is a cGMP manufacturing facility located 25km southeast of Milan The facility manufactures small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry The site has a long history of cGMP manufacturing that extends back over 45 years The facility manufactures a broad portfolio of products Cambrex has continually invested in the Milan facility since its acquisition capital expenditures included a new world-class cGMP-compliant API purification and finishing facility and state-of-the-art warehouse facilities The warehouse is equipped with automated conveyors and barcode scanning to minimise labour costs improve inventory control and enhance cGMP compliance Cambrex Profarmaco was founded in 1946 in Milan and originally called Industria Chimica Profarmaco Manufacturing operations were shifted to the Paullo facility in 1962 The site was officially named Cambrex Profarmaco in 2002 The manufacturing complex is located in Paullo on a 13 acre site The facility has seven multi-purpose manufacturing areas a three-stage biological wastewater treatment facility and an onsite incinerator A full-scale pilot plant plays a key role in the scale-up and optimisation of manufacturing processes prior to full-scale commercial production Pilot scale experiments help guarantee process safety verify product quality and confirm estimated manufacturing costs for commercial production processes prior to initiation of full-scale manufacturing The manufacturing capabilities consist of 69 reactors including stainless steel Product isolation is carried out with 22 centrifuges of varying sizes and materials of construction There are 11 dryers and multiple production trains in the facility Cambrex Profarmaco is well equipped to handle a wide range of small-molecule API development and manufacturing services The pilot plant has 14 reactors with materials of construction including stainless steel and glass lined to accommodate a wide variety of manufacturing processes It is equipped with three centrifuges for product isolation The total capacity available at the site is 265m³ with reactor size ranging from 1,300 to 12,000l The pilot facility is equipped with 10m³ total capacity with reactor sizes ranging from 100 to 1,000l The Milan facility manufactures small-molecule APIs for a wide variety of therapeutic areas including pain management Cambrex Profarmaco is committed to safeguarding the environment along with protecting the health and safety of its employees the facility has scrubbers that mitigate the gaseous emissions from manufacturing processes Emissions from the scrubber tower are sent to the onsite incinerator for processing The incinerator is utilised for the disposal of waste solvents and process wastes generated during the manufacturing processes The wastewater treatment facility handles process aqueous streams generated during manufacturing operations The company is a participant of the Responsible Care initiative Responsible Care is a worldwide initiative that demonstrates the global chemical industry’s responsibility toward the environment and the health and safety of its employees To ensure the safety of employees and to protect the assets Cambrex Profarmaco has all the necessary safety equipment including fire suppression systems Cambrex’s headquarters are located in East Rutherford Cambrex Corporation is a leading life sciences company that provides APIs and services to the pharmaceutical industry the company has two cGMP manufacturing facilities located in Charles City in addition to custom API development and manufacturing supply controlled substances (Schedule II-V) taste-masked APIs and high-energy compounds Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Four-time All-Star Paul Lo Duca was a consistently productive hitter and reliable defensive catcher over parts of 11 seasons (1998 through 2008) with the Dodgers He caught 932 games and produced a lifetime .286 batting average hitting as many as 25 homers in a single year That June, Lo Duca was selected in the 25th round (690th overall) of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.9 The 5-foot-10, 193-pounder signed a month later for $28,000.10 Assigned to the advanced Class A Vero Beach Dodgers of the Florida State League Lo Duca spent 1994 with the Dodgers’ other advanced Class A affiliate, the Bakersfield Dodgers of the California League. With Ken Huckaby doing the bulk of the catching, he mostly played first base and emerged as a strong offensive player, leading the team in batting (.310), RBIs (68) and doubles (32). His 141 hits were second only to Miguel Cairo’s 155 That earned him a promotion to the San Antonio Missions in 1995 but he regressed in the Double-A Texas League hitting only .246 with eight RBIs in 61 games he returned to the big leagues and went 3-for-12 in five games hitting .339 with 11 RBIs in 22 games down the stretch including his first three big league homers His bat stayed hot. At the All-Star break, Lo Duca had 14 homers, 45 RBIs and a team-high .346 batting average. He was also starting to receive recognition for his defense. Tracy said, “Mentally, he understands the process of what goes on 60 feet, 6 inches away, how to handle a staff and what we’re trying to do against an opposing team’s running game. There’s an awful lot of good about Paul Lo Duca.”32 the Dodgers finished third and missed the playoffs beginning a 25-game hitting streak on May 17 hitting .422 with four home runs over that span he went 1-for-2 in his first All-Star Game Cellular Field (now Guaranteed Rate Field) in Chicago He finished the year batting .273 with 34 doubles and 52 RBIs Lo Duca was the majors’ best defensive catcher in 2003 The Dodgers went 85-77 and finished 15.5 games behind the Giants finished third in the NL East with an 83-79 record finished third again with a second consecutive 83-79 record Lo Duca wound up batting .283 with 57 RBIs in 132 games his lowest number of hits and games in four years He struck out only 31 times in 445 at bats “I like laying in the weeds. It’s good,” said Lo Duca. “We’ve got a lot of good ballplayers on this team, and I take pride in that, in getting the job done when I have to in a big situation. So that’s what I pride myself on. So hopefully I can keep ‘em coming.”61 For the fifth year in a row hitting better in the second half for the first time and finished 7th in the NL with a team-best .318 The Mets swept the Dodgers in the NLDS with Lo Duca going 5-for-11 with a double in his first taste of the playoffs he batted only .207 with three RBIs as the Mets fell in seven games In December 2007, Lo Duca was mentioned in former Senator George Mitchell’s report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. The report stated that he had purchased at least six kits of human growth hormone from former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski in 2004. “It’s something I’m going to have to deal with,” Lo Duca said. “It’s a mistake I made, and you’re going to have to deal with it for the rest of your life and go on with it.”64 That was the end of his major-league career Lo Duca signed as a free agent with the Rockies in 2010 but was released in May after playing only 14 games for their Class AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox affiliate He struck out only 295 times in 11 seasons This biography was reviewed by Malcolm Allen and Norman Macht and fact-checked by Mark Sternman In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author also consulted www.baseball-reference.com 1 https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loducpa01.shtml (last accessed March 6 2 Barbara Barker, “Mother Knew Best,” Newsday, May 12, 2007. https://www.newsday.com/sports/mother-knew-best-1.536254 (last accessed March 6 3 Ben Shpigel, “The Lunch-Pail Guy Behind the Plate,” New York Times, December 19, 2005, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/sports/baseball/the-lunchpail-guy-behind-the-plate.html (last accessed March 6 4 Barker 5 Jake Pearlman, “Catching on at Last,” Sports Illustrated, May 7, 2001, https://vault.si.com/vault/2001/05/07/catching-on-at-last-late-blooming-la-backstop-paul-lo-duca-is-a-hit-behind-and-at-the-plate (last accessed March 6 6 Pearlman 7 Shpigel 8 Pearlman 9 https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loducpa01.shtml (last accessed March 6 10 Shpigel 11 Shpigel 12 Shpigel 13 Barker 14 Barker 15 Barker 16 Dan Le Batard “Catcher Never Wants Anyone to Say He Didn’t Go 100 Percent Out There,” Miami Herald 17 “Transactions,” Record (Hackensack 18 “Transactions,” Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester 19 “Transactions,” Tribune (Scranton 20 “Hundley Up to Task in 4-2 Win; Pena Sent Down,” Los Angeles Times 21 “Dodger Spring Report,” Los Angeles Times 22 “Transactions,” Los Angeles Times 23 “Dodgers’ Moves,” San Francisco Examiner 24 “Prokopec Gets Nailed on First Day,” Los Angeles Times 25 https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hundlto01.shtml (last accessed March 6 26 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1631048/bio (last accessed March 6 27 “Notes,” Los Angeles Times 28 Brian Dohn “Dodgers to Play Two Unproven Backstops,” Los Angeles Daily News 29 Jason Reid “Lo Duca Gets the Chance He Has Been Waiting For,” Los Angeles Times 30 “On the Mend,” Californian 31 Scott Galetti 32 Reid “Lo Duca Gets the Chance He Has Been Waiting For.” 33 “Dodgers’ Lo Duca Agrees to $7.25M,” Californian 34 Mike DiGiovanna “Lo Duca Won’t Be Sold Short,” Los Angeles Times 35 DiGiovanna 36 “Slumping Lo Duca Not Blaming Fatigue,” Los Angeles Times 37 John Nadel Catcher Played Through Pain in 2002,” Associated Press 38 Nadel 39 Jason Reid “Must-win Time for Dodgers,” Los Angeles Times 40 Jason Reid “Defeat Puts Dodgers Up Against the Wall,” Los Angeles Times 41 Mark Gonzales “Hitting is Now His Fix,” Arizona Republic 42 Gonzales 43 Jason Reid “Team is Passing Chemistry,” Los Angeles Times 44 “Dodgers Make Major Trade with Marlins,” Associated Press 45 Mike DiGiovanna & Jason Reid “Dodgers Get a Move On,” Los Angeles Times 46 “Lo Duca Makes Quick Impression in Florida,” Associated Press 47 Associated Press 48 Tom D’Angelo “Lo Duca Finds Comfort Level,” Palm Beach Post 49 D’Angelo 50 D’Angelo 51 Brian Biggane “Slumping Lo Duca Given the Day Off,” Palm Beach Post 52 Clark Spencer “Faltering Mota in Doghouse,” Miami Herald 53 Spencer 54 Joe Capozzi “Lineup Complete with Lo Duca’s Return,” Palm Beach Post 55 “Marlins Trade Lo Duca to Mets,” Los Angeles Times 56 “Marlins Trade Lo Duca to Mets.” 57 Shpigel 58 Hale 59 Mark Hale “Lo Duca Ready to Follow Piazza — Again,” New York Post 60 Mark Hale 61 Hale 62 Adam Rubin “Lo Duca Out For Encore,” New York Daily News 63 “Lo Duca Exit May Be Final,” New York Daily News 64 “Lo Duca Vaguely Apologizes,” Washington Times, February 17, 2008, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/feb/17/lo-duca-vaguely-apologizes/ (last accessed March 6 65 “Lo Duca Milledge Happy with Nats,” Associated Press 66 Joe Capozzi “Marlins’ Paul Lo Duca Out to Prove Success Wasn’t a Fraud,” Palm Beach Post 67 Mike Bernardino “Horse Fever,” Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale 68 Bernardino 69 Mathew Brownstein, “MMO Exclusive: Former Mets Catcher, Paul Lo Duca,” MetzmerizedOnline.com, July 19, 2017, https://metsmerizedonline.com/2017/07/mmo-exclusive-former-mets-catcher-paul-lo-duca.html/ (last accessed March 6 70 Larry Celona “Catcher in Sexy Tryst Calls Met 2-timing,” New York Post 71 Sharon Roth 72 Hale 73 Adam Rubin If you can help us improve this player’s biography, contact us 2000s All-Stars · Meet the Staff Board of Directors Annual Reports Inclusivity Statement Contact SABR Paul Lo Duca had a day to remember for the Los Angeles Dodgers as he went 6-for-6 in their 11-10 victory against the Colorado Rockies in 11 innings at Dodger Stadium Lo Duca had five singles and a three-run home run while adding three runs scored and four RBI His performance at the time tied him for a National League record for total hits in an extra-innings game which has been done 27 times in NL history The record has since been broken by San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford who went 7-for-8 in a 14-inning game against the Miami Marlins on Aug Lo Duca ended up appearing in 125 games in 2001 and easily had the best season of his career The then-29-year-old batted .320/.374/.543 with 25 home runs which ended up being one-third of his career total Lo Duca stayed with the Dodgers until he was traded in a package to the Florida Marlins on July 30 Also on this day in Dodgers history but in 2011 a section of fans on the top deck seats at Dodger Stadium were forced to evacuate during a game against the Marlins due to a small fire in a nearby storage area Plumes of smoke were visible from the top level of the ballpark on the first base side Thankfully it was contained and the public address announcer informed the crowd it would not be necessary to evacuate all of Dodger Stadium they ended up losing 6-1 that night to bring their record to 23-30 Florida pitcher Edward Mujica earned the win after throwing two scoreless innings in relief Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda didn’t fare well throwing 5.1 innings and allowing five runs on 10 hits Kenley Jansen, who was pitching his first full season with the team also appeared in the game and allowed one run in one inning of work Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors Get breaking Dodgers News direct to your inbox A New York state judge Monday ordered former MLB catcher Paul Lo Duca to pay umpire Joe West $500,000 for a comment the player made on an Action Network April 2019 podcast in which he alleged the umpire took bribes for calls Judge John Kelley last year ruled the comments defamatory arguing just the cost of the PR campaign to clear his name would cost $11.9 million “We were liberal in our ask,” West’s attorney But he described himself as pleased with the outcome that the reputation management plan … created for the plaintiff vastly overstates the expenses necessary to remove the Lo Duca story from internet web sites or ‘push down’ the story by emphasizing positive stories about the plaintiff.”  Lo Duca has never responded to the lawsuit The outlet apologized and took down the podcast Lo Duca was recalling a mid-2000s game in which he said Billy Wagner struck out a player on three pitches The catcher said he later asked his pitcher “What the f–k just happened just right now?” Wagner responded “Joe loves antique cars … so every time he comes in town I lend him my ‘57 Chevy so he can drive it around … so then he opens up the strike zone for me.” he noted Wagner provided an affidavit in December “in which he essentially denied that the conversation described by Lo Duca had ever occurred.” The judge also noted that Wagner had not pitched in a game when Lo Duca was catching where he threw three straight strikes Lo Duca also said on the podcast West had ejected him from eight or nine games with the major league record for the number of games umpired in his sights (without any rainouts and Lo Duca’s comments could hinder his election Hall of Famers earn more from speaking engagements and autograph shows “The plaintiff expressed a legitimate concern that if Hall of Fame voters credited Lo Duca’s false assertion regarding his integrity and character he might not be elected for induction into the Hall of Fame for the same reasons as otherwise excellent players “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Barry Bonds had or have not been elected,” the judge wrote reached for comment Monday on his cell phone the line went dead.  He did not reply to a follow-up text Lo Duca played in MLB between 1998 and 2008 who he was playing for during the alleged game with Wagner West’s lawyer Murphy also represents MLB umpire Angel Hernandez Earlier this month a federal court dismissed Hernandez’s discrimination claims against MLB West submitted a declaration on behalf of Hernandez in that case.  NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball umpire Joe West was awarded $500,000 in damages plus interest dating to July 8 in a defamation suit against former All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca Kelley issued his decision Monday in a lawsuit West filed in October 2019 against Lo Duca and The Action Network The network was dismissed from the suit last July when Kelley granted a motion by West for a default judgment against Lo Duca West contended that Lo Duca said during an April 18 podcast on The Action Network that he had been ejected 15 times during his major league career and eight or nine had been by West West's suit claimed Lo Duca said during the podcast that when the player was catching Billy Wagner during a New York Mets game against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006 or 2007 West called three straight batters out on strikes The umpire added that Lo Duca claimed Wagner told him the reason he got the calls was the pitcher had allowed West to drive his 1957 Chevy West's suit said Lo Duca was ejected eight times in his career and only once by West The umpire denied any favoritism and said Wagner did not pitch in the only Mets-Phillies game that West worked behind the plate during 2006 and 2007 "The court credits the plaintiff's testimony that one's integrity and character are primary measures that are applied to the assessment of an umpire's or player's quality and the consideration that he will be given for election to "The plaintiff expressed a legitimate concern that if Hall of Fame voters credited Lo Duca's false assertion regarding his integrity and character he might not be elected for induction into the Hall of Fame for the same reasons as otherwise excellent players 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson and Barry Bonds had or have not been elected "He also expressed concern that it would be difficult to completely repair his reputation particularly because a special committee of baseball executives and former players chosen by the directors of the Hall of Fame is responsible for selecting umpires for induction into the Hall of Fame." became a full-time staff member two years later and began this season with 5,345 games umpired on track to break Bill Klem's career record of 5,370 later this year The judge said West intends to retire at the end of this season "Given the widespread dissemination of the defamatory statement at issue here and the legitimate anxiety that the plaintiff suffered in connection with the possibility that he will not be elected to the Hall of Fame because of the statement," Kelley wrote "the court concludes that the plaintiff is entitled to an award of $250,000 for past mental anguish and emotional distress." which he said based on expert testimony "is a reasonable sum to compensate the plaintiff for expenses he will need to incur in retaining a public relations firm to formulate and operationalize a sufficient reputation remediation plan." Kelley said West did not establish he will lose appearance and endorsement income because of Lo Duca's statements Lo Duca played in the major leagues from 1998 to 2008 (NYRA) today announced the hiring of veteran horse racing analyst and Major League Baseball All-Star Paul Lo Duca The Brooklyn-native will make his "Saratoga Live" debut on July 21 opening day of the 2017 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course I'm honored to join the talented broadcast team doing such great work on Saratoga Live," said Lo Duca "NYRA is producing the most innovative television coverage in the sport and I'm excited to become a part of it." Lo Duca will serve as an analyst on NYRA's acclaimed Saratoga Live program joining a broadcast team that includes host Greg Wolf "Paul is one of the most dynamic and captivating personalities in racing As a former Major League All-Star he brings an athlete's perspective to the show," said Tony Allevato President of NYRA Bets Executive Producer of NYRA TV "We are thrilled to have him join the Saratoga Live team." Lo Duca played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1998-2008 earning four All-Star selections for three different franchises from 2003-06 as a catcher Lo Duca starred for Arizona State University where he was drafted in 1993 by Los Angeles He played parts of his first seven big-league seasons with the Dodgers before being traded to the Marlins in the middle of the 2004 campaign where he backstopped the club to a 97-win regular season and an appearance in the National League Championship Series He concluded his career with the Washington Nationals in 2008 will be available in 75 million households nationally through Fox Sports 2 and regionally through MSG+ Fox Sports Ohio and the Altitude Sports Network Major League Baseball umpire Joe West is suing Paul Lo Duca for defamation over comments the former catcher made on a podcast in May, asserting