Mike Lieberthal

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In a 14-year career, Lieberthal played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He compiled a career batting average of .274, with 150 home runs and 610 runs batted in. During his career he won the Gold Glove Award, and was twice an All Star. His 1999 season (.300, 31 home runs, 96 RBIs, Gold Glove Award) was arguably the best ever of any Phillies catcher, and Lieberthal caught more games in his career than any other Phillies catcher (1,139). His career 149 home runs at catcher were the most in team history. Lieberthal had a .310 batting average, a .381 on-base percentage, and .510 slugging percentage lifetime against left-handed pitching. Lieberthal was inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame on August 10, 2012.

In Their Own Story

Lieberthal's defining moment arrived in 1999. He posted a .300 batting average with 31 home runs and 96 RBIs, earning his first All-Star selection and the Gold Glove Award with a .997 fielding percentage—a new Phillies record for catchers. This performance made him one of only eight major league catchers to hit 30 homers while batting .300 in the same season, joining legends like Johnny Bench and Iván Rodríguez. On April 27, 2003, he caught Kevin Millwood's no-hitter. His career was not without physical toll; he underwent knee surgery in 1996 for torn cartilage, battled a pelvic stress fracture in 1997, and suffered a torn ACL and MCL in May 2001 after being picked off at first base. Despite these injuries, he won the Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2002.

Reader's Guide

Lieberthal was born in Glendale, California, and is Jewish. He was an All-American catcher at Westlake High School, and graduated in 1990. He hit four home runs in a single game for his high school. He set career records for runs (79), hits (105), and home runs (30). He was drafted at 17 years of age by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut on June 30, 1994. He caught Kevin Millwood's no-hitter on April 27, 2003. He signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 2006. After playing in only 38 games in 2007 and hitting .234, his option was not picked up. He announced his retirement in January 2008. On April 28, 2008, he announced he would sign a one-day contract with the Phillies on June 1, throw out the ceremonial first pitch and then officially retire.

Did You Know?

• Lieberthal hit four home runs in a single high school game: a solo, a 2-run, a 3-run, and a grand slam.
• He was the first Phillie to bat .300 and hit 30 home runs since Greg Luzinski in 1977.
• Lieberthal appeared in the motion picture Summer Catch in 2001 alongside teammates Doug Glanville and Pat Burrell.
• A bobblehead of Lieberthal is a regularly shown background prop in The Office.