Michael Jason LaRue was born in Houston, Texas on March 19, 1974. He graduated from Smithson Velly High School in Spring Branch, Texas. He attended Dallas Baptist Univeristy and Northeast Texas Community College.

Jason is married to Heather and they live in Bulverde, Texas. Jason missed the final two games of the 2005 season to attend to Heather in the birth of their son Brayden. I thought I read something official at the time making reference to other children, but I’ll be darned if I can find it now.

When you choose a player’s jersey to wear, you’re stating your respect for that player, but you’re also saying something about yourself. You’re saying that you identify with some of the characteristics of that person, so if you choose to wear LaRue’s number, you’re probably telling the world that you’re a no-nonsense person who prefers to go about your business without drawing a lot of attention to yourself. You’re saying that you appreciate the simple pleasures of life: a realiable pick-up truck, swimming in the ol’ mudhole, an ice-cold beer on a hot summer night in Indiana, and little pink houses for you and me.

LaRue embodies all things good and wholesome about rural middle America. He is moral, honest, hard-working, responsible, never complains, and looks just a little bit like John Mellancamp. He’s quiet and cool-headed, even though he must be the single Red who sees more bad calls and hears more heckling than all the others. There isn’t a thing about LaRue that I could like more.

LaRue occasionally strikes me as being a little too grateful for the success he’s enjoyed, which makes him a little too cautious. Is he lucky to get to paid millions to play a child’s game all summer? Sure. But he’s also entitled to it. LaRue has earned what he has, and if he doesn’t realize that, someone ought to tell him.

Jason LaRue is the starting catcher for the Reds. Over the years I’ve watched, LaRue has provided many a thrilling moment by throwing out runners stealing second, though I hear his percentages in that area aren’t what they used to be. LaRue does a better-than-adequate job of calling games, and he can be counted on to manage the pitching staff.

The time he spent under the tutelage of Bob Boone seemed to have shaken his confidence in himself, but now I believe that he is bouncing back, stronger for the experience. If I were to choose a captain for this team, LaRue would be at the top of my list, because though he’s not as popular with the fans as Sean Casey, he is more even-tempered and baseball-focused, and I suspect that he has the deep and abiding respect of his teammates.

On the down-side, he lets more than the average number of pitches go past him. In his defense, however, LaRue has not exactly had the benefit of catching the most skilled pitchers in the league.

At the plate, LaRue is hit by pitches a lot, which can only help his on-base percentage, since, like most catchers, he’s only an average hitter.