that a teammate used to bribe the umpire by letting him borrow his vintage car Lo Duca told a story about a game during his time with the Mets in 2006 or 2007 when after an easy ninth inning, closer Billy Wagner told Lo Duca that he would lend West his 1957 Chevrolet to get a more favorable strike zone Lo Duca recalled Wagner saying: "Joe loves antique cars so every time he comes into town I lend him my ’57 Chevy so he can drive it around so then he opens up the strike zone for me." denies that Wagner ever lent West a car and points out that no such game ever occurred the two years that Lo Duca played for the New York Mets with Billy Wagner Joe West was the home plate umpire for a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Mets only once Lo Duca said that he had been ejected 15 times in his career and "eight or nine" of those occasions were with West as an umpire the four-time All-Star was dramatically exaggerating Lo Duca was ejected eight times in his Major League Baseball career and only once by Joe West." The complaint says West has suffered unspecified damages as a result of Lo Duca's comments West and affect his profession as a Major League Baseball umpire." Lo Duca won the Sporting News Player of the Year award in 1993 and is one of the best catchers to play baseball at ASU Going from a junior college walk-on to an All-Star everyday catcher isn't exactly the easiest way to go about playing in The Show and it lands him in our top-20 best professional athletes to attend ASU setting records with a .446 batting average and 129 hits en route to Sporting News Player of the Year honors in his lone season as a Sun Devil in 1993 he once again had to wait for nearly a decade before finally breaking through on the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001 Following in the footsteps of Mike Scioscia and Mike Piazza Lo Duca posted a 25-game hitting streak - second-longest in Dodgers history - and threw out the most baserunners in the National League he led all catchers in RBIs but also allowed more stolen bases than anyone in the league He was traded to the Florida Marlins in the middle of the next season and then was sent to the New York Mets Lo Duca earned four consecutive all-star bids from 2003-2006 He finally got a taste of playoff baseball in 2006 with the Mets a season in which he posted career best .355 on-base percentage Lo Duca knocked his 1,000th career hit in the beginning of the 2007 season but that year was also the last time he played over 100 games in a season Lo Duca was named in the Mitchell Report regarding his connection with human growth hormone Lo Duca is now working as a analyst with the TVG Network and HRTV during horse races the Marlins and catcher Paul Lo Duca agree to a contract extension Nine years ago, on January 12, 2005, the Marlins signed catcher Paul Lo Duca to an extension While the signing was expected to be one that led to many more of the positive memories for Marlins fans it ended up bringing forth various thoughts and tidbits that can't really lean in any direction After amazingly and shockingly winning a World Series title in 2003 the Marlins spent the next couple of seasons trying to make another championship run Along with trying to keep certain players together the Marlins made other transactions in the effort This included a 2004 deadline deal in which they traded away Brad Penny first baseman Hee Seop Choi and pitching prospect Bill Murphy to the Dodgers in exchange for Lo Duca relief pitcher Guillermo Mota and to bring back outfielder Juan Encarnación Lo Duca was particularly brought in to replace Ivan Rodriguez and become the latest top-tier catcher in Marlins history after the likes of Rodriguez the Marlins determined to sign Lo Duca long term to be their catcher for the next championship quest the Marlins started the New Year with avoiding arbitration and coming to an agreement with Lo Duca The new deal was for three years and $18 million This extension was one of the key signings of that offseason which also saw the Marlins bring back LHP Al Leiter and add slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado Lo Duca was expected to contribute by continuing to be the man to guide a talented pitching staff that included rising stars Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis along with the erratic despite not providing as much offensive help as expected Lo Duca still went on to have a good enough season behind the plate to be a member of the 2005 All Star team He also worked with his talented pitching staff to help them to strong seasons that saw Dontrelle Willis lead the league in wins while competing for the ERA title and Cy Young Award That same season saw both Beckett and Burnett have breakout healthy seasons that led to future success for both Lo Duca also worked with reliever Todd Jones who re-established his career as a quality closer after years of struggles with health and consistency It was a quality season the pitchers and for Lo Duca as the backstop However, 2005 would be Lo Duca's last season with the Marlins. After the team as a whole had a disappointing season in which they failed to make the playoffs, Lo Duca became a part of the Marlins second fire sale in team history during the offseason, when he was traded to the New York Mets for two prospects that never panned out Lo Duca would play in the postseason for the only time in his career As the years passed by, Lo Duca and the Marlins were tied together again with regard to the Marlins acquisition of Lo Duca back in 2004. In December 2007, Lo Duca was named in the infamous Mitchell Report. The same evidence that tied Lo Duca to the use of HGH (among other PEDs), also indicated that Lo Duca became available for trade, because the Los Angeles Dodgers discovered Lo Duca's PED usage and non-usage tendencies and patterns Cited information indicated that the Dodgers surveyed potential suitors for Lo Duca and targeted the Marlins as a potential trade partner that could give them a maximized return for a player that the Dodgers knew was not as good as advertised This cited information was from a meeting consisting of Dodgers officials that took place six months prior to the trade that sent Lo Duca to the Marlins Due to the many storylines attached to the Mitchell Report especially with bigger name players mentioned this story was treated more as a footnote rather than placed under a large microscope it is a story that Marlins fans can make of it what they will especially since Lo Duca was a popular player while he was here While there are various thoughts and tidbits that can be associated with Lo Duca's time with and after he was with the Marlins his being extended is something that can be remembered on this day More times than not, it hasn’t been easy to be a New York Mets fan It’s also fair to say that over a decade later the 2006 National League Championship Series still stings The Mets were ultimately defeated by the St That Game 7 at Shea Stadium is one of the most memorable in New York sports history Former Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca was WFAN’s “Mystery Guest” on Monday for the “Moose and Maggie Show” and lured all his baseball listeners .@paulloduca16 rips Alex Rodriguez in interview with @MandMWFAN. "One of the fakest people out there." https://t.co/KsW4ZHs6or #Yankees #Mets pic.twitter.com/sklygWVftg — WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 30, 2020 Lo Duca was also asked if it “still bothered him that the ’06 team didn’t win a World Series.” The fan-favorite was honest but also seemed like he was at a loss of words at first—similar to most fans’ perspectives Lo Duca expressed that the loss “will always bother” him but also felt that after years of reflecting that “it just wasn’t meant to be.” https://twitter.com/30SecMLB/status/727585538912464896 The energetic catcher, who now works with Barstool Sports pointed out the fact that the Mets had a few opportunities to take a lead over the Cardinals before trailing late in the game Endy Chavez’s remarkable catch was mentioned a few times throughout the broadcast It’s a shame that catch could’ve gone down as one of the greatest plays ever in sports history had the Mets advanced to the World Series It seems that Lo Duca felt that the team should’ve won Game 2 of the series This ultimately changed the series’ outcome Most fans still want to point the finger at the Game 7 loss and Carlos Beltran who struck out looking with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning Lo Duca calls in again this summer and discusses why the Mets are World Series bound The full interview can be heard here Kill a Major League Baseball umpire with kindness and you just might get a few extra nice calls from behind the plate It doesn’t seem too unreasonable to think it could happen wait until you get a load of this story from former major league catcher Paul Lo Duca who in addition to becoming an accomplished thoroughbred analyst offering his take on prominent races through multiple media outlets is making a new name for himself in retirement as one of baseball’s more colorful um This one involves legendary umpire Joe West and it comes courtesy from one of Lo Duca’s recent rants on "The Favorites Podcast," available via Twitter @TheFavoritesPod “He used to tell me before every game You gonna stay in this one?’ And I used to go and he was catching for the Mets when the story picks up from there “We’re playing like a really tight game against the Phillies and Billy Wagner comes in from the bullpen,” Lo Duca said “I used to go to the mound every time and like ‘What’s going on?’ and he’s like ‘He hasn’t given us the corner all day.’ He’s like ‘Don’t worry about it.’ He literally throws 10 pitches and strikes out three guys Eight out of the nine pitches were at least three to four inches inside he immediately confronts Wagner after the game to get some answers “I get back into the clubhouse and I’m like ‘What the (expletive) just happened just right now?’ And Wagner just winks at me ‘What’s the secret?’ He’s like Joe loves antique cars so every time he comes into town I lend him my ’57 Chevy so he can drive it around so then he opens up the strike zone for me.’ ‘This guy’s been throwing me out for the last 10 years of my life and all I needed to do was rent him a ’57 Chevy?’ ” Now, while we’re willing to take Lo Duca’s word that this actually may have happened – in some form, possibly – it’s important to note that his memory might not be the absolute best. We know this because we checked into some of facts from another tale he recently told on The Favorites Podcast This one was about former starting pitcher Kevin Brown when they both played for the Dodgers “We’re driving (in a bus) from Toronto to Detroit they were getting drunk,” Lo Duca begins Kevin Brown calls the traveling secretary (Shaun Rachau) and goes I‘m going to buy everybody food.’ Shaun goes ‘It’s 3 in the morning.’ Kevin goes he sent David Ross into a Burger King to order over 200 Whoppers David Ross comes walking back out and says ‘It’s going to take them over an hour to an hour and a half because there’s only two people there.’ So We’re eating.’ The traveling secretary is like There’s room service when we get to the hotel.’ We’re in Detroit now at 5 in the morning He’s got a Bud Light in one hand and a Coors Light in the other and Rachau just starts running toward the hotel Kevin Brown threw a 99 mph fastball with that Coors Light and drilled him right straight in the back “Everybody goes up to their room and he goes is room service open?’ The lady goes ‘No.’ Now he’s even more fuming ‘What times does it open?’ The lady goes ‘I’d like to order some breakfast for myself.’ Then he ordered breakfast at 6 7 – all the way up ’til 9 o’clock every 15 minutes on the dial – to the traveling secretary’s room to wake him up.” who spent time with the Diamondbacks as their director of media relations where he is now an executive vice president in charge of licensing and marketing for Hybrid Apparel Rachau implied that Lo Duca’s memory might be a little bit off the trip was actually from Detroit to Cleveland which a check of the 2003 schedule clearly shows who kept sending the countless breakfast orders to his room And as for the beer can Brown allegedly fired at him like a fastball “It flew past the right side of my head,” Rachau said “It’s a good thing major league pitchers have pinpoint control.” “There are a lot of interesting stories that happen when you’re on the road over the full course of a season with a baseball team,” Rachau added “Some of the things that happened 15 years ago probably wouldn’t happen today because of social media Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac Listen to him live every Tuesday afternoon between 2-5:30 on AM 1060/SB Nation Radio on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch and every Wednesday afternoon between 1-4 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash News and information you can trust. Start your online subscription the mystery and the riddle that drew Paul Lo Duca to trying to pick the best pitches and pitch locations with which to get Albert Pujols out And it is the same appeal that draws the former major league catcher to try to pick horse-racing winners on a national stage Paul Lo Duca used to call baseball games from behind the plate as a major league catcher he's calling horse races from a TV booth. Getty Images"It's like figuring out a puzzle," said Lo Duca who now mans the mike as one of the sport's top handicappers a network devoted to horse racing available on select cable packages as well as DirectTV (Channel 602) and the DISH Network (Channel 399) "You're trying to figure out which guy is going to be in front This horse might be able to come from behind "When Pujols would come up third in an inning we'd plan to go after him with two outs and nobody on who's up in the bullpen [who can get him out] Figuring out a horse race is similar to that." Lo Duca gained national acclaim last year for nailing the trifecta in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in California Chrome's Triple Crown bid He has been with TVG since 2009 and that was his biggest moment of fame a feeling that ranks alongside signing his contract at a Denny's after being drafted in the 25th round in 1993 ("My mom looked me in the face and said 'The ball is in your court now.' "); going 6-for-6 in a game with the Dodgers; a diving catch he made by the dugout that ranked as one of the best defensive plays made by a catcher in recent memory; hitting a home run in his first at-bat with the Marlins after team owner Jeffrey Loria picked him up at the airport ("the most surreal moment ever"); and clinching the NL East title at Shea Stadium with the Mets in 2006 ("Everyone in the stands that night felt like family") a Brooklyn native who has dabbled in racehorse owning as well hasn't been as fortunate in the big races this year (he had Upstart in the Derby and Dortmund in the Preakness) So how does someone like Lo Duca go about assessing the Belmont Handicappers will typically look at past performances and splits and how a trainer fares at the Belmont (American Pharoah's trainer has come up short there in Triple Crown bids with Silver Charm you have to throw the numbers out the window," Lo Duca said "Because every horse [going for] the Triple Crown was best on the numbers." but make decisions based on what his eyes tell him in the moment akin to how he would handle pitching to Pujols there might be a guy that's a fastball hitter," he said "The guy on the mound might be a fastball pitcher His third-best pitch [that day] is a breaking ball I'm not going to let him get beat with his third-best pitch." Lo Duca will look at how each horse is carrying his weight in his workout and will carefully study body language to see if he can glean any clues in making his pick but it's a cautious and careful appreciation "Bob said this horse was something special," Lo Duca said "There are clockers out here who compare this horse to [Triple Crown winner] Seattle Slew He's won the [equivalent of the] World Series multiple times He's just been a little unfortunate [with his Triple Crown bids] "American Pharoah is racing five times in eight weeks He was late because of the [left front foot] injury [last October] It will be interesting to see how he looks." LoDuca is hopeful that this will be a turning point in horse racing's current perception "I think this race will get a lot of publicity Maybe it will put horse racing back on the map Lo Duca didn't give any indications as to which horse he would pick But he does think this will be a Triple Crown bid to remember as he tries to put the final piece of the puzzle into its proper place "It's so tough to win the Triple Crown," he said "I think [American Pharoah] will have the lead at the top of the stretch There will be a lot of hearts pumping at the top of the stretch." Some players have a tough time transitioning into a post-playing career after retirement The year was 2009 and Lo Duca couldn’t find work with an MLB team spurred by the suggestion of former trainer and current TV analyst Simon Bray the Brooklyn-born Lo Duca put his name recognition and lifelong passion for horse racing to good use and began commenting on races for the New York Racing Association Having grown up around the race tracks in Arizona the four-time All Star was already well-versed in the sport’s vernacular who spent the majority of his 11-season career in two of the biggest markets in North America — Los Angeles and New York — also had the requisite media savvy and showmanship skills to prepare him for working on the other side of a mic Lo Duca has now worked for almost a decade as a commentator, first for TVG and now with NYRA, and also writes for The Action Network a website that shares sports betting insight and analysis He shared his thoughts on the professional sports betting industry and its impact on baseball during a colorful [Editor’s note: this interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length] Strang: How did you get involved with horse racing Lo Duca: I grew up going to the race tracks obviously with my father He owned horses and it became fascinating to me You go to the track as a kid and you mess around at the arcade You know your father’s gambling but I went to the back side and saw the horses that my dad owned and then truly saw that the personalities are all different some needed to be treated like a guy that doesn’t need to be cradled along Did you have a favorite horse of your dad’s Lo Duca: My dad had a horse called TurfCaster I was a kid and we drew the 12-hole and the horse won by a nose I remember my dad had a broken arm and by the time the race was over his arm was out of the sling and he was in the winner’s circle I remember that as my dad’s favorite horse because he made a lot of money that day So having played MLB and also having a keen passion for racing you have a good understanding of how the betting industry works and then trying to fire on the Rockets-Golden State Warriors game in Game 44 and you have no clue who’s playing I’ve always been a well-prepared guy and I’ll never make a bet without it being a well-prepared bet What are your thoughts on the Supreme Court decision that came down recently that legalizes sports betting Lo Duca: It’s a giant impact in all levels. Levels are going to be regulated a little more. Tanking I think had a lot to do with it. I know the NBA commissioner thinks that can help a little bit It’s different in baseball because you’re not gonna get a No hopefully it can prevent that and prevent a lot of other stuff I think that’s what the players are more concerned about The injuries are going to have to come out a little earlier for people to make plays All the good is going to come with some bad If you think social media jumps on players because they miss a jump shot to cover now It’s gonna be times three when the whole world has money on it What do you think it will be like for players to deal with the sort of scrutiny that this could bring Lo Duca: The level of scrutiny is what it is When I struck out with the bases loaded [while playing in New York] to end the game 40 people were at my locker and I took it like a man If you’re going to want to get a cut out of this then you’re going to have to sit there and take it like a man I get people who still rip on me to this day and I’ve been out of the league for nine years Everybody has access to get to [betting sites] You can play a 10-team parlay for five bucks have a 10-team parlay and have a little fun One area that it seems like both MLB and the MLBPA plan to push back on is the prop betting industry Lo Duca: The prop industry is going to be OK because any bookmaker or any sports book in Las Vegas can make a prop bet and make even money Thirty-six percent of the time in