Mike Matheny
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| Mike Matheny | ||
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| Catcher | ||
| Born: September 22, 1970 Reynoldsburg, Ohio |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| April 7, 1994 for the Milwaukee Brewers |
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| Final game | ||
| May 31, 2006 for the San Francisco Giants |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .239 | |
| Hits | 925 | |
| Runs batted in | 443 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio) is a former baseball catcher, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the major leagues. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 1991 Amateur Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he made his Major League debut in 1994. He was drafted out of the University of Michigan.
Matheny played for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1994 to 1998, the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999, and the St. Louis Cardinals from 2000 to 2004. While playing for the Cardinals, Matheny won three Gold Glove Awards (2000, 2003, 2004) and went to the postseason in four of his five years with the team. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants to a three-year contract on December 13, 2004. Matheny won a Gold Glove Award in his first season for the Giants in 2005.
Matheny was considered one of the great defensive players in the Major Leagues over the last several years of his career. He was one of only three other catchers to play 100 games without a single error. His nickname, used by fans and broadcasters alike, was "The Toughest Man Alive" - which would prove sadly ironic when his career was cut short in 2006. Despite his good glove work, Matheny was a sub-par batter, with a career average of .239.
Mike won the Willie Mac Award in 2005 for spirit and leadership.
Matheny went on the disabled list on May 31, 2006 after a series of foul balls caromed off his mask, resulting in a serious concussion. In July, the Giants announced that he would not return for the remainder of the season and that his career status was in doubt. MLB.com's Giants beat writer, Rich Draper, said that Matheny's career was likely over due to his continued struggles with post-concussion syndrome. [1]
On February 1, 2007, Matheny announced his retirement from Major League Baseball due to his on-going symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. [2] Shortly thereafter, Matheny took his first steps in retirement, becoming a baseball mentor for Protégé Sports and filming some catching tips and drills for the Scottsdale-based company.
On January 24, 2008, it was reported that Matheny would return to the St. Louis Cardinals organization to act as a special adviser for the first two weeks of spring training. [1]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
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