| Mike Matheny | |
|---|---|
 Matheny with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 | |
| Catcher /Manager | |
| Born: (1970-09-22)September 22, 1970 (age 55) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 7, 1994, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 31, 2006, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .239 |
| Home runs | 67 |
| Runs batted in | 443 |
| Managerial record | 756–693 |
| Winning % | .522 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970) is an American former professionalbaseball player and formermanager. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons as acatcher for theMilwaukee Brewers,Toronto Blue Jays,St. Louis Cardinals, andSan Francisco Giants. Matheny later spent seven seasons as the manager of the Cardinals. One of the most accomplished defensive players of his era, he won fourGold Glove Awards. As manager of the Cardinals, his teams won oneNational League (NL) pennant and threeNL Central division titles. He also managedKansas City Royals.
FromReynoldsburg, Ohio, Matheny was selected by the Brewers in the eighth round of the1991 MLB draft from theUniversity of Michigan. He made his MLB debut as a member of theMilwaukee Brewers on April 7, 1994. Matheny established major league records among catchers for consecutive games played without committing anerror (252), and consecutivechances fielded without an error (1,565). He is one of three catchers in major league history with an errorless season of at least 100 games, and in 2005, set a Giants single-season team record for catcher'sfielding percentage at .999. Matheny made twoWorld Series appearances, both with the Cardinals. He was a catcher in2004 and a manager in2013. He retired from playing in 2006 due to persisting symptoms ofconcussion, and has since become an advocate for its prevention and for improved catcher safety.
After his playing career, Matheny coachedLittle League Baseball. The Cardinals hired him tomanage after the 2011 season although he had no professionalcoaching or managerial experience. In 2012, the Cardinals werewild card winners, and from 2013–15, claimed three consecutive NL Central titles, including winning a career-best 100 games for Matheny in 2015. He became the first manager in MLB history to lead his team to theplayoffs in each of his first four seasons and the fifth to aLeague Championship Series appearance in each of his first three, reaching the2013 World Series where the Cardinals were defeated by theBoston Red Sox. In 2018, he became the fourth Cardinals manager to manage the club in 1,000 games. The Cardinals fired him during that season after missing the playoffs the two previous years. Matheny then managed theKansas City Royals for three seasons but did not make the playoffs and was dismissed at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
Matheny grew up inReynoldsburg, Ohio, a suburb ofColumbus. He graduated fromReynoldsburg High School, where he captained the baseball andfootball teams.[1] He received little attention from nearbyOhio State University but accepted a scholarship offered byUniversity of Michigan coachBud Middaugh.[2]
Out of high school, Matheny's defensive and throwing skills drew the notice of major leaguescouts, and theToronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 31st round of the1988 Major League Baseball Draft. They waited two days until after the draft ended to tell him of his selection and initially refused to disclose which round they had selected him in. Two days before he was due to attend his first class at Michigan, Blue Jaysgeneral managerPat Gillick appeared at Matheny's home to convince him to sign. Gillick was ready to offer a deal normally reserved for second-round picks. At the time, teams held the right to negotiate with their draft picks until the moment they entered their first classroom in the following academic year. The Blue Jays called Matheny frequently until the morning of his first class, hoping he would sign. However, Matheny was convinced that he would not be a very good professional player at that point, so he chose to attend college instead. Before proceeding to his first class, he called the Blue Jays from his dormitory room to inform them of his decision.[2]
Matheny co-captained the Wolverines.[3][4] He was also a member of the 1989Connie Mack championship team.[1] In 1990, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theCotuit Kettleers of theCape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[5][6]
TheMilwaukee Brewers selected Matheny in the eighth round of the1991 Major League Baseball Draft, and he spent three years climbing theminor league system.[7][8] He made his major league debut with the Brewers on April 7,1994, at the age of 23. He became their starting catcher early in thenext season.[9][10]
During a game against thePittsburgh Pirates on May 26,1998, Matheny was batting in the bottom of the ninth when he took a pitch fromRich Loiselle off his face. Remaining upright, Matheny placed his hand on his hip as Pirates catcherJason Kendall and home plateumpireJerry Crawford motioned wildly for the Brewers trainers. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he walked off the field.[11] At the end of that season, he became eligible for salary arbitration, and the Brewers granted him free agency a few months later.[12]
Ten years after they drafted him, the Toronto Blue Jays signed him on December 23, 1998, for the1999 season. He served asDarrin Fletcher's understudy. Toronto released him after the season.
