Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Hall of Fame profile: Michael McKenry
9/22/2017 4:00:00 PM | Baseball, General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – In just three short years as a player, former Middle Tennessee catcher Michael McKenry made a huge impact on the Blue Raider baseball program.
That didn't stop after he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2006 MLB Draft, either. McKenry still has a presence around Reese Smith Jr. Field, and after Saturday his name will forever be next to the program in the Blue Raider Hall of Fame.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I'm really going to enjoy my time at home … and to be included with all of those past players and coaches, it's kind of unreal."
In a program filled with rich catching history, McKenry is one of the best to ever put on the blue and white.
He's one of only three first-team All-Americans in program history, and as a three-year starter (2004-06) he racked up 68 career RBIs (seventh all-time in school history) and held a .494 slugging percentage (tied for ninth). He also helped lead MT to the 2004 Sun Belt Conference Championship and a 40-win season.
After forgoing his senior season for a chance at his professional baseball dream, McKenry has put together a 12-year career and appeared in the most Major League Baseball games of any Blue Raider. He's hit 29 home runs in 953 career MLB plate appearances with three teams.
What has become a long catching career almost didn't start that way for McKenry. Coming out of Farragut High School in Knoxville, most schools recruiting him didn't want him to play catcher. Really, he said, they wanted him to play anywhere but behind the plate.
He had a dream of one day breaking into the big leagues as a catcher, though, and during an in-home recruiting visit with Middle Tennessee hall-of-fame head coach Steve Peterson, he got the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
"I remember when they reached out to me and came to the house," McKenry said, "and Coach Pete said, 'Hey, I'm leaving right now with your scholarship unless you tell me you want to catch.' That was 100 percent what I wanted to do, and the track record with catchers at Middle Tennessee getting drafted fit with what my dream was."
He showed right away Peterson and the Blue Raiders made the right choice. McKenry's offensive prowess for a catcher is hard to come by, and it made him an instant star for MT.
"Ever since I was a kid in little league I've loved to hit," McKenry said. "I love the competition of it. Obviously, defense as a catcher is No. 1 and offense is No. 2, but when you take that mask off you have to become an offensive threat."
As most catchers do, McKenry has had to battle injuries throughout his career. But, the 32-year-old said he feels better now than he has in years, thanks in large part to two basically new knees.
"I've had some injuries and some things go sideways a little bit, but it's part of it," he said. "It's part of the journey.
"After my last knee surgery, people said I wouldn't make it back, and I did. I feel better than I have in years – I feel like I'm 22 again … I feel like I can keep going until God wants me somewhere else."
Through the injuries, moving to different teams in different leagues and the general wear and tear that comes with being a professional baseball player, one person has been beside McKenry's side for it all.
He met his wife, Jaclyn, at Middle Tennessee, and the two have shared quite a journey during McKenry's baseball life.
On Saturday, they'll share the hall of fame induction.
"Probably the No. 1 thing I'm looking forward to is getting able to walk through this with my wife," McKenry said. "I feel like it's not just me getting inducted, it's her, too. She's been part of this journey from Day 1 at Middle Tennessee to now, and I can't tell her thank you enough for everything she's done and put up with for me."
Even after all of the hall of fame induction speeches have been made and McKenry takes his spot alongside the other Blue Raider greats, he won't stop being a true friend of Middle Tennessee baseball and the entire athletic department.
The Knoxville native has made Murfreesboro his offseason home, and he routinely gives anything he can to the program.
He also keeps a vigilant eye on his Blue Raiders, and that will never change.
"I'm in the mix all the time," he said. "I give back to the university and do what I can to help with the program and the school as a whole. I just love Middle Tennessee and want to do my part to help."
That didn't stop after he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2006 MLB Draft, either. McKenry still has a presence around Reese Smith Jr. Field, and after Saturday his name will forever be next to the program in the Blue Raider Hall of Fame.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I'm really going to enjoy my time at home … and to be included with all of those past players and coaches, it's kind of unreal."
In a program filled with rich catching history, McKenry is one of the best to ever put on the blue and white.
He's one of only three first-team All-Americans in program history, and as a three-year starter (2004-06) he racked up 68 career RBIs (seventh all-time in school history) and held a .494 slugging percentage (tied for ninth). He also helped lead MT to the 2004 Sun Belt Conference Championship and a 40-win season.
After forgoing his senior season for a chance at his professional baseball dream, McKenry has put together a 12-year career and appeared in the most Major League Baseball games of any Blue Raider. He's hit 29 home runs in 953 career MLB plate appearances with three teams.
What has become a long catching career almost didn't start that way for McKenry. Coming out of Farragut High School in Knoxville, most schools recruiting him didn't want him to play catcher. Really, he said, they wanted him to play anywhere but behind the plate.
He had a dream of one day breaking into the big leagues as a catcher, though, and during an in-home recruiting visit with Middle Tennessee hall-of-fame head coach Steve Peterson, he got the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
"I remember when they reached out to me and came to the house," McKenry said, "and Coach Pete said, 'Hey, I'm leaving right now with your scholarship unless you tell me you want to catch.' That was 100 percent what I wanted to do, and the track record with catchers at Middle Tennessee getting drafted fit with what my dream was."
He showed right away Peterson and the Blue Raiders made the right choice. McKenry's offensive prowess for a catcher is hard to come by, and it made him an instant star for MT.
"Ever since I was a kid in little league I've loved to hit," McKenry said. "I love the competition of it. Obviously, defense as a catcher is No. 1 and offense is No. 2, but when you take that mask off you have to become an offensive threat."
As most catchers do, McKenry has had to battle injuries throughout his career. But, the 32-year-old said he feels better now than he has in years, thanks in large part to two basically new knees.
"I've had some injuries and some things go sideways a little bit, but it's part of it," he said. "It's part of the journey.
"After my last knee surgery, people said I wouldn't make it back, and I did. I feel better than I have in years – I feel like I'm 22 again … I feel like I can keep going until God wants me somewhere else."
Through the injuries, moving to different teams in different leagues and the general wear and tear that comes with being a professional baseball player, one person has been beside McKenry's side for it all.
He met his wife, Jaclyn, at Middle Tennessee, and the two have shared quite a journey during McKenry's baseball life.
On Saturday, they'll share the hall of fame induction.
"Probably the No. 1 thing I'm looking forward to is getting able to walk through this with my wife," McKenry said. "I feel like it's not just me getting inducted, it's her, too. She's been part of this journey from Day 1 at Middle Tennessee to now, and I can't tell her thank you enough for everything she's done and put up with for me."
Even after all of the hall of fame induction speeches have been made and McKenry takes his spot alongside the other Blue Raider greats, he won't stop being a true friend of Middle Tennessee baseball and the entire athletic department.
The Knoxville native has made Murfreesboro his offseason home, and he routinely gives anything he can to the program.
He also keeps a vigilant eye on his Blue Raiders, and that will never change.
"I'm in the mix all the time," he said. "I give back to the university and do what I can to help with the program and the school as a whole. I just love Middle Tennessee and want to do my part to help."
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