| Matt Szczur | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Szczur batting for theSan Diego Padres in 2017 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1989-07-20)July 20, 1989 (age 35) Cape May Court House, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 17, 2014, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 30, 2018, for the San Diego Padres | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .231 |
| Home runs | 12 |
| Runs batted in | 61 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Matthew Francis Szczur (/ˈsiːzər/;[1][2] born July 20, 1989) is anAmerican former professionalbaseballoutfielder. He made hisMajor League Baseball (MLB) debut with theChicago Cubs in 2014 and also played for theSan Diego Padres. Prior to his pro baseball career, Szczur playedfootball andbaseball atVillanova University, winning MVP of the2009 FCS National Championship Game.
Szczur was born inCape May Court House, New Jersey, and grew up in theErma section ofLower Township, New Jersey.[3] He attendedLower Cape May Regional High School, where he earnedvarsityletters in football, baseball, and track and field. Szczur was drafted in the2007 Major League Baseball draft out of high school by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the 38th round, but decided to attendVillanova University instead.[4]
Szczur played both football and baseball for theVillanova Wildcats.
Infootball, Szczur played wide receiver, running back,wildcat quarterback and was a return specialist on special teams. During hisjunior season, he was a consensus All-American and was named theCAA Offensive Player of the Year as Villanova went on to win its first-everFCS National Championship. In the2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, he gained 270 all-purpose yards and was awarded MVP honors.[4]
In baseball, Szczur served as an outfielder and catcher for the Wildcats. After sitting out his freshman year due to a football-related injury, he hit .392 (142-362) with 62 RBI and 28 stolen bases over the next two seasons. During his junior season, he was a First Team All-Big East selection and named thePhiladelphia Big 5 player of the year for baseball.[4]
Szczur signed a contract with theChicago Cubs organization, who drafted him in the fifth-round of the2010 Major League Baseball Draft.[1][5] He received a $100,000 signing bonus, with an additional $500,000 if he declined to attend theNFL combine and made a written commitment to baseball before February 10, 2011. He was assigned to the club's short season Low–A affiliate, theBoise Hawks, and first appeared in uniform July 8, 2010. He was then promoted to the club's Single–A affiliate, thePeoria Chiefs on July 27, 2010. Szczur hit .347/.414/.465 10 RBI and two stolen bases across 25 total games in 2010.
After the 2010 season, Szczur committed to baseball and signed a $1.5 million deal with the Cubs in January 2011.[6] As he was released from his initial contract and signed a new contract to receive the bonus, he would have been eligible in the 2011Rule 5 draft if not added to the Cubs'40-man roster.[7]
On July 9, 2011, Szczur was assigned to the High–ADaytona Cubs.[8] He finished the year batting .293 in 109 games between Peoria and Daytona. On July 27, 2012, he was promoted to the Double–ATennessee Smokies.[9] He slashed .267/.360/.390 in 113 games between Tennessee and Daytona in 2012. In 2013, Szczur returned to Tennessee where he hit .281/.350/.367 with three home runs and 44 RBI. He began the 2014 season with the Triple-AIowa Cubs before being promoted to the Major League roster.
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On August 16, 2014, Szczur was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut the next day.[1][10][11] Szczur recorded his first Major League hit on August 21 againstMadison Bumgarner of theSan Francisco Giants.[12] He recorded his first career home run on September 13 againstJustin Wilson of thePittsburgh Pirates.[13]
Szczur split time during the 2015 season between Triple–A and the Majors, ultimately being called up by the Cubs on seven occasions.[14] He finished the year hitting .222/.278/.333 in 47 major league games.
On April 29, 2016, he hit his first career Major Leaguegrand slam againstChris Withrow of theAtlanta Braves in the 8th inning, putting the Cubs up 6–1. In 2016, Szczur played in 107 games batting .259 with five home runs and 24 RBI. Szczur made no appearances during the Cubs World Series run nor was he on the World Series roster, but still earned his first career championship.[15] Szczur was designated for assignment by the Cubs after only playing in 15 games on May 6, 2017.[16]
The Cubs traded Szczur to theSan Diego Padres in exchange forJustin Hancock on May 8, 2017.[17] Szczur played in 104 games for San Diego in 2017, batting .227/.358/.364 with three home runs and 15 RBI. In 2018 with San Diego, Szczur hit .187 in 57 games. On July 1, 2018, he wasdesignated for assignment by San Diego[18] and sent outright to the Triple–AEl Paso Chihuahuas. He declared free agency on October 2.[19]
On December 14, 2018, Szczur signed a minor league contract with theArizona Diamondbacks organization.[20] Szczur spent the year with the Triple-AReno Aces, also playing in 3 games for theAZL Diamondbacks, slashing .313/.380/.569 with eight home runs and 29 RBI. He elected free agency following the season on November 4.[21]
Szczur signed a minor league contract with thePhiladelphia Phillies on December 13, 2019, with an invite to major-league spring training camp.[22] Szczur did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[23] Szczur was released by the Phillies organization on June 28, 2020.[24]
On February 13, 2021, Szczur signed a minor league contract with theSt. Louis Cardinals organization that included an invitation to Spring Training.[25] In 30 games with the Triple-AMemphis Redbirds, Szczur hit only .186/.236/.382 with five home runs and 11 RBI. Szczur was released by the Cardinals organization on June 28, 2021.[26]
On March 7, 2022, Szczur announced his retirement from professional baseball.[27]
In 2009, Szczur donatedbone marrow to a 15-month-old Ukrainian girl named Anastasia battlingleukemia. Szczur essentially saved the girl's life given the severity of her condition and how hard it would have been to find another person that was a match for bone marrow. He met the healthy 4-year-old girl and her parents viaSkype using a translator who was present at Anastasia's house. It was documented in E:60Risking it All, which is one of ESPN's E:60 presentations.[28][29]
Szczur and his wife, Natalie, were married in November 2014 inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.[30] They have two children, a son and a daughter.[31]
