Matheny retires due to concussion aftereffects

by BTown Birds fan on Feb 1, 2007 8:52 PM EST

From http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Albjw3OTflYg45m1yc.e66ERvLYF?slug=ap-giants-mathenyretires& ;prov=ap&type=lgns

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Mike Matheny's decision to retire was made for him. His doctor refused to clear the longtime catcher to play in 2007 after a concussion sidelined him for the final four months of last season.

Matheny's announcement Thursday that he is hanging up his catching gear after 13 major league seasons came as no surprise. He didn't play again for the San Francisco Giants after May 31 following a series of foul tips he took in the mask -- and doctors warned him that he was more susceptible to even further damage if he received another blow.

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Here's hoping he's back with the Cards as a coach soon.

0 recs | Comment 12 comments

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future coaching staff

Matheny's young for a retiree, so it figures he'd want to return to baseball soon after he spends some time with his family.

La Russa and Duncan aren't going anywhere anytime soon(nor should they) but when they do, hopefully Oquendo will still be around and Matheny will have spent some years coaching under Duncan's tutelage.

by mateodh on Feb 1, 2007 9:10 PM EST 0 recs

i hope

matheny does join the cardinals in some way. he was always one of my favorites .

p.s.

oquendo will leave st.louis after this season. somebody will give him a mangers job.

SWH

by BRINGBACKWILSON on Feb 1, 2007 10:20 PM EST 0 recs

If Oquendo leaves..

that should open up a position as third base coach. Can anyone say number 51.

"And that's a winner. A World Series winner for the Cardinals."

by Bird Watcher on Feb 1, 2007 11:53 PM EST up 0 recs

Wow...

that would be great to see him in a redbird uniform again.

by stash3630 on Feb 2, 2007 1:37 AM EST up 0 recs

Matheny

He will be around San Fran this year because most likely they will pay him the remainder of his contract then I believe it is back to
St. Louis.

http://whiteyball.wordpress.com/

by whiteyball on Feb 1, 2007 10:55 PM EST 0 recs

Matt Leach's blog

has a nice piece up about Matheny.

http://yourenotagolfer.mlblogs.com/

Its as sad to see Matheny retire as it was when he left the lou. Good luck Mike.

by stash3630 on Feb 2, 2007 1:36 AM EST 0 recs

Good luck to Mike

I really do think he'll make one hell of a pitching coach and/or manager someday. He gave some strong years to the Cards while wearing the tools of ignorance.

Nothing but the best for him in the future.

Cheers

by Alxfritz on Feb 2, 2007 1:54 AM EST 0 recs

Always curious

Matheny was always given so much credit for the pitching staffs. I know pitchers become pitching coaches but get a bad rap as managers. Have there been a lot of catchers that make the jump to pitching coach?

Opening Night 2007, here I come!

by gforce on Feb 2, 2007 3:27 AM EST up 0 recs

The

best one I can think of is.

Cheers

by Alxfritz on Feb 2, 2007 8:10 AM EST up 0 recs

Super Dave

Your very own David Duncan was a catcher.
http://whiteyball.wordpress.com/

by whiteyball on Feb 2, 2007 6:50 AM EST 0 recs

I heard an interview with him

on a local SF station last night (KNBR). Looks like he's still struggling with the effects of the concussions.

He said it wasn't until mid-October that he stopped having spells of coming into a room and forgetting why or driving past exits and forgetting where he was going.

He's repeatedly failed motor skill tests and cognitive tests and can't get medial clearance to play.

He's still having problems if his heart rate increases and he's using a heart monitor.

One other point of note: looks like he has some hurt feelings about his exit from the Cardinals. He said he was happy for some of the guys on the team that they won the Series, but not that happy that the team won. And he was not happy when asked that question by the radio hosts. He said when he left the Cards he turned his back and was only a Giant.

2006 World Champs! Inconceivable! You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

by BozCardsFanSF on Feb 2, 2007 9:09 AM EST 0 recs

I hope people

will take this opportunity to look back on how they spoke about JEd last year when he was dealing with his post-concussion syndrome. It's not just a matter of taking a couple of Advil and sucking it up, folks.
I wish Mike nothing but the best and hope that he can recover enough to lead as normal a life as possible.

by cardsrul on Feb 2, 2007 11:51 AM EST 0 recs