| Mike Cather | |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 17 December 1970 |
| 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: |
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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, he was named minor league pitching coordinator of the Miami Marlins.[1]
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 6feet tall and .
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.[2] He was drafted in the 41st round of the free-agent draft by the Texas Rangers and was signed on June 5, 1993.[2] [3] 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.[3]
Cather made his major league debut on July 13, at age 26 with the Atlanta Braves.[3] On that day, the New York Mets were playing against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field with 42,111 people attending the game.[4] In the top of the seventh inning, Cather was called to replace Keith Lockhart pitching and batting ninth.[4] He pitched two innings, striking out one batter and allowing only one base on balls.[2] At the end of the game, the Atlanta Braves lost against the New york Mets with the score at 7–6.[4]
He did not allow an earned run over his first eight games.[2] 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.[2] 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.[2]
In the season, he played and made it on the Opening Day roster.[2] 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.[2] 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).[2] He then was able to play the season, playing his last Major League Baseball game on April 12, 1999, and was granted free agency on October 15.[3] In, he played Triple-A in Minor League Baseball in the Florida Marlins organization.[2] In, he played in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Cather became a private instructor for pitchers from 2001 to . In, 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 to be the pitching coach for the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League and spent three seasons in that post. In –11, he was one of the MLB Red Sox' advance scouts.[5] [6] He then returned to coaching in when he was named the roving minor league pitching coordinator of the San Diego Padres.[7]
After two years in that position, he was named the pitching coach of the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres' affiliate in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.[8] Then, in December 2014, Cather joined the Chicago Cubs' organization as pitching coach of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs,[9] 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.[10] On June 15, 2019, Cather was relieved of his duties as pitching coach at Arizona State.[11]