Joe Mather (born July 23, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current coach. He is the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously was a coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.
| Joe Mather | |
|---|---|
 Mather with the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 74 | |
| Outfielder / Coach | |
| Born: July 23, 1982 Sandpoint, Idaho, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 30, 2008, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2012, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .219 |
| Home runs | 14 |
| Runs batted in | 49 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| As player
As coach
| |
Early life
editMather was born on July 23, 1982, in Sandpoint, Idaho. At Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Arizona, he played basketball and was also an All-State performer in baseball. He also set the school record for the most RBI and home runs in a career.[1]
Professional playing career
editMinor leagues
editIn 38 games with the Memphis Redbirds before his promotion to the St. Louis Cardinals, Mather hit .315 with 12 home runs, 24 RBI, and slugged .671.[2]
St. Louis Cardinals
editOn May 30, 2008, Mather was promoted from Triple-A to the Major league club after outfielder Chris Duncan was optioned to Triple-A . On the same day as his call-up, he was in the starting lineup as the right fielder for the Cardinals. He picked up his first major league hit and RBI in the 7th inning, driving in the game-winning run.
He was the last man cut in April 2009, for the team to get to the 25-man roster before Opening Day (Apr. 6).[3] On April 17, 2010, Mather came in for a stint as pitcher in the 19th and 20th innings against the New York Mets, picking up the loss in the game when the Mets won 2–1 in the 20th.
Atlanta Braves
editMather was claimed by the Atlanta Braves on November 3, 2010.[4] After failing to make the Braves' 2011 Opening Day roster, the organization placed him on outright waivers.[5] He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett Braves. On April 28, he had his contract purchased from the minors by the Braves, a move that general manager, Frank Wren, described as a "necessity."[6] He had a career-high four-hit, four-RBI night when the Braves faced the Angels on May 21, 2011.[7] He was designated for assignment on June 19[8] and was later outrighted to Triple-A, but he instead opted for free agency.[9]
Colorado Rockies
editOn July 4, 2011, Mather signed with the Colorado Rockies.[10]
Chicago Cubs
editMather signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on January 4, 2012. With a successful spring, Mather made the Cubs opening day roster.[11]
Philadelphia Phillies
editThe Philadelphia Phillies signed Mather to a minor league contract but he did not make the team and was released.[12][13]
Lancaster Barnstormers
editHe subsequently signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[14]
Cincinnati Reds
editOn May 6, 2013, the Cincinnati Reds signed Mather to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos.[15]
Bridgeport Bluefish
editMather signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish for the 2014 season.[16]
Coaching career
editMather joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2015, and served as a coach for the Missoula Osprey in 2015 and 2016. He served as the bench coach for the Jackson Generals in 2017. He served as the manager of the Visalia Rawhide in 2018. He spent the 2019 season as the Diamondbacks minor league field and hitting coordinator.[17]
Mather was hired by the Cincinnati Reds to serve as their assistant hitting coach on December 17, 2019.[17]
On October 28, 2021, the Arizona Diamondbacks hired Mather as their hitting coach for the 2022 season.[18]
Personal life
editMather resides in Phoenix, Arizona, and enjoys playing golf in his free time.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Mather, '01 MP grad, makes Major League debut". Ahwatukee.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ "Joe Mather (statistics)". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
- ^ Barden, Rasmus, Freese make Cards: Mather optioned to Minor League camp to complete roster (April 2) Archived 2009-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Braves claim Joe Mather off waivers from St. Louis". November 3, 2010.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves Make Spring Roster Moves". Archived from the original on October 8, 2012.
- ^ Braves option reliever Asencio, recall IF/OF Mather Archived 2011-05-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 28, 2011.
- ^ [1], The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 21, 2011.
- ^ Links, Zach (June 19, 2011). "Braves Designate Joe Mather For Assignment". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
- ^ Nicholson-Smith, Ben (June 24, 2011). "Joe Mather Elects Free Agency". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ Axisa, Mike (July 7, 2011). "Rockies Sign Joe Mather". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "Mather gets to embrace accomplishment". March 30, 2012.
- ^ "Joe Mather News: The Phillies signed Mather to a minor league contract, Jeff Schuler of the Allentown Morning Call reports". theScore. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "Joe Mather News: The Phillies released Mather on Saturday, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports". theScore. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "BARNSTORMERS ADD THREE MORE". Lancaster Barnstomers. April 5, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ Fay, John (May 6, 2013). "Reds announce signing of Joe Mather". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "MLB Vet Mather Signs With Bridgeport". Bridgeport Bluefish. May 23, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ a b Bobby Nightengale (December 15, 2019). "Cincinnati Reds hire Joe Mather as their assistant hitting coach". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- ^ "Diamondbacks name Joe Mather new hitting coach". October 29, 2021.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Mather player profile at Scout.com
- http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/sports/sports/article_288564.php
- http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-79854352.html
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Cincinnati Reds assistant hitting coach 2020-2021 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Arizona Diamondbacks hitting coach 2022-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent
|