Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia (/ˌsɒltələˈmɑːkiə/; born May 2, 1985), is an American professional baseball catcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

At 14 characters, his last name is the longest in Major League Baseball history. Saltalamacchia is Italian for "jump over" (salta) "the thicket" (la macchia, Southern Italy dialectical term that refers to a kind of tall shrub). His nickname is Salty.

Background

Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Saltalamacchia attended Royal Palm Beach High School in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, graduating in 2003. Saltalamacchia attended high school along with future Texas Rangers teammate Kason Gabbard, and the two were friends growing up. A standout, Saltalamacchia was a member of Team Florida USA and won gold with the team in the 2001 Junior Olympics.

Baseball career

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves selected Saltalamacchia in the first round (36 overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft.