Mike Cather

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Mike Cather

|image=

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1970|12|17}}

|birth_place=San Diego, California, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=July 13

|debutyear=1997

|debutteam=Atlanta Braves

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=April 12

|finalyear=1999

|finalteam=Atlanta Braves

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=5–6

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.42

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=62

|teams=

Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|1999}})

}}

Michael Peter Cather (born December 17, 1970) is an American professional baseball coach and a former professional baseball right-handed pitcher who appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) in three seasons (1997–99) for the Atlanta Braves. In {{by|2016}}, he was named minor league pitching coordinator of the Miami Marlins.[http://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Friday-s-Sports-Transactions-6747274.php Transactions], The Associated Press, Jan. 8, 2016

Born in San Diego, California, Cather also pitched in the organizations of the Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, and St. Louis Cardinals during a ten-year pro career. He is listed at {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and {{convert|195|lb}}.

Pitching career

He attended the University of California at Berkeley where he participated in college baseball. In college, he had pitched in the 1992 College World Series.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tireball.com/behindthedugout/profiles/mike-cather/ |title=Baseball biography |publisher=www.tireball.com |accessdate=2008-08-23 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603061041/http://www.tireball.com/behindthedugout/profiles/mike-cather/ |archivedate=2008-06-03 |url-status=dead }} He was drafted in the 41st round of the {{By|1993}} free-agent draft by the Texas Rangers and was signed on June 5, 1993.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cathemi01.shtml|title=Baseball Reference|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-08-23}} On June 14, 1995, he was released by the Texas Rangers and was purchased by the Atlanta Braves from Winnipeg (Northern) on February 2, 1996.

Cather made his major league debut on July 13, {{mlby|1997}} at age 26 with the Atlanta Braves. On that day, the New York Mets were playing against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field with 42,111 people attending the game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199707130.shtml|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|title=New York Mets against Atlanta Braves on July 13, 1997|accessdate=2008-08-23}} In the top of the seventh inning, Cather was called to replace Keith Lockhart pitching and batting ninth. He pitched two innings, striking out one batter and allowing only one base on balls. At the end of the game, the Atlanta Braves lost against the New york Mets with the score at 7–6.

He did not allow an earned run over his first eight games. He earned his first major-league win on September 22 in the Braves’ 11-inning, 3–2 win against the Montreal Expos, the same night the Braves earned the National League Eastern Division title. In the National League Division Series that year, he pitched two scoreless innings in Game 2 against the Houston Astros and did not allow a run over four games in the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins.

In the {{mlby|1998}} season, he played and made it on the Opening Day roster. On August 31 of the same season, Cather was placed on the 60-day disabled list due to a circulatory problem of Cather's right arm. He had surgery in October in order to remove his first rib on his right side, which was impinging on an artery (thoracic outlet syndrome). He then was able to play the {{mlby|1999}} season, playing his last Major League Baseball game on April 12, 1999, and was granted free agency on October 15. In {{By|2000}}, he played Triple-A in Minor League Baseball in the Florida Marlins organization. In {{By|2001}}, he played in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Instructor, coach and scout

Cather became a private instructor for pitchers from 2001 to {{By|2005}}. In {{By|2006}}, he joined the Boston Red Sox organization as the pitching coach for the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Class A Carolina League. He was promoted in {{By|2007}} to be the pitching coach for the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League and spent three seasons in that post. In {{by|2010}}–11, he was one of the MLB Red Sox' advance scouts.{{Cite web|url=http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070102&content_id=1771831&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304171604/http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070102&content_id=1771831&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 4, 2007|title=Red Sox complete 2007 Minor League managerial staff with appointment of Jon Deeble at Single-A Lowell|publisher=boston.redsox.mlb.com|accessdate=2008-08-23}}{{cite web |url=http://www.wmtw.com/sports/22029191/detail.html |title=Sea Dogs 2010 Staff Announced - Sports News Story - WMTW Portland |accessdate=2009-12-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717045539/http://www.wmtw.com/sports/22029191/detail.html |archivedate=2011-07-17 }} He then returned to coaching in {{by|2012}} when he was named the roving minor league pitching coordinator of the San Diego Padres.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pressherald.com/blogs/thomas/134023843.html |title=[[Portland Press Herald]], 2011-11-17 |access-date=2012-03-13 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907192340/http://www.pressherald.com/blogs/thomas/134023843.html |archive-date=2012-09-07 |url-status=dead }}

After two years in that position, he was named the {{by|2014}} pitching coach of the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres' affiliate in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.[https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-64366022 milv.com] Then, in December 2014, Cather joined the Chicago Cubs' organization as pitching coach of the {{by|2015}} Triple-A Iowa Cubs,{{cite news|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/baseball/iowa-cubs/2014/12/17/iowa-cubs-kris-bryant-marty-pevey/20548889/|title=Will Iowa Cubs fans see Kris Bryant in D.M. next year?|last=Birch|first=Tommy|date=December 17, 2014|publisher=The Des Moines Register|accessdate=29 August 2015}} holding that post for one season before rejoining the Marlins as minor league pitching coordinator.

On July 11, 2017, Cather was named the pitching coach for Arizona State University.{{cite web |url=https://thesundevils.com/news/2017/7/11/sun-devil-baseball-announces-mike-cather-as-pitching-coach.aspx |title=Sun Devil Baseball Announces Mike Cather as Pitching Coach |date=July 11, 2017 |publisher=Sun Devil Athletics |work=www.thesundevils.com |accessdate=July 22, 2019}} On June 15, 2019, Cather was relieved of his duties as pitching coach at Arizona State.{{cite web |url=https://247sports.com/college/arizona-state/Article/ASU-baseball-Mike-Cather-pitching-coach-Tracy-Smith-132618844/ |title=Report: ASU parting ways with pitching coach Mike Cather |author=Jack Harris |date=June 15, 2019 |publisher=CBS Interactive Sports |work=www.247sports.com |accessdate=July 22, 2019}}