If you are a fan of baseball, you might have heard of Mike Matheny, the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals. He is also a former catcher who played for 13 seasons in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants. But is he related to Shane Matheny, another baseball player who plays for the San Francisco Giants organization? Here is what we found out.
Who is Shane Matheny?
Shane Matheny is a 25-year-old infielder who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 23rd round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He played college baseball at Washington State University, where he was a three-year starter and a team captain. He also played for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2016.
Shane Matheny has been playing in the minor leagues since 2017, and he reached the Double-A level in 2019 with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. He has a career batting average of .258 with 17 home runs and 121 RBIs in 316 games. He plays mostly third base, but he can also play second base and shortstop.
Who is Mike Matheny?
Mike Matheny is a 52-year-old former manager and player who retired from playing in 2006 due to persisting symptoms of concussion. He was known as one of the most accomplished defensive players of his era, winning four Gold Glove Awards as a catcher. He also made two World Series appearances, one as a player in 2004 with the Cardinals, and one as a manager in 2013 with the same team.
Mike Matheny became the manager of the Cardinals in 2012, after having no professional coaching or managerial experience. He led the team to four consecutive playoff appearances, including a National League pennant in 2013 and three NL Central division titles. He was fired in 2018 after a losing streak that dropped the team below .500. He then became the manager of the Royals in 2020, where he is still working.
The answer is no. Shane Matheny and Mike Matheny are not related by blood or by marriage. They just happen to share a common surname and a passion for baseball. However, they do have some connections through their baseball careers.
Shane Matheny plays for the Giants organization, which was Mike Matheny’s last team as a player. Mike Matheny also managed against Shane Matheny’s father, Scott Matheny, who was a coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018. Scott Matheny is also a former catcher who played in the minor leagues for six seasons.
Mike Matheny has his own son who plays baseball, Tate Matheny, who is an outfielder in the Boston Red Sox organization. Tate Matheny was drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Missouri State University. He has played in the minor leagues since then, reaching the Triple-A level in 2019 with the Pawtucket Red Sox. He has a career batting average of .254 with 28 home runs and 179 RBIs in 487 games.
Mike Matheny and Tate Matheny have shared some special moments on the field, such as when they exchanged lineup cards before a spring training game between the Cardinals and the Red Sox in 2018. They also had three generations of Mathenys present at that game, as Tate’s son Ryker was watching from the stands.
Conclusion
Shane Matheny and Mike Matheny are not related, but they are both baseball players who have crossed paths through their careers. They both play or played for teams that have some significance to each other, such as the Giants and the Cardinals. They also both have fathers who were catchers in professional baseball.
According to Wikipedia and MLB.com, Shane Matheny and Mike Matheny are not related by blood or by marriage.
