Mike Matheny

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Lore & Background

Matheny's time with the Milwaukee Brewers began after he declined a late signing offer from the Toronto Blue Jays, who had drafted him in the 31st round of 1988 but refused to disclose their selection until two days post-draft. He chose college at Michigan instead, co-captaining the Wolverines and playing for the 1989 Connie Mack championship team. The Brewers selected him again in 1991, and he spent three years in their minor league system before debuting on April 7, 1994. His tenure in Milwaukee was marked by exceptional defense; during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 26, 1998, he took a pitch from Rich Loiselle off his face in the bottom of the ninth. Remaining upright, Matheny placed his hand on his hip as motioning from catcher Jason Kendall and umpire Jerry Crawford brought trainers to him. He spat out blood before walking off the field. After the 1999 season, eligible for salary arbitration, the Brewers traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals on December 13, 1999.

In Their Own Story

On May 26, 1998, the tension at Miller Park peaked in the bottom of the ninth against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mike Matheny was batting when pitcher Rich Loiselle delivered a pitch that struck him squarely in the face. The impact did not knock him down; instead, Matheny remained standing, placing his hand on his hip as he processed the blow. Home plate umpire Jerry Crawford and Pirates catcher Jason Kendall waved frantically for the Brewers' trainers to come onto the field. As medical staff approached, Matheny spat out a mouthful of blood before turning and walking off the field under his own power. This moment encapsulated the grit that defined his playing style. After the 1998 season, despite being eligible for salary arbitration, the Brewers granted him free agency, ending his initial stint with the franchise.

Reader's Guide

Mike Matheny's career path offers a clear lesson in defensive excellence and resilience. As a player, he 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 only three catchers in history to record an errorless season of at least 100 games. In 2005 with the San Francisco Giants, he set a single-season team record for catcher's fielding percentage at .999. His playing career ended on February 1, 2007, due to persisting symptoms of concussion sustained during his time with the Giants in 2006. Since retiring, Matheny has become an advocate for concussion prevention and improved catcher safety. Notably, he managed without any prior professional coaching experience after being hired by the St. Louis Cardinals following the 2011 season, eventually becoming the first manager in MLB history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons.

Did You Know?

• Matheny was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 31st round of the 1988 draft but chose to attend the University of Michigan instead.
• He set a major league record for catchers with 252 consecutive games played without committing an error between August 1, 2002, and August 4, 2004.
• Matheny was hired as the St. Louis Cardinals manager in 2011 despite having no professional coaching or managerial experience prior to that role.
• He led his team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons as manager, though he was not the first to achieve this feat.