Mike Matheny

Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants. He later spent seven seasons as the manager of the Cardinals, and three for the Kansas City Royals. One of the most accomplished defensive players of his era, he won four Gold Glove Awards. As manager of the Cardinals, his teams won one pennant and three NL Central division titles. From Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Matheny played college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Brewers in the eighth round of the 1991 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers on April 7, 1994. Matheny established major league records among catchers for consecutive games played without committing an error (252), and consecutive chances 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's fielding percentage at .999. Matheny made two World Series appearances, both with the Cardinals. He was a catcher in 2004 and a manager in 2013. He retired from playing in 2006 due to persisting symptoms of concussion, and has since become an advocate for its prevention and for improved catcher safety. After his playing career, Matheny coached Little League Baseball. The Cardinals hired him to manage after the 2011 season although he had no professional coaching or managerial experience. In 2012, the Cardinals were wild 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...