Michael Scott Matheny is the manager of the
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
of
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He is also a former
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
catcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the
major leaguesMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was drafted in the 8th round of the
1991 amateur draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Other notable players:...
out of the
University of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
by the
Milwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, with whom he made his major league debut in .
Playing career
Matheny played for the Brewers from to , the
Toronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in , and the
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
from to . While playing for the Cardinals, Matheny won three
Gold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s (2000, 2003, 2004) and went to the postseason in four of his five years with the team. He was signed by the
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
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 won the
Willie Mac AwardThe Willie Mac Award is named in honor of Willie McCovey. It has been presented annually since 1980. It is awarded to the player on the San Francisco Giants who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership consistently shown by McCovey throughout his long career, voted upon by the players and...
in 2005 for spirit and leadership.
Matheny went on the
disabled listIn Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
on May 31, 2006 after a series of
foul ballIn baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:* Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or* Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or...
s 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 syndromePost-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or occasionally up to a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury . PCS may also...
.
Retirement
On February 1, 2007, Matheny announced his retirement from Major League Baseball due to his on-going symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. Shortly thereafter, Matheny took his first steps in retirement, becoming a baseball mentor for
Protégé SportsProtégé Sports, Inc. is a company that provides online sports training from professional athletes and coaches. The company is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and boasts a number of current and former professional athletes and coaches amongst its "mentors", including Steve Nash, Boris Diaw, Bob...
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 CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
organization to act as a special adviser for the first two weeks of
spring trainingIn Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
.
Managerial career
He was announced as the new manager of the St. Louis Cardinals on November 14, 2011. He is currently the youngest manager in Major League Baseball.
Personal
He is married to wife Kristen, a former field hockey player at Michigan. The couple have 5 children: one daughter, Katie, and 4 sons, Michael "Tate", Luke, Jacob and Blaise.
In 2005, Matheny opened a "Catch 22" field in Chesterfield, Missouri. This field has a completely flat surface and is used for disabled children.
External links