.

"Mentally, I'm trying to prepare myself to go up and handle catching and hitting against Major League pitching. I'm trying to react to that as positively as I can. It's going to be very interesting."

Pitchers and catchers report to Maryvale Park for their first workout on Feb. 15. Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux thinks Lucroy can benefit from the opportunity to work on his catching.

"I think he's getting better as a catcher," Robichaux said. "He was ahead of schedule as a hitter, and as his catching catches up to his hitting, I really think that's what's going to make him a complete player at the next level."

Hart agrees with Robichaux's assessment.

"I'm a firm believer that if you can hit, you can hit," Hart said. "And that kid [Lucroy] can flat out hit. He's a professional hitter. He's tough with two strikes, and he's a tough out. I think he could improve on his catching skills a little bit. He's a good catcher but I don't know if his defense is ready for the big leagues yet. I think he will get there because he's very coachable.

"Once he fine tunes everything, as far as blocking balls and throwing out runners – he throws out a high percentage of runners, and actually throws better than I anticipated him throwing. As far as just receiving and controlling pitchers, once he gets that down, I think he'll be Major League-caliber."

Both Lucroy and Hart both agree that the Brewers organization is a good place to develop into a Major Leaguer.

"I really like the organization," Lucroy said. "As far as the first impression, as being the very first organization I have ever been with, it has been a very rewarding and very fun experience for me."

"I think he does have a good shot," said Hart of Lucroy's potential for the MLB. "I think he's in a good organization for it.…All the position players [in Milwaukee] were homegrown through the Brewers, and I think that gives him a good opportunity."

Lucroy certainly appreciates the breadth of experience he has been able to acquire in his time in the Minor Leagues.

"I've played with so many guys just in my first two years of pro ball. You get to see a lot of different skill levels and a lot of different types of talent, and it is just amazing how much better those guys will make you."

With the constant practice and pressure of the Minors, many players would be quick to forget their past experiences. Lucroy, however, is quick to attribute much of his success, both on and off the field, to his time as a Ragin' Cajun.

"If I were to go back and do it all over again, I would do the exact same thing. I'm glad I went to UL because I got the exposure, the experience, and I got to play under one of the best head coaches in the country. I'm glad I went there, because I learned so much about being a man, and being a professional, from [the UL coaching staff]."

That learning experience is what Robichaux says UL Baseball is all about.

"We try to make sure that we're getting our student-athletes prepared for when they leave here, not just in but also in life," Robichaux said. "Not everybody gets it, but that's one of the things that we try to get baseball to, prepare you, so that when you get to the next level, you're not going to be left behind.

"Jonathan gave a speech to the team before a game against McNeese State, on the road, about how we needed to make sure we take care of midweek games. Then, in the first inning he hits a grand slam to straight-away centerfield. That was the kind of guy he was. He could talk to the team and then go out and back it up."

Lucroy has continued to embrace Robichaux's philosophy, returning to the university last Fall to continue taking classes in pursuit of his degree in environmental science, and still appreciates the Lafayette community.

"I've taken a lot of what UL gave me, and a lot of what I learned in Louisiana with me. I feel like Lafayette is my second home, and I've got a lot of people there I consider my family. Whenever I go to Lafayette, I feel like I'm going home.

"I'm very appreciative of the support and the generosity they've given me in my time there. Even though it was only three years, the time I spent there was worth more than a lifetime to me."

RaginCajuns.com

John L. Strawn

[Dad04]

Nice article. If he stays humble we'll be watching him play on TV. He will and we will.

[RaginFan2]

_ _

Man, can we clone that guy? I sure hope we tap into him for recruiting (both student-athletes and regular students). He is a walking UL promo. How can you not want him to succeed? Go, Luc!!!

[CajunCharlie]

_ Nice article. If he stays humble we'll be watching him play on TV. He will and we will. _

Jonathon Lucroy will always be the same. He is a great person who respects others. All one needs is to have a few minutes of conversation with him to realize that there is no "fluff" in him. That comes from his parents rearing him to work hard, and respect others.

Incidentally, I hear he has a younger brother, a high school junior, that has a lot of potential as a pitcher. Hopefully Jonathon's love of the University and Robichaux as the baseball team head coach will sway him to attend UL.