horse racing the favorite wins the race track is taking that even money shot usually they’re head to head; they’re sharp They’re going to get these lines from sharp places like Westgate [Sportsbook] You’re gonna get burnt on certain prop bets the Vegas Golden Knights prop bets on them winning the Stanley Cup are ridiculous but that’s once in a lifetime OK, so let’s take Bryce Harper Let’s say there’s a prop bet on whether or not he strikes out three times in a game Do you think something like that can affect a player’s psyche It’d be interesting if MLB lets them respond to all the people who have that prop bet Are MLB guys going to be able to respond and have fun with it Are they going to tell them to stay away from it I don’t think [it will affect their psyches] You know how many times you read into the paper You know how many times you read stuff in the paper like because I own him.” You can’t take stuff personal like that are the anthem singers worried [about the prop bets involving them] There was a prop bet on whether [Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson] would run for president just because he made an Instagram post hinting at it the new states need to stay away from those kind of prop bets like are the Broncos going to have more wins than this team or something like that You’ve also got to distinguish how much you’re going to allow on each bet. Are you going to be able to walk in and put $25,000 to win on the Baltimore Orioles or how is this going to work When it comes to the corruptibility factor it seems far-fetched to see players as particularly vulnerable considering what they make and the enormous risk they would incur That’s a demographic that already takes a fair amount of crap Lo Duca: There’s enough data on the action websites They’re going to be taking the criticism for umpires because the umpires suck The scrutiny on umpires — they deserve every bit of it When I strike out with the bases loaded with the game on the line If that umpire rings me up or it’s a bad call Nobody from ESPN and nobody from any major outlet ever rips on an umpire One of the beauties of this site is that we can actually print that Lo Duca: That kind of shit is going to have to go away Gambling is going to make the umpires and officiating get way better Baseball to me it’s not that hard — whatever shoulder the umpire sits over is the side of the one he calls tighter you have 70-year-old guys who are chasing down guys who are running 4.1 [40-yard dashes] with no contract who are working at fucking literally hardware stores on Friday You have to be able to tighten all that up if this is going to go down Do you think the idea of robot umpires will gain traction because of how much money will now be riding on games You’re creating the NBA where it’s all 3-point shots or nothing The games are long and they’re boring as fuck I have yet to see someone move someone over this year on a bunt and it’s like no one knows how to scrap out runs anymore Baseball has turned into a robotic sport because everybody in the upper echelons of each organization are a bunch of nerds who have never put on jockstrap So what they do is they sabermetric everything Lo Duca: What’s the integrity of baseball now what [used to be] the retaliation for that they’ve made the sport as soft as it can be I get it; you don’t want guys getting concussions But what integrity is there left anymore in baseball If baseball wants to have any kind of integrity they need to promote their sport The commercials that MLB throws out there have no personality And they’re always targeted to the big market There are good players in small markets but they just focus on all the guys in N.Y I want to know: How hard would it be to actually fix a game that’s the only way you could fix it is if you decide to go on the mound and walk five in a row But it still doesn’t mean you’re gonna lose the game because the manager will probably take you out I could go up there and strike out four times in a row but my teammates might go out there and get 30 hits the only way it can be fixed is by an official You can intentionally do this and that but collectively like Arizona State [point-shaving scandal] they collectively as a team were throwing games or collectively like the Chicago Black Sox The officiating is going to get tightened up The umpires are going to be under more scrutiny Every play is going to be under more scrutiny The game’s gonna get called way better and way tighter It’s actually gonna help out the officiating and the umpiring What do you think people should know about pro betting and baseball “Have you ever bet on a baseball game?” I haven’t I mowed about 25 lawns to get Pete Rose’s rookie card and when I found out he bet on baseball And it is the first sign you see when you go into clubhouse: Don’t bet on baseball Now I’m writing about it and thinking about it because I’m retired and it doesn’t matter anymore I think a lot of people who are going to be newbies to it need to understand [there’s no real advantage to be gained] I’ve seen guys hit walkoff home runs drunk I’ve seen guys come to the ballpark drunk and hit three home runs I’ve seen guys come out of the bullpen the best they’ve ever felt and get knocked out of the game in two innings but I think there’s a rhyme or reason in Las Vegas [betting lines] You’ve really got to pay attention to the line movement and where the money is going. There’s tall buildings in Vegas for a reason If there’s a lot of public money going on one side and you like that side (Top photo of Lo Duca: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) One of the best college hitters of all-time The Matchup: Darren Woodson and Paul Lo Duca were both walk-ons when they made their college debuts before earning scholarships at Arizona State Woodson built a reputation for being a ferocious hitter with a keen-eye for football Lo Duca is one of the best contact hitters to ever rep the Maroon and Gold #MaroonMadness: Who is the greater #ASU pro athlete? Full post here: https://t.co/GVZbIXShJj Woodson was crucial part in the Cowboys dynasty in the early-mid 90s while being named to five straight Pro Bowls (1994-1998) and four All-Pro teams Woodson was also inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Arizona State Hall of Fame and Arizona Sports Hall of Fame What you don’t know: Woodson did not have the grades to qualify for a scholarship at Arizona State so he had to walk-on as a freshman despite being one of the best talents in Arizona High School football history Woodson is also the only Cowboy to ever play for both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells — ASU Career: Three-year starter at outside linebacker — ASU Career: 2x All-Pac-10 honorable mention (1989-1990) — ASU Career: All-American honorable mention (1990) — ASU Career: Senior captain and All-Pac-10 Second-team honors (1991) — NFL Career: 3x Super Bowl Champion (1992-1993 — NFL Career: 4x First-team All Pro (1994-1996 — NFL Career: Second all-time leading tackler for the Cowboys (1,350) College Career: Glendale Community College 1991-1992 Notables: After not being recruited or drafted out of high school Lo Duca walked on at Glendale Community College where he batted .449 and .461 in his two seasons Named ASU’s “On Deck Circle,” Most Valuable Player joining the likes of Barry Bonds and future winners Willie Bloomquist Throughout his MLB career Lo Duca batted .286 with 80 home runs and 481 RBIs he was named in the Mitchell Report and later admitted to taking HGH Reports show he may have been traded from the Dodgers because he stopped taking steroids Lo Duca took a completely different career path by analyzing a different sport which is an online horse and greyhound racing betting business and television network — ASU Career: Named The Sporting News Player of the Year (1993) — ASU Career: Batted .446 with a 37-game hit streak (second longest streak in program history) — ASU Career: Named “On Deck Circle” Most Valuable Player (1993) — MLB Career: Drafted in the 35th-round of the MLB draft (1993) — MLB Career: Led all NL catchers in RBIs with 80 (2004) so he is taking his thoughts to the local media on how fake he thinks A-Rod is Alex Rodriguez is winning. Paul Lo Duca must not be The two former ballplayers aren’t in the same circles A-Rod is glitz and glamour with fiancee Jennifer Lopez in tow and Lo Duca comes across as more blue-collar I imagine wherever he was he had to put down a shovel and hard hat to do this interview The two never played on the same team but were both in New York for the 2006-2007 seasons with Lo Duca playing for the Mets and Rodriguez playing for the Yankees though this is where Lo Duca thinks he draws the right to criticize Lo Duca appeared in the Mitchell Report (he was listed on pages 208-211 if you are scoring at home) and claims he owned up right away to using performance-enhancing drugs Rodriguez denied having taken PEDs but later backtracked on his story and was given the longest steroid suspension in major league baseball history when he sat out the entire 2014 season Here we are, six years later, and Lo Duca thinks it’s time to call A-Rod out as being “one of the fakest people out there.” This announcement comes on the heels of Rodriguez consulting with President Trump on the administration’s reaction to the coronavirus outbreak The timing of this just seems a little odd is all I am saying Rodriguez is portraying himself as a squeaky clean former athlete This new image has landed him several commentary gigs Sports has always had a “what have you done for me lately” mindset around it This is one of those stories where a reporter asks A-Rod if he heard what Paul Lo Duca said about him For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER The two never played on the same team but were both in New York for the 2006-2007 seasons with Lo Duca playing for the Mets and Rodriguez playing for the Yankees Lo Duca appeared in the Mitchell Report (he was listed on pages 208-211 if you are scoring at home) and claims he owned up right away to using performance-enhancing drugs Here we are, six years later, and Lo Duca thinks it’s time to call A-Rod out as being “one of the fakest people out there.” This announcement comes on the heels of Rodriguez consulting with President Trump on the administration’s reaction to the coronavirus outbreak Astros want to move lawsuit to Texas for fairness For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health