Matheny Announces Retirement

by giantscatcher on Feb 1, 2007 5:05 PM PST Comment 43 comments

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was not unexpected, but Giants catcher Mike Matheny announced his retirement Thursday, ending a 13-year Major League career due to post-concussion syndrome.
The four-time Gold Glove winner has had lingering dizziness and minor speech and memory issues since being beaned by a foul tip against Florida last May 31, and the 36-year-old veteran said symptoms increased with exertion.

Doctors advised him to discontinue playing, and in December the Giants hired catcher Bengie Molina as a replacement.

Rest here: Concussions end Matheny's career

I feel bad that his career had to end this way. I wish him the best of luck in whatever he chooses to do in the future.
*edit: let it go down in the Mccovey annals that DW posted this story first, only to have it deleted due to the cruel vagaries of fate* -kenshin

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

Holy Jesus. We must be twins thinking the exact same thing and posting at the exact same moment.

-D

by dw4848 on Feb 1, 2007 5:03 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

Now I'm trying to remember how to delete mine.

Remind me to tell you about the time my mom wore her rhinestone penis T-shirt to dinner and Grandma had her car towed.

by giantscatcher on Feb 1, 2007 5:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

I was off by 10 seconds.

Remind me to tell you about the time my mom wore her rhinestone penis T-shirt to dinner and Grandma had her car towed.

by giantscatcher on Feb 1, 2007 5:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

...and yet yours is the post that sticks. No respect, I tell ya!

-D

by dw4848 on Feb 1, 2007 7:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

and the silver medal goes to...

We'd be pretty good if we didn't suck so bad.

by nostocksjustbonds on Feb 1, 2007 5:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

The toughest man in baseball, felled. :(

"Strikeouts are boring. Besides that, they're fascist." Not fascist: SF Dugout

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Feb 1, 2007 5:29 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

It's a sad day in Mudville.

But it really is for the best.

Coming to you by proxy

by howtheyscored on Feb 1, 2007 8:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

I thought Matheny was great in his lone full season as a Giant. Watching him behind the plate, you knew you were watching one of the best ever to play the game and he was a great and underated clutch batter and team leader.

A class act all the way,

I wish Matheny the best and hope to see him in the future as Giants coach.

by Keenlow on Feb 1, 2007 5:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

It's always sad to see a player go before he truly feels it's time. However, I think he would make a great coach for the Giants or another team, and I'm glad that he knew not to play again. It would have been ugly to ssee him have another concussion.

Remember 1962!

by El Person on Feb 1, 2007 5:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

Sad to see it end like this for Matheny. I also liked him behind the plate, and I like to think the next time he's at the park he'll get one hell of a standing ovation. He deserves one.

Also, keenlow had a good idea. Bring him back as a coach. Definitely like that plan.

Best of luck, Mike!

by Van Smack on Feb 1, 2007 5:45 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

Good luck to Matheny, but I would be surprised if he winds up in the Giant organization. Maybe this year, because the Giants are still paying him, but he lives in St. Louis, is tight with that organization, and I expect him to become a coach over there. This announcement is pretty much a non-event, as they're just opening up a spot for Bonds, and we all know they wouldn't have signed Molina if there was any thought Matheny could make a comeback.

by rxmeister on Feb 2, 2007 7:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

A tip of the cap to Mr. Matheny. He definitely deserved a better end to his career. Let's hope his symptoms fade enough so that he can do something with the rest of his life.

by Skaldheim on Feb 1, 2007 5:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

I am glad he's gone. For health sake. He has a young family. He is only 36 with a minimum life expectancy of another 50 years at least. Too mindful of Steve Young.

If only it had been Matheny's predecessor.

Save The Pitcher. Save The World

by E Ticket on Feb 1, 2007 6:30 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

good luck mike

come back and coach, will ya?

2002? I'm over it.

by wjackalope on Feb 1, 2007 6:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Matheny replaces Bochy as SF manager

Best future headline, ever.

Depending on his 2007 plans, bring him back in 2008 as a bench coach / bullpen coach, and see where it goes from there. Either way, if Joe Girardi can be a great manager, so can Mike Matheny, and probably better.

But to show there is a God: On the day Mike Matheny retires, Duke loses to Virginia, 68 - 66. All is right with the world.

by sdsukat01 on Feb 1, 2007 8:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny replaces Bochy as SF manager

GO HOOS!!

Are you a Virginia fan or a duke hater?

2002? I'm over it.

by wjackalope on Feb 3, 2007 5:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

sadness. :/

by tk on Feb 1, 2007 9:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Best wishes, Iron Mike

Hope to see you back again soon.