Matheny signed with theSt. Louis Cardinals on December 15, 1999. He barely made the Cardinals roster out ofspring training but went on to earn the starting catcher's role in2000.[13] He posted a career-high .261batting average and provided exceptional defense for the Cardinals, with a .993fielding percentage and throwing out 53 percent of attemptedbase stealers, well above the 32 percent league average.[14] Matheny helped the Cardinals improve from their fourth-place finish in1999 to winning theNational League Central Division title, and claimed his firstGold Glove award in the process.[15] After the season, the Cardinals signed him to a three-year, $9 million contract.[13]
After teammateDarryl Kile's sudden death in the summer of2002, Matheny showed that he was an inspirational leader, helping the team to cope and make it to theNational League Championship Series. After the2003 season, theSt. Louis andHouston chapters of theBBWAA voted for Matheny as the inaugural winnerof an award established in Kile's honor.[1]
Bolstering his growing reputation as a top defensive catcher, Matheny again won Gold Gloves with the Cardinals in 2003 and2004. His defensive contributions helped St. Louis reach the postseason in four of his five years with the team, including claiming theNational League pennant in2004.[16][17] Between August 1,2002, and August 4, 2004, Matheny played in 252 games without committing an error, establishing a new Major League record for catchers.[18]
Matheny set another Major League record for catchers in 2004 by fielding 1,565 consecutivechances without an error.[18] During his playing days in a Cardinal uniform, Matheny caught 611 games, accumulating 4,938.1innings and committing just 14 errors.[1] His .996 fielding percentage leads all catchers who have caught at least 2,000 innings for St. Louis.[19] He became a free agent after the2004 World Series, primarily due to the emergence of rookie catcherYadier Molina, whom he would eventually manage.
Matheny signed a three-year contract with theSan Francisco Giants on December 13, 2004.The next season, he displayed a rare power surge, amassing career highs with 13home runs, 34doubles, a .406slugging percentage, and 59runs batted in (RBIs). Matheny continued his defensive excellence, compiling a team-record .999 fielding percentage and leadingNational League catchers with 13 double plays, 77 assists, and 39base-stealerscaught stealing, earning his fourth Gold Glove.[9][1][20] He also took home theWillie Mac Award that year, accorded annually to a Giant player for spirit and leadership.[21]
Matheny landed on thedisabled list on May 31,2006, after a series offoul balls caromed off his mask, resulting in a seriousconcussion.[22] In July, the Giants announced that he would not return for the remainder of the season and that his career status was in doubt. Giantsbeat writer Rich Draper wrote that Matheny's career was likely over due to continued struggles withpost-concussion syndrome.[23]
On February 1, 2007, Matheny announced his retirement from Major League Baseball at the age of 35 due to ongoing symptoms of post-concussion syndrome.[24]
In his 13-year major league career, Matheny played in 1,305 games, accumulating 925 hits in 3,877 at bats for a .239 career batting average, along with 67 home runs, 443 RBIs, and anon-base percentage of .293.[9] He led National League catchers twice in fielding percentage, ending his career with a .994 average, which was four points above the league average during his playing career.[9] His fielding percentage is tied for 24th best all-time among major league catchers, as of 2024[update].[25] Matheny also twice led National League catchers in baserunnerscaught stealing.[9]
On January 24, 2008, Matheny returned to the St. Louis Cardinals as a special adviser for the first two weeks ofspring training. They announced him as their new manager on November 14, 2011, followingTony La Russa's retirement, making him the youngest manager in the major leagues.[26] Matheny's other prior coaching experience includedLittle League Baseball, and other interviewees includedTerry Francona,Ryne Sandberg,José Oquendo,Chris Maloney andJoe McEwing, all of whom already had managerial or coaching experience in the major leagues.[27]
