John Buck (baseball)

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This article is about the baseball player. For the U.S. Representative see John R. Buck and for the artist see John E. Buck.

**John Buck**

Kansas City Royals — No. 14
Catcher
Born: July 7, 1980 (1980-07-07) (age 27)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
June 25, 2004 for the Kansas City Royals
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Batting average	.237
Home runs	53
Runs batted in	175
Teams
Kansas City Royals (2004-present)

Johnathan Richard Buck (born July 7, 1980 in Kemmerer, Wyoming) is an American baseball player for the Kansas City Royals. He went to high school in Taylorsville, UT.

A catcher, Buck was initially drafted by the Houston Astros in the 7th round of the 1998 Amateur Draft. He was signed to a minor league contract on June 11, 1998 but struggled in the minor leagues, failing to play a single Major League game with the Astros.

On June 24, 2004, the Astros traded him as part of a deal to acquire Carlos Beltrán, sending Buck to Kansas City. The Royals immediately put Buck in their starting lineup, replacing injured veteran Benito Santiago. Buck made his major league debut on June 25. Although he initially appeared overmatched by major-league pitching—his batting average reached a low of .138 on July 7—he impressed the team with his defensive ability and his handling of pitchers. His hitting improved with time, and by September 25 he had raised his average to .243 , had hit 12 home runs, and had driven in 30.

In 2006, Buck fought with teammate Runelvys Hernández in the Royals dugout during a game against the Indians.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Personal

In February, 2008, it was announced on the Kansas City Royals website that Buck and his wife Brooke are expecting twin boys in May or June. The tentative names for the twins are Cooper and Brody.

Buck is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.