Mike Matheny

Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970) is an American former professional baseball catcher and the current manager of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB), a position he has held since 2012. A product of the University of Michigan, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Matheny in the eighth round of the 1991 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut for the Brewers in 1994 and played until 2006. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants during his thirteen-year catching career.

Though not a prodigious hitter, Matheny was considered one of the best defensive catchers of his era, winning four National League (NL) Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. He is one of only three Major League catchers to catch at least 100 games in a single season without committing an error. He also set a Giants team record for catcher's fielding percentage in a season at .999 in 2005. However, after receiving a pitch to his face early in his MLB player career and a series of foul balls off his mask, Matheny retired due to persisting concussion symptoms.

After his playing career, Matheny became a Little League Baseball coach. The Cardinals hired him as manager following the 2011 season in spite of having no previous coaching or managing experience at any professional baseball level. In each of his first three seasons, Matheny led the club to at least 88 wins and the postseason. He also led the Cardinals to the National League Championship Series each time, becoming the fifth manager in MLB history to do so. The Cardinals won the 2013 NL pennant, only to fall to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.