Chris Iannetta

Lore & Background

Iannetta is of Italian descent. He attended St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where his jersey was retired. He played college baseball at the University of North Carolina, majoring in mathematics. He was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award in 2004. He made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies on August 27, 2006. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on November 30, 2011. He caught Jered Weaver's first no-hitter on May 2, 2012. He later played for the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and had a second stint with the Rockies. He retired in August 2020 after a minor league contract with the New York Yankees.

In Their Own Story

The August heat at Angel Stadium had that particular quality — thick, golden, pressing down on the outfield grass until the whole diamond looked like it was breathing. Iannetta crouched behind the plate, mask on, and the first pitch came in low and outside. He didn't even flinch. His mitt snapped the ball out of the zone, and before the batter could reset, Iannetta was already on his feet, turning, and the ball was a white blur arcing toward second base.

The runner, who had been testing the edge of the bag, never even left the rubber in time. The throw arrived a full two steps before the slide. Iannetta didn't celebrate. He just turned back to the pitcher, pointed two fingers at the plate, and muttered something under his breath that the third-base coach heard and grinned at.

In the stands, a kid in a faded Angels jersey was already on his feet, pointing at the mound, yelling at the pitcher to keep throwing inside. The crowd noise swelled, that low, rolling hum that only a home crowd generates when they feel the game shifting. Iannetta wiped his forehead with his glove, adjusted his mask, and set up again. The next pitch was coming, and he was ready for it. He was always ready for it.

Reader's Guide

Iannetta played for the Colorado Rockies (2006–2011), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2012–2015), Seattle Mariners (2016), Arizona Diamondbacks (2017), and again for the Colorado Rockies (2018–2019). He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in 2020 but did not appear in a game for them.

Did You Know?

• Iannetta was selected for Team USA at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
• He was featured in the book 'The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream' for his 2002 season with the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod League.
• He suffered a broken nose and four fractured teeth after being hit by a pitch on May 13, 2017.