Joe Mather
Encyclopedia
Joseph Paul Mather is an American
professional baseball
outfielder
and third baseman
who is a free agent.
. At Mountain Pointe High School
in Ahwatukee
, 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 run
s in a career. Mather also earned nicknames such as "Jo-Jo" and Joe Cotton Mather
, a reference to the 17th century puritan minister.
before his promotion to the St. Louis Cardinals, Mather hit
.315 with 12 home runs, 24 RBI, and slugged .671.
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).
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.
. 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." He had a career high 4 hit, 4 RBI night when the Braves faced the Angels on May 21,2011. He was designated for assignment on June 19 and was later outrighted to Triple-A, but instead, he opted for free agency.
and was assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs
the following day.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball 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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
who is a free agent.
Early life
Mather was born on July 23, 1982, in Sandpoint, IdahoSandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products and light manufacturing, tourism and recreation and government services...
. At Mountain Pointe High School
Mountain Pointe High School
Mountain Pointe High School is a secondary school located in the community of Ahwatukee, which is in the southern part of Phoenix, Arizona. Mountain Pointe is a part of the Tempe Union High School District....
in Ahwatukee
Ahwatukee
Ahwatukee is an affluent L-shaped neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona bordered on the north by South Mountain Park and Baseline Road, on the east by Interstate 10 and the cities of Chandler, Guadalupe, and Tempe, and on the south and west by the Gila River Indian Community. It is the southernmost of...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
he played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and was also an All-State performer in baseball
Baseball
Baseball 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...
. He also set the school record for the most RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in a career. Mather also earned nicknames such as "Jo-Jo" and Joe Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather, FRS was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer; he is often remembered for his role in the Salem witch trials...
, a reference to the 17th century puritan minister.
Minor leagues
In 38 games with the Memphis RedbirdsMemphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
before his promotion to the St. Louis Cardinals, Mather hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.315 with 12 home runs, 24 RBI, and slugged .671.
St. Louis Cardinals
On May 30, , Mather was promoted from Triple-A to the Major league club after outfielder Chris DuncanChris Duncan
Christopher Edwin Duncan is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who is currently a free agent.He is the youngest son of Dave Duncan, a former catcher and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
was optioned to Triple-A . On the same day as his call-up, he was in the starting lineup as the right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
for the Cardinals. He picked up his first major league hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and RBI in the 7th inning, driving in the game-winning run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
.
He was the last man cut in April 2009
2009 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...
, for the team to get to the 25-man roster before Opening Day (Apr. 6).
On April 17, 2010, Mather came in for a stint as pitcher in the 19th and 20th innings against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, picking up the loss in the game when the Mets won 2-1 in the 20th.
Atlanta Braves
Mather was claimed by the Atlanta Braves on November 3, 2010. After failing to make the Braves' 2011 Opening Day roster, the organization placed him on outright waivers. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett BravesGwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Braves are a minor league baseball team in the International League, the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Atlanta Braves. The team was previously the Richmond Braves for 43 seasons . On January 14, 2008, it was announced that the Richmond Braves would move from Richmond,...
. On April 28, he had his contract purchased from the minors by the Braves, a move that general manager, Frank Wren
Frank Wren
Franklin E. Wren is an American front office executive in Major League Baseball. Since the end of the baseball season, he has been the general manager of the Atlanta Braves....
, described as a "necessity." He had a career high 4 hit, 4 RBI night when the Braves faced the Angels on May 21,2011. He was designated for assignment on June 19 and was later outrighted to Triple-A, but instead, he opted for free agency.
Colorado Rockies
On July 4, 2011, Mather signed with the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and was assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
the following day.
External links
- 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