Gregory Inman Mathews (born May 17, 1962) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. He played all or parts of five seasons in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
between 1986 and 1992 for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
and the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
.
Mathews is an alumnus of
Savanna High School
Savanna High School (SHS) is a