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| Steve McCatty | |
|---|---|
 McCatty aspitching coach for theWashington Nationals | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1954-03-20)March 20, 1954 (age 71) Detroit,Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 17, 1977, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1985, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 63–63 |
| Earned run average | 3.99 |
| Strikeouts | 541 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| As player As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Steven Earl McCatty (born March 20, 1954) is an American former professional baseballpitcher who played for theOakland Athletics ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1985. He graduated fromTroy High School inTroy, Michigan, in 1972. He coached theWashington Nationals from 2009 through 2015.
On August 10, 1980, McCatty pitched a 14-inning game against theSeattle Mariners, only to lose 2–1.
During the1981strike-shortened season, McCatty finished the season with a league leading 2.33 ERA, second in theAmerican League toSammy Stewart's 2.32 mark and was tied with three others for most wins with 14, including a league leading four shutouts, the last two of which were consecutive starts for McCatty. He also finished second for theCy Young Award, behindRollie Fingers.
However, McCatty would never even approach his 1981 form again. A number of baseball historians and statisticians blame this on managerBilly Martin overworking McCatty and the other members of the 1981 staff. In 2006,Rob Neyer estimated that McCatty threw 131 pitches per complete game in 1981, a heavy workload for a young pitcher even then. However, McCatty never blamed Martin for his post-1981 decline.[1]
During a1982 exhibition game against theSan Diego Padres, McCatty stepped to the plate wielding a toy 15-inch bat but umpireJim Quick would not allow him to hit. McCatty did this on orders from Martin, who was furious that thedesignated hitter rule was not allowed inNational League ballparks, to use the toy bat as a protest.
After retiring as a player in 1986, McCatty remained in professional baseball working in radio and TV for the Oakland A's and withESPNMajor League Baseball. McCatty later moved on to coach several minor league baseball clubs, and was hired as pitching coach by theDetroit Tigers for the2002 season. He subsequently coached for theOttawa Lynx when it was the AAA affiliate of theBaltimore Orioles. During the offseason, McCatty works with youngsters of all ages to teach pitching mechanics at Jason Thompson Baseball inAuburn Hills,Michigan.
In 2009, McCatty became the second pitching coach inWashington Nationals franchise history, replacingRandy St. Claire, who was fired, and McCatty was called upon to replace him after working at the Nationals'AAA affiliate. The Nationals fired McCatty and the entire coaching staff after the 2015 season.[2]
· Baseball Almanac| Preceded by | Washington Nationals pitching coach 2009-2015 | Succeeded by |