On April 4,2012, Matheny won in his managerial debut against theMiami Marlins in the inaugural game atMarlins Park.[28] Twenty days later, Matheny was ejected from a game for the first time for arguing a pivotal safe/out call by umpireBill Welke in the bottom of the 10th inning of a 3–2 loss to theChicago Cubs.[29]
Matheny's first season as Cardinals manager was a success, finishing the regular season with an 88–74 record before winning theWild Card game. TheGiants defeated the Cardinals in theNLCS.[30]
On February 14, 2013, the Cardinals picked up Matheny's 2014 option.[31] He surpassed the success of his first season by guiding the club in2013 to an NL-best 97–65 record and his firstNational League Central division title. The Cardinals defeated thePittsburgh Pirates 3–2 in theNLDS and theLos Angeles Dodgers 4–2 in theNLCS for his first NL pennant. TheBoston Red Sox defeated the Cardinals in theWorld Series in six games, with many similarities to 2004, when Matheny was also a catcher for St. Louis. As in the Cardinals finished with the best record in the NL, and the Red Sox likewise defeated the Cardinals in the World Series. However, in 2013, St. Louis lost four key players to season-ending injuries, includingChris Carpenter,Rafael Furcal,Jaime García, andJason Motte, and rookies comprised half of the World Series pitching staff.[32] On November 20, 2013, the Cardinals extended Matheny's contract for three more years through 2017.[33]
Making his firstAll-Star appearance as a major leaguer, Matheny was the NL manager in the2014 game, which he lost.[34] The Cardinals won the NL Central division title in2014, their second consecutive title, and third consecutive playoff appearance with Matheny as manager.[35] More trends continued as they eliminated theDodgers from the playoffs for the second consecutive season, this time in theNLDS. Just like in 2012, theGiants eliminated the Cardinals in theNLCS before winning theWorld Series.[36]
After defeating theChicago Cubs 10–9 on May 4,2015, the Cardinals had an MLB-best 19–6 record and the best 25-game start for the club since at least 1900.[37] The seven game win streak was a career-high for Matheny.[38] The Cardinals defeated the Cubs again the next game, 7–4, extending the win streak to eight.[39] A 3–1 victory over theDetroit Tigers on May 17, 2015, secured the 300th win of his managerial career.[40] In August 2015,Baseball America published that fellow NL managers and coaches rated Matheny the second-best manager in the league.[41] On September 19, the Cardinals became the first team in the majors to qualify for the playoffs. Matheny became the first manager in MLB history to guide his club to the postseason in each of his first four full seasons.[42][43] With an 11–1 win over thePittsburgh Pirates on September 30, the Cardinals won 100 games for the first time in Matheny's managerial career, while clinching their third consecutive NL Central division title. The Pirates, who had kept close for most of the season, had already won 96 games, while clinching a wild card berth.[44][45] However, the Cubs, the second wild card team, defeated the Cardinals in theNLDS in four games.[46] Matheny finished second in the NLManager of the Year Award voting,[47] and was a co-winner of theJ. G. Taylor Spink St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year Award.[48]
On May 27,2016, Matheny gained his 400th career win in a 6–2 defeat of theWashington Nationals. In 2016, Matheny's contract was extended to 2022.[49]
On May 1, 2018, Matheny became the fourth person, followingRed Schoendienst,Whitey Herzog, and Tony La Russa, to manage 1,000 Cardinals games.[50] However, the Cardinals fired him on July 14, following middling performance and clubhouse issues, including Matheny's poor communication withDexter Fowler.[51][52][53] His2018 record was 47–46, and his career in St. Louis over 1,065 games was 591–474 (.555).[54] The Cardinals did not make the postseason in his final three seasons as manager.[53]