the Dodgers' Russell Martin hit a double off the right field wall and Jeff Kent was legging out to get home for a run That's where Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca was and he grabbed the throw and tagged out the second baseman But Lo Duca tagged out Drew for a wild double play From ESPN: Umpire John Hirschbeck made the out call on Kent but the look on the ump's face told Lo Duca something else was up "He sort of gave me a 'He's out but you'd better watch out because somebody else is coming' look," Lo Duca said Watch this amazing moment as the Dodgers and Mets play again: Posted by | Jul 19 one in which the New York Mets jumped from 71 wins in 2004 to 83 the team needed to fill several holes in order to compete in the National League East The Mets were getting set to witness life after their beloved catcher and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza was set to hit free agency after his seven-year $91 million contract was to expire at the end of ’05 As the veteran was aging and declining in defense the Mets needed to solve a big piece of their roster at the catching position The Brooklyn-born Lo Duca made a big impact on the ’06 club setting career highs in doubles (39) and runs scored (80) tying a career-high in hits (163) and was sixth in the National League in hitting (.318) Lo Duca was an outspoken leader in the clubhouse and brought veteran leadership to a club that had a mixture of young stars and veterans Lo Duca has found a successful second career as a horse racing analyst most recently for TVG where he’s worked since 2009 The 45-year-old announced he was leaving TVG a few weeks back on Twitter and has recently signed on as an analyst for The New York Racing Association (NYRA) and their show Saratoga Live where he’ll make his debut on July 21 I had the privilege of speaking with Lo Duca last week where we touched on his tenure in New York some of the best pitchers he caught and thoughts on the current state of the Mets congratulations on the new gig for NYRA as an analyst for Saratoga Live You must be excited about coming back home to New York The crazy part is I basically moved to two new places in L.A I always thought I might end up back there or get the opportunity Then the opportunity presented itself to go to Saratoga and to go back home was a big part to do with it and the other part was I just felt like it was time for me to move on and start a new chapter and new challenge I’ve always felt that you’d be an excellent major league coach or manager Have you ever thought about returning to the game in that capacity Playing seventeen years and catching for a lot of them the preparations that I had to put in is somewhat close to trying to be the manager I’ve had a couple of interviews to get back in baseball here and there I always told myself that I’d have to be in it 100 percent you’re going back to the grind of every day I’m not saying any [specific] organization; it can be any organization [so] you end up getting a lot of knowledge when you have a guy like Scioscia as your mentor MMO: I can think of a team in Queens I would love to see you at the helm of I’ve gotten way tamer as the older I’ve gotten so what was it like when you heard the news that you were traded to the Mets from the Marlins in December of ’05 How would you describe your time in New York Paul: It was a blast! You know what the crazy part is? I was the last guy traded. When everybody went down when [Jeffrey] Loria went for the stadium again, and he got turned down again in the end of ’05, everybody got traded. Here I am, I was the only guy left, and I actually talked to Joe Girardi I guess I’m going to be the tutor for these young pitchers that were coming in that we had just traded for with the Marlins.’ I had given him a rundown of what I thought of the guys and it was a great phone call by Joe because he had asked me What am I getting into?” He wanted to get a beat on the team a little bit because he thought I was staying That just shows you what kind of manager he is and what kind of person he is to make that phone call to me like when Loria picked me up from the airport That was the reason why he sold people off He picked me up from the airport when I got traded it was obviously a dream come true considering I grew up a Met fan Then you start putting the guys on paper; it was the best team I played on MMO: That was going to be my next question Was that ’06 team the best team you ever played on I would say the best offensive team by far I’d take that lineup over a lot of lineups I was sixth in the league in hitting just because I hit between those two guys MMO: You had somewhat of a resurgent year in 2006 [Despite] our deficiency in the pitching staff we had enough in the staff to get us to our bullpen The big blow was when Duaner Sanchez got in the accident. Nothing against Billy [Wagner]; Billy was unbelievable as a closer was better than Billy or was getting us to certain situations Then we had to change Xavier Nady (for Hernandez and Perez), and had to go get [Guillermo] Mota A lot of different aspects people forget about that trade [If] Duaner Sanchez doesn’t get into that cab I’ve always thought the Sanchez injury changed the dynamic of the team What are the chances of those two guys beating us in Game 2 and we’d be up 3-1 and the series would’ve been over A lot of us hung out together; that was probably the one team that I played on that we hung out off the field But here’s the problem: people want to interpret things a certain way I never went to the ballpark hungover; that’s what people don’t get so when we went out we knew we had a night game or we knew that we had a day off When you play in New York and you’re a Met I don’t care who you are or how good you are you’re going to be on the back page because the Dodgers or the Yankees are going to have the front page We were better than the Yankees both of those years slow jab that the Met fan has to deal with their whole life and Angel fans I had someone ask me, Who’s the face of baseball? I’m like, you can’t argue the best player in baseball is Mike Trout He plays for the Los Angeles Angels; where do you see Mike Trout on one f****** commercial It depends who you play for and the market. Vladimir Guerrero played in Montreal and got buried; the guy should be in the Hall of Fame There are so many different ways you can go around things about the market that they play in MMO: And really it shouldn’t be like that in this day and age with the access fans have to their teams and players Guys in the NBA get exposure even if they play in smaller markets The bright talents in the game now are not like they were before When have you ever heard on Twitter that a guy’s got a flashy glove [Rob] Manfred doesn’t know if he should test the ball or the balls need to be tested MMO: Now there’s a report out about potentially testing the bats as well here’s the thing: you’ve got better equipment in the maple so they wanted to outlaw maple before; that’s another factor So let me ask you something: if I’m able to use a bat for a month compared to a week it explodes when it expires and it can kill somebody your game bat will last you two to three days you can use that maple bat every day in BP and use it in a game for a good two to three weeks unless you get sawed off NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: J.D Drew of the Los Angeles Dodgers is tagged out at the plate for the second out of an unassisted double play by Paul Lo Duca #16 of the New York Mets in the first inning during game one of the National League Division Series at Shea Stadium on October 4 2006 in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens borough of New York City Jeff Kent #12 was also tagged out at home on the play MMO: What would you say the most memorable moments from your career are Paul: When I went 6-for-6 with the Dodgers I remember going back to the clubhouse going they can’t send me down anymore because I had been up and down so many times it felt like that was the day I made it That’s probably my most surreal moment because you just dream of things like that I don’t even remember the ball hitting my bat; I don’t remember a lot of things Then coming full circle it’s basically just chance that God puts me in a place where I’m tagging two Dodgers out at home plate as a Met (Game 1 NLDS) MMO: That moment when you tagged out [Jeff] Kent and [J.D.] Drew at home always stands out for me when I think back about your Mets tenure and it was the second inning of that Series and we end up sweeping them what are the chances of two guys running into me MMO: Was there anyone yelling at you to turn around Paul: John Maine said he was yelling at me who did you have the best rapport with and who had the filthiest stuff Paul: My best rapport, to be honest with you, was [Tom] Glavine but I would just tell him throw me your changeup whenever you want Whenever he wanted to throw me his changeup and his fastball ‘Tell me when you want to throw that curveball,’ which he never threw basically because he was fastball/change You better start calling it or the fans are going to start booing.’ The umpires would start laughing It was a 90 mile-per-hour circle change to create that much depth he was striking out the other guys who were on it Name a starting pitcher right now that’s making $70 million and is there at 7:04 in the dugout ready to watch every game when he doesn’t pitch He’d have his spikes on just in case you went extra innings and needed a pinch-runner because you never know what happens and he’s showing up on time; that’s all that matters the guy from second’s relaying signs.” He was into the game I don’t need to hang out with you and go to see freaking Space Jam up the road because if you can win 25 games and you’re my friend as a colleague and helping me as a player Guys that tried to get him out to have a drink and dinner He’s got a family and he wants to do his own thing so I know you keep up with the game and with the Mets What are your thoughts on the current state of the team You’ve got so many different people trying to go at so many different angles at these guys The wishful thinking was you had seven guys coming into spring training That’s what blew my mind from beginning to the end was like all the guys had an issue before so now you’re going to say and project that five of the seven are going to get completely healthy They’ve never been healthy at the same time in their life ever All of a sudden it’s going to happen this year they were prospects at one time but what have they done since they’ve gotten to the big leagues You’re not a prospect anymore if you’re not succeeding in the big leagues but he’s also scratched himself for a stiff neck when everyone else is hurt with elbow problems MMO: A few weeks back, Ron Darling took the training staff to task Do you think the training regimen and guys’ lifting have played a role in the injuries this year are the players getting pressured to play because so many guys are hurt you look to the press and it’s this guy’s hurt and when it turns into that it starts spiraling It’s like one guy gets a mosquito bite and he’s on the DL The Mets are rolling out a guy that’s throwing a fastball and a slider at about 95 and I thought they should have stuck him in the bullpen and just face against righties because of his sinker they had to put him in the starting rotation you’re starting to stress guys into places where they can’t be and they’re getting hurt MMO: How old were you when you got into horse racing and how did you go from ballplayer to horse racing analyst my trainer’s basically got in the game as an analyst and asked me to come on air in 2009 when I retired I think a lot of people thought it was gimmicky at first but I knew the game and now it’s turned into this MMO: Who were some of your idols growing up Paul: Paul Molitor and Lenny [Dykstra] Molitor was in spring training when I was a kid in Arizona when he was with the Brewers He had a red Corvette and he was at the stop sign and I ran over to him and asked him to sign a card and he stopped People were beeping behind and he waved and told them to stop and he signed my cards and that’s what I sort of tried to be like MMO: At what point growing up did you start catching full-time Paul: I was always a catcher in high school and college you’ve got to full-time catch or they’re going to release you I swear to God he threw me one of his old gloves and I started with one of Scioscia’s old gloves MMO: Thank you very much for your time today Follow Paul on Twitter, @paulloduca16 Copyright © 2005 - 2023 Metsmerized Online | Designed & Developed by WP CLINICS Prior to Monday night’s game between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium I had an opportunity to chat briefly with former Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca Lo Duca, as you may know, is one of many former Dodgers who has been welcomed back into the Dodger family as one of their public relations ambassadors helping with various community activities and charity events. He is also a member of the growing list of current and former baseball greats affiliated with J.D. Legends Promotions Former Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca is thrilled to be back with the Dodger organization He is seen here with current Dodger third baseman Luis Cruz at a community Christmas party held at Dodger Stadium this past December And even though he was a star on his high school baseball team Lo Duca enrolled at Glendale Community College (AZ) and was a walk-on to their baseball team Lo Duca hit .449 and .461 before transferring over to Arizona State University Dookie (as he was called by teammates) was drafted by the Dodgers in the 25th round of the 1993 First Year Player Draft After spending eleven seasons in the minor leagues Lo Duca made his MLB debut with the Dodgers on June 21 Like his predecessors Mike Scioscia and Mike Piazza Lo Duca was homegrown through the Dodger organization Known for his hard work and aggressive play Lo Duca was a huge fan favorite during his seven seasons with the Dodgers He was selected to four consecutive All-Star Games from 2003-2006 (the later two with the Marlins and Mets respectively) LoDuca became only the seventh player in Dodger history (Brooklyn and L.A.) to collect six hits in a game joining the likes of George Cutshaw (1915) Cookie Lavagetto (1939) and Willie Davis (1973) Lo Duca’s feat was matched almost a year to the day later by Shawn Green (2002 – four of which were home runs) What is absolutely mind-boggling about these eight record-tying events is that all but three of them occurred during the month of May In 2002 Lo Duca was one of the best contact hitters in all of baseball with only Jason Kendall (then with the Pittsburgh Pirates) striking out fewer times In 2003 Lo Duca had a 25-game hitting streak that was the second longest in Dodgers history (it has since been topped by Andre Ethier’s 30-game hitting streak in 2011) He also ranked first in the National League in throwing out base runners In 2004 Lo Duca led all National League catchers with 80 RBIs Lo Duca collected his 1,000th career hit on May 30 When Lo Duca’s name appeared in the Mitchell Report in December of 2007 he didn’t run and hide like nearly every other person named in the report did he owned up to his mistakes and realizes that it is something that has to live with the rest of his life And while he will not discuss his PED use publicly this past January he acknowledged that it is something that he is not proud of After several unsuccessful attempts to remain in the game Lo Duca officially retired in 2010 and became a television analyst for Television Games Network (TVG) While speaking with Lo Duca this past Monday I asked him what it was like being out of baseball and what it meant to him to be welcomed back into the Dodger family “It’s tough watching (the game) instead of playing it,” said the 41-year-old former catcher “It’s an adrenaline rush that can’t be repeated It’s a lot easier watching it on TV than playing it and it doesn’t hurt as much You see things on TV and you want to help guys “It’s been great being back with the Dodgers I grew up a Dodger and I will always be a Dodger,” Lo Duca added It’s great to be back here (at Dodger Stadium) where I have so many great memories and so many great friends.” I asked Lo Duca if he had any desire to become involved with the LAD Adult Baseball Camp (LADABC) organization like Tommy Davis Lenny Harris and several other former Dodgers associated with J.D It would be great to spend time with those guys and with the campers I hope I get the opportunity to do it.” It’s great to see that Paul Lo Duca still has the same passion for the game and even more so for the Dodgers I was unaware that LoDuca joined the Dodger Family LoDuca was a great Dodger and a guy that I loved as a player When DePodesta dealt him away to the Marlins at the trade deadline in the 2004 Division Championship season it was heartbreaking that Paul wasn’t a part of that as LoDuca’s Mets beat the Dodgers in the National League Division series I was taken aback at the venom coming from LoDuca towards the organization after they took out the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium but he had some unfavorable things to say about the Dodgers and I remember thinking “I guess he won’t ever be returning for an oldtimers day.” I’m glad to see him back in the fold I know it’s kind of a corny barometer but you still occasionally see Lo Duca jerseys around Dodger Stadium – for what it’s worth XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Dodgers legend Paul Lo Duca shares an injury update after suffering multiple fractures in a serious accident The former All-Star says he’s "getting stronger." Here’s everything we know so far Former Dodgers catcher and four-time MLB All-Star Paul Lo Duca revealed Wednesday that he suffered multiple fractures in a serious accident that left him unable to eat for weeks assuring fans he’s “getting stronger.” Details of the accident remain undisclosed I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers I was involved in a bad accident coming back home to New york from Oaklawn I was not able to eat for the first couple weeks because of multiple fractures but I’m getting stronger Lo Duca wwas drafted by the Dodgers in the 25th round of the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Arizona State University Hit best season came in 2001 when the then 29-year-old catcher hit .320/.374/.543 with 71 Rs the Dodgers moved Lo Duca along with outfielder Juan Encarnacion and relief pitcher Guillermo Mota to the Marlins in exchange for first baseman Hee-Seop Choi pitcher Bill Murphy and starting pitcher Brad Penny Lo Duca hit .287/.342/.428 with 57 HRs and 275 RBIs in 588 games for the Dodgers He would go on to play four more seasons after leaving the Dodgers “I’m getting stronger!” Lo Duca said while adding a flexed bicep emoji on X Lo Duca was a four-time All-Star in an 11-year MLB career hitting .286/.337/.409 with 80 HRs and 481 RBIs Lo Duca also spent time playing first base Many fans replied to Lo Duca’s post in the comments wishing him a speedy recovery Lo Duca replied to a handful of messages saying thank you Wow, I had no idea. 🙏🙏 for you Paul. Keep getting better!!To put a smile on your face here’s my new filly. Isn’t she a beauty!! pic.twitter.com/m4sBoouLQV Your Turn: What are your favorite Paul Lo Duca moments from his time with the Dodgers Share your thoughts in the comments and send him your best wishes In an interview with Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts on WFAN expressing his displeasure with the Minaya regime In an interview on WFAN earlier today, former Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca had some choice words when discussing his former team. While discussing the upcoming Belmont Stakes conversation drifted to Lo Duca's time with the Mets and his thoughts on the team were decidedly unflattering His critique began with the current crop of Mets catchers asserting that he could "hit better left-handed than the schmucks they've got there now." Hitting right-handed in 2007 so his statement is more than a bit far-fetched. A catcher who was well below average with the bat in his final season with the Mets probably shouldn't be casting aspersions on the Mets' current catching corps When asked about the Mets' precipitous decline after the 2006 season Lo Duca had no problem deciding where to place the blame He said of then-general manager Omar Minaya: And he ended up making the franchise go backwards Where the Mets have always made the mistake is they've always settled for mediocrity." asking "How did that guy have his job for that long?" He expressed displeasure at the fact that Minaya appeared to not be aware of Lo Duca's age and that he did not receive a call after the 2007 season While many of Lo Duca's complaints about the Minaya regime closely resembled common complaints made by Mets fans everywhere it seemed at times that Paul's criticism of the team stemmed at least in part from disappointment that they did not maintain his services after 2007 When the interview moved on to discussions of Citi Field Lo Duca said what many Mets fans have long thought about the park He questioned the choice of dimensions for the park specifically with regards to their effect on David Wright He complained that "they go build this ballpark that’s mammoth and your franchise player (David Wright) is a hitting star who has four home runs!" He further posited that free-agent hitters will not want to play in the park because of it's large dimensions He also echoed a common complaint about Citi that it lacked the unique character that defined Shea Stadium Given the vitriolic and occasionally hyperbolic nature of his comments it's hard not to view them as being told through the lens of a player who felt slighted by a team he helped take into the playoffs South Shore Vocational Technical High School’s student body president told her classmates Friday that they shouldn’t forget about themselves when thanking the people who helped them on their way to graduation you stood right back up every single time,” Arlin said during the school’s commencement ceremony which was held at the South Shore Music Circus “Every challenge you faced and every success you have felt has brought you here today and I don’t want any of you to forget that.” Valedictorian Steven Lee said there are endless possibilities awaiting the members of the Class of 2015 each and every one of us have something to be proud of right now,” Lee said said he doubted that any of his classmates felt completely ready to graduate He also said that while they were about to leave the school’s Hanover campus behind you will always have South Shore Vocational Technical in your back pocket,” Griffith said SEE ALL OF OUR GRADUATION STORIES AND PHOTOS Hanover – Nicholas Bunker,  Jake Cyrus,  Benjamin Davey,  Deryan Greaves,  Kyle Harper,  Louis Kent,  Colleen Pascarelli,  Domenic Varrasso,  Leah Vlassakis,  Sean Williams. Hanson – James Andrasy,  Shannon Arlin,  Devin Bevilacqua,  Mary Budden,  Cassandra Cantwell,  Michael Hayes,  Adam Hirst,  Simone Lagsdin,  Matthew Lynch,  Jessica McAndrew,  Robin Murray,  Bradley Paker,  Michael Pelrine,  Justin Robertson,  Nicole Sammon,  Anthony Spicuzza,  Joseph Taylor,  Sydney Tracy,  Trevor Verity. Scituate – Savannah Andrade,  Nicholas Cook,  Paul Dawson,  Jacob Gruner,  David Rousseau,  Fergus Wilkinson. Whitman – Alyssa Alden,  Cameron Arnold,  Austin Barry,  Hunter Burt,  Tyler DeZutter,  Ryan Getzinger,  Corienne Gianunzio,  Joshua Holmes Weaver,  Eric Jarvinen,  Alexandria Joseph,  Damon Krause,  Andrew Laiweneek,  Paul McElroy,  Adam Silveri,  Jacob Simmons,  Brandon Teixeira,  Nicholas Varrasso. these two teams swapped a couple of players Lo Duca went from the Marlins to the Mets in exchange for two players no one has probably heard of Does Dante Brinkley or Gaby Hernandez ring a bell for anyone Brinkley had some good minor league seasons but never made it past Triple-A Hernandez has been pitching all over the place he pitched terrifically in the Atlantic League for the South Maryland Blue Crabs in the Independent League Any success this pair had hardly compares to what Lo Duca did for the Mets A clear win in a trade against a divisional opponent only adds to what he did on the field Lo Duca had been an All-Star in three consecutive seasons Beginning in 2003 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers Lo Duca had established himself as a productive backstop with some really good athleticism He routinely hit for a high batting average and did things many catchers could only dream of Once again, he was an All-Star. The season included a .318/.355/.428 batting line and 39 doubles. Only one year after the Mike Piazza era ended in Flushing Twice now the Mets landed a catcher in a trade with the Marlins they could count on Lo Duca was a few years older than Piazza when he first suited up with the Metropolitans Lo Duca’s tenure would not last as long as Piazza’s His contract expired after the season and the two parted ways This trade was a win for the boys in New York They gave up barely anything to secure the catcher position for two seasons the run to Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS would not have been possible Next: Star MLB players you forgot the Mets drafted Write for us! Lo Duca gave this organization two good seasons before moving on. We can only wish to get the same from a guy like Devin Mesoraco Does Dante Brinkley or Gaby Hernandez ring a bell for anyone Once again, he was an All-Star. The season included a .318/.355/.428 batting line and 39 doubles. Only one year after the Mike Piazza era ended in Flushing Next: Star MLB players you forgot the Mets drafted Write for us! Lo Duca gave this organization two good seasons before moving on. We can only wish to get the same from a guy like Devin Mesoraco which is a summer football school that addresses children aged 6 to 14 It's a unique occasion to try out the training methods of the Nerazzurri's Academy together with Atalanta's youth teams' coaches 2.350 children have already chosen Atalanta Football Camp but registration for the camps that are still to kick off is open. You can only register online on the website www.atalantacamp.it where you can also find all the useful information regarding available locations and dates 12 camps took place in 11 different locations this first week One of the special offers is the camp located at the Centro Bortolotti in Zingonia that gives you the opportunity to train on the pitches of the Nerazzurri's Academy both at the traditional camp and the one that is dedicated to women's football Atalanta Football Camps have kicked off not only in Zingonia but also in other locations in the Province of Bergamo in particular in Antegnate (participants from U.S Seriate (participants from Aurora Seriate) and Villa d'Adda (participants from U.S The First Lombardy camps that were held outside the province of Bergamo kicked off as well It was the turn of Bussero this week (participants from Atletico Bussero) as well as Milan (participants from Scarioni) Rovellasca (participants from Rovellasca) and Siziano (participants from Siziano Lanterna) There are also Atalanta Football Camp outside Lombardy such as the one that took place in Parma (participants from Unione Polisportiva Virtus) this week The activities will continue in other locations next week including the camp which is dedicated to the goalkeepers and which is to take place at the Centro Bortolotti in Zingonia which revealed both men to be users of anabolic steroids in baseball ' + Math.round(optionPercentages[index]) + '% Alex Rodriguez’s name appeared in the PED scandal in 2013 when the owner of the Biogenesis of America clinic said he had injected the drugs into A-Rod Rodriguez repeatedly denied the allegations for a year later before admitting his guilt A-Rod was suspended for the entire 2014 season Both A-Rod and Lo Duca confessed to consuming banned substances during their MLB careers. In 2007, it was found that Lo Duca used steroids and hormones while playing for the LA Dodgers and the Miami Marlins Rodriguez received a year-long suspension in 2014 The Mitchell Report was published a year after Lo Duca's 11-year MLB career came to an end A-Rod played eight more seasons in Major League Baseball finishing with 696 career home runs despite being suspended for the entire 2014 campaign In the interview with the New York radio station, Lo Duca also spoke about A-Rod’s volatile friendship with Hall of Famer Derek Jeter The Yankees stars played together from 2004-13 and won the 2009 World Series After retiring from MLB, Paul Lo Duca became a horse racing analyst for a TV network while Alex Rodriguez, who played for 22 seasons in baseball, is now the CEO of A-Rod Corp. He also partly owns NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves Your perspective matters!Start the conversation Former New York Mets pitcher Paul Lo Duca previously acknowledged having extramarital affairs and breaking his ex-wife and former Playboy model Sonia Lo Duca's trust He expressed profound remorse for his conduct and acknowledged the harm he brought to his family in a 2006 interview After the New York Times published an article outlining the reasons why the catcher was divorcing the Mets star threatened to stop reading their publications Paul Lo Duca was having an affair with a Long Island-born college student who was 19 years old at the time When Lo Duca visited Long Island for spring training his wife learned about it and requested a divorce The Mets player shared his opinion on the reasons the divorce was proceeding: He added: Lo Duca and his ex-wife's daughter Bella Lo Duca was only 20 months old when the specifics of the incident came to light Paul Lo Duca was a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Nationals (2008), Florida Marlins (2004–2005, 2008), New York Mets (1998–2004), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1998–2004) He then worked for the TVG Network and the New York Racing Association as a horse racing analyst He signed a contract to work with Barstool Sports as a horse racing and gambling expert in November 2019 They enjoyed a secret rendezvous at his place and shared intimate phone calls Paul was married at the time to Sonia Lo Duca and the couple even shared a child together Paul picked up Guterman at a bar and told her he was divorced It was smooth sailing until she learned that he was still married to his wife Lo Duca and Krista’s relationship was open and very casual and neither of them thought of it as something serious because Lo Duca was on the road a lot with the Mets Lo Duca’s playboy-model wife has filed for divorce charging him with “adultery.” Sonia also added gambling allegations as a part of the reason behind the divorce Paul and Sonia tied the knot in 2000 and were married for six years Claims of Lo Duca being a gambler have popped up in the past and he confronted the press during his interview with WFAN stating that while he likes to bet MLB spokesman Pat Courtney refused to comment on Lo Duca’s statements but the Mets said they’d run a formal investigation if the claims of heavy betting popped up