Mandowear - Clothing an entire generation | comics

by Natto on Feb 1, 2007 10:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

Come back as a coach

2007..............

by pak54 on Feb 1, 2007 11:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

My son is crushed. As an autograph hound when I was a kid, I began to teach my son to appreciate the art of autograph seeking by taking him to get Matheny's autograph at the May's Field Dugout Store in 2005. It was his first autograph and Matheny was intantly his favorite player. The man was so nice and asked my son if he plays baseball, what position he plays etc...

Mike Matheny helped me (without ever knowing it of course) teach the baseball passion to my son. For that I will never forget the man. I am very happy that he is not going to subject himself to further damage by playing again, but I am very, very sad to see his career cut so short.

They say catchers make the best managers... I heard him on The Razor and Mr T and he said he wants to focus on his kids right now, I would love to see him come back as a coach and maybe the next manager after Bochy retires...

OOOOOO - REEEBAY!

by Uribe2Thompson2Clark on Feb 1, 2007 11:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

My son's a catcher and Matheny was his favorite player, too. When my son and I would watch games, he provided a great example of fundamental catching skills for my son to emulate.

When it comes to pro athletes, I tend to take "this guy's a great guy" stories with a grain of salt, but after hearing so many, many accounts of a what a quality guy he he is, one can't help but believe it. He was also a hard worker and people seemed to appreciate that.

He'll be missed, but I'm glad he's thinking beyond his baseball life and has other priorities.

Wish we could have enjoyed more seasons of you, but thanks Mike and get well soon!

Biggest mankinder in the history of no brain.

by Goofus on Feb 2, 2007 5:59 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sweet story, Uribe. Thanks for sharing it.

Love Giants; get heart and mind fried by Giants; repeat.

by Mayor of 311 on Feb 2, 2007 9:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

Oh, and by the way...the image of Mike taking that fastball to the chin and walking it off... One of the memories that I will never, ever forget. What a bad ass...

OOOOOO - REEEBAY!

by Uribe2Thompson2Clark on Feb 1, 2007 11:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

The one where he just starts spitting blood by the liter but doesn't even flinch? Yeah, that's a good one.

I play baseball, You play playdoh; Kill your family, I'm KEVIN FRANDSEN; Coast to Coast, New York to San Diego; Eat some dicks, I'm KEVEN FRANDSEN

by elduderino on Feb 2, 2007 5:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

I may not have been a fan of the acquisition, but I certainly didn't want his career to end this way. Hopefully this will go on to trigger some work in the field of concussions, an area where sports medicine is pretty inadequate.

DFA Everybody

by JakeS on Feb 2, 2007 2:52 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Padded catchers are the LEAST protected

I've gotta believe half of active catchers have suffered (at the least) multiple mild concussions in their pro careers.

As a catcher in youth leagues with plenty of protection (and what, 75 mph fastballs?) I was clocked on the dome numerous times on foul tips.

A batter can do some dodging when a ball comes at him. But a catcher has no time to react on a foul tip to the cranium, and worse, is fundamentally leaning into the pitch.

Such a jolt to the head is one of the most shocking, unsettling occurrences on the baseball field, and catchers suffer them quietly on just about a weekly basis.

Shake it off, kid.

Yeah, right.

by Moggeee on Feb 2, 2007 9:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Padded catchers are the LEAST protected

Yeah, I think we've become so desensitized to the word. They should use the other definition: "mild traumatic brain injury."

DFA Everybody

by JakeS on Feb 2, 2007 12:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Padded catchers are the LEAST protected

My son took a foul tip to the face mask in practice Saturday and I couldn't help but think about Matheny. It was a much slower pitch and he said "I'm fine", but I'll probably wince a little bit each time it happens this season.

Biggest mankinder in the history of no brain.

by Goofus on Feb 5, 2007 9:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It can't be good for a growing brain

It's a jolt.

And at that age, the brave little dudes don't know what to make of it. Of course the kid will tell you he's okay.

by Moggeee on Feb 7, 2007 5:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

contract question.....

Does anyone know whether teams still have to pay players who retire? For heaven's sake, does NOTHING interrupt the contract in baseball? Obviously, if a player is injured in baseball and cannot play for the rest of his contract, team must still pay (MLBPA: Best. Labor. Union. Ever.). But does that apply to retirement?

Love Giants; get heart and mind fried by Giants; repeat.

by Mayor of 311 on Feb 2, 2007 9:23 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Matheny's special case is a human tragedy

I have no idea what the rules are, but...