On October 31, 2019, Matheny was hired as manager of theKansas City Royals following the retirement ofNed Yost.[55] Matheny had previously been a special advisor for player development for the Royals.[56] The Royals exercised a contract option on March 31, 2022, retaining Matheny through the 2023 season.[57][58] On October 5, 2022, the Royals fired Matheny following the dismissal of general managerDayton Moore.[59][60] He did not have a winning season with the Royals, peaking at 74 wins in 2021.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| STL | 2012 | 162 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 2nd in NL Central | 7 | 6 | .538 | LostNLCS (SF) |
| STL | 2013 | 162 | 97 | 65 | .599 | 1st in NL Central | 9 | 8 | .529 | LostWorld Series (BOS) |
| STL | 2014 | 162 | 90 | 72 | .556 | 1st in NL Central | 4 | 5 | .444 | LostNLCS (SF) |
| STL | 2015 | 162 | 100 | 62 | .617 | 1st in NL Central | 1 | 3 | .250 | LostNLDS (CHC) |
| STL | 2016 | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 2nd in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| STL | 2017 | 162 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 3rd in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| STL | 2018 | 93 | 47 | 46 | .505 | Fired | – | – | – | |
| STL total | 1065 | 591 | 474 | .555 | 21 | 22 | .488 | |||
| KC | 2020 | 60 | 26 | 34 | .433 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2021 | 162 | 74 | 88 | .457 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2022 | 162 | 65 | 97 | .401 | 5th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC total | 384 | 165 | 219 | .430 | – | – | – | |||
| Total[54] | 1,449 | 756 | 693 | .522 | 21 | 22 | .488 | |||
Matheny's wife, Kristen,[2] is a formerfield hockey player at theUniversity of Michigan. They have five children. Their oldest son, Tate, played college baseball atMissouri State University and was drafted by theBoston Red Sox in the fourth round of the2015 MLB Draft.[63][64] Their daughter, Katie, playedice hockey atOhio State.[65] To date, two of the younger Matheny sons have played college baseball, Luke forSaint Louis University[66] and Blaise for Missouri State.[67] Matheny majored insports management andcommunications with an emphasis inSpanish.[68]
Matheny routinely chronicles his life experiences and maintains a blog of which topics includes leadership and changing the culture of youth sports.[69][70] He is a devoutChristian, often including Bible verse citations when he signs autographs.[71][72]
Matheny organized and created Catch-22, a charitable organization (named for his playing position and uniform number) which donated tickets for Cardinals games between 2002 and 2004. In 2005, Matheny opened the Catch-22 Miracle Field at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic complex inChesterfield, Missouri.[1] The field has a completely flat and firmrubber surface and other features to allow children with a wide array of physical and mental handicaps to participate.[1][73]
Unprofitablereal estate transactions left Matheny heavily in debt. In 2005, Matheny founded MPD Partnership with two former professionalindoor soccer players,Daryl Doran and Brett Phillips. They purchased a block of the WingHaven development inSt. Charles and realized a $2.4 million profit in six months. After Doran left the partnership to start agym, Matheny and Phillips used their money to secure an $11.8 million loan from the Business Bank of St. Louis for an 11-acre tract nearInterstate 64.[74] That investment lost money, at least partially due to the2008 financial crisis, and Matheny wound up more than $4 million in debt. In May 2010, he wrote to the Business Bank to say that he would not repay the remainder of the loan. The bank sued him one month later.[75][76]
In 2010, he lost a 17-room house inWildwood, Missouri, following insolvency on two commercial plots in near Chesterfield Valley.[75]
Matheny'sattorney, Robert Blitz, was handling a similar case—Fischer and Frichtel, a homebuilder who also defaulted on assets after sustaining losses over the same time period, contends that they should not be fully liable for what is termed as "deflationary debt". TheSt. Louis appellate court deferred the case to theSupreme Court of Missouri.[77] In January 2013, a circuit court ruling determined that the Matheny partnership owed the Business Bank $4.4 million.[74]
BigLeague Moderator: 'Mr. Matheny signs all items with some form of scripture reference inscription, I'm told.'
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