Marty McLeary

Marty Lee McLeary

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 230 lb.
• School Mount Vernon Nazarene University
• High School Mansfield Christian High School
• Debut August 22, 2004
• Final Game May 19, 2007
• Born October 26, 1974 in Kettering, OH USA

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Biographical Information

Marty McLeary was a basketball and soccer star in high school. After a 10-2, 2.58 year as a college senior and going to the NAIA World Series, he was picked in the 10th round of the 1997 amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox. Boston started him off with the Lowell Spinners, where he went 3-6 with a 3.75 ERA. Marty spent '98 with the Michigan Battle Cats (5-7, 4.16).

McLeary split 1999 between the Augusta GreenJackets (5-6, 3 Sv, 3.12, 90 K in 81 IP) and the Sarasota Red Sox (1-0, 12.08, 29 hits allowed in 12 2/3 IP). In 2000, the tall right-hander got rocked with the Trenton Thunder, with an ERA of 4.56, a 2-9 record with five saves and a WHIP of 1.75.

In 2001, Marty was a full-time reliever and did better for Trenton (9-6, 2 Sv, 3.46), earning a call-up to the Pawtucket Red Sox, where he was 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 outings. At the same two stops a year later, he did worse - 0-2, 4.86 with Trenton and 1-1, 7.32 for Pawtucket, allowing an average over .300 at both stops without good control.

Sidelined by a left quad strain, he was released by Boston and signed as a minor league free agent by the Florida Marlins. He went 1-1, 1.80 for the Carolina Mudcats and 1-1, 4.32 for the Albuquerque Isotopes during the 2003 year.

On April 8, 2004, McLeary was dealt to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Bryan Gaal. He went 5-4 with 13 saves and a 2.99 ERA for the Portland Beavers, walking a batter every other inning but striking out almost a batter per inning and allowing a .215 average. He made his first three big-league appearances with the 2004 Padres, allowing 6 runs and 9 baserunners in 4 innings of work.

Returning to Portland, the minor league veteran had a 5-8, 4.75 year at age 31, striking out 104 in 110 innings. Moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates system, he was 3-4 with two saves and a 2.68 ERA with the Indianapolis Indians, K'ing 115 in 104 innings. Using his slider effectively, he had a 1.37 ERA in August and was called up by the Pirates with Jonah Bayliss and Brian Rogers when Mike Gonzalez and Tom Gorzelanny were put on the disabled list and Britt Reames was sent down. Used rarely in relief, he got a couple late-season starts when Paul Maholm was shut down for the year. In the next-to-last game of the 2006 Pirates season, he pitched seven shutout innings to help the team ensure they would not have sole posession of last place. He was 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA for Pittsburgh.

McLeary was 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 4 starts to begin 2007 with Indianapolis, then was called up to Pittsburgh when John Wasdin went on the Disabled List. He allowed 8 runs in 7 2/3 IP for the 2007 Pirates. His last game drew vast criticism of manager Jim Tracy. With the Pirates leading 7-3 and the bases loaded in the 7th inning, Tracy called on McLeary, who had been lit up in two of three games for the 2007 Pirates to that point. McLeary promptly served up a gopher ball to Tony Clark for a game-tying grand slam as Pittsburgh lost 9-8. Sent down immediately to the Indians, Brian Rogers took his spot ont he Pirates roster. He finished the year with a 5-8, 4.62 record for Indianapolis.

He signed with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization for 2008, but was released after going 5-5 with a 4.60 ERA. He returned to the US later that year and played in the high minor leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2008 through 2010, spending most of his time with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He then finished up his career with the Nashville Sounds, triple A team for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010.

He is the son of former minor league umpire Max McLeary.

Sources: 1998-2006 Baseball Almanacs, MLB.com, Minorleaguebaseball.com