A gritty catcher whose inherent guts have forced him out of the game, like Matheny, ought to get every dime of the original contract, plus additional pension and medical benefits, above and beyond the norm.

by Moggeee on Feb 2, 2007 9:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny's special case is a human tragedy

I feel for the guy, but let's not get maudlin. Tragic circumstances end many careers. The accumulation of knocks that led to his susceptibility to that one foul ball last year didn't come when he was playing for the Giants. If you think he deserves some special multi-million dollar bonus on top of the multi-millions he's made in his career (which will take care of him and his family for many generations to come) + health care insurance he has, then shouldn't that "tragedy bonus" come from the team he played for during most of the damage? That would not be the Giants.

Good lord, the language here. He's a great guy, but it's not like he ran into a fire to save your children or was maimed by an IED in Iraq. If anyone owes what you say, it's the Cardinals.

Love Giants; get heart and mind fried by Giants; repeat.

by Mayor of 311 on Feb 2, 2007 11:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Matheny may be impaired the rest of his life

But it's a good point. All the pro teams with which the disabled catcher played should pony up a suitable portion of the remaining contract.

This is America, where we can afford to indulge in egregious fairness and charity...So put it in the next labor agreement.

by Moggeee on Feb 2, 2007 9:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: contract question.....

One story I read quoted Matheny as saying "The finality of it just kind of hit today as I was signing the papers."

If he and the Giants signed some sort of agreement, I would imagine that means he accepted a buyout of his contract, something less than the full amount due to him had he continued to play.

by john vb on Feb 2, 2007 12:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: contract question.....

No, there's paperwork to be filed with the union and the league office to get put on the retired list (and therefore removed from the team's rosters). This doesn't really imply any kind of buyout.

by Skaldheim on Feb 2, 2007 1:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

not if it keeps us from signing a free agent!! Go get a 9-5 job like the rest of us, Matheny!!

by rxmeister on Feb 2, 2007 10:39 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Matheny Announces Retirement

The Giants will honor the final year of his contract, and they should.

OOOOOO - REEEBAY!

by Uribe2Thompson2Clark on Feb 2, 2007 12:04 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Trying to opt out?

It's not a huge contract like Bagwell's so there's not much of a benefit to be gained by trying to void it.
It's certainly not enough $$$ to outweigh the negative PR, both in fan reception and trying to lure possible future free agents.

DFA Everybody

by JakeS on Feb 2, 2007 12:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Trying to opt out?

Judging by recent injury-related retirements (Mueller, Worrell, etc.), it appears that players generally tend to receive their salaries.

The grey area with Matheny comes with his $2M buyout in 2008. My first instinct is to assume we're off the hook for this, but you never know. When Matheny signed a "three-year, $10.5M deal" as was widely reported, this $2M was included in that $10.5M figure. (Through 2007, we will only have paid him $8.5M.)

"Robb Nen is going to get you" - Benito Santiago to Chipper Jones, 10/7/02

by Pants Man on Feb 2, 2007 1:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

My understanding is,

the team pays the full agreed contract (presumably paying the agreed-upon buyout for '08 in this case) but most contracts are insured against career-ending injury. Thus, Matheny will get his paycheck, but the Giants should be effectively off the hook anyway because an insurance company will be paying. (I believe Bagwell with the Astros is a similar case.)

by giantnitpick on Feb 2, 2007 2:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: My understanding is,

I had been led to believe that insurance costs have become prohibitive over the past decade, and that virtually no contracts were insured any more by any teams.

"Robb Nen is going to get you" - Benito Santiago to Chipper Jones, 10/7/02

by Pants Man on Feb 2, 2007 3:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Looks like you're right.

I extrapolated from Bagwell, but a quick search suggests almost no MLB contracts are insured these days. So color me completely mistaken. (Hey, if I'm going to nitpick motes, I'd better be good and ready to admit to my own beams...)

by giantnitpick on Feb 2, 2007 4:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sad that Iron Mike has fallen

Hope all his symptoms go away quickly.

Kind of surprised, there was a lot of talk today about football concussions on shows like Around the Horn and PTI but nowhere was Mike Matheny mentioned. I think it's a valid point that baseball players (catchers) can be just as battered as football players. If not more even. If a catcher gets a knock a few times a game and it builds up every so often to a concussion they easily get the hits that a quarterback can get.

Here's to a good 2007. Or 2008. Or 2009. Or 2010. Or...

by WalrusMan on Feb 2, 2007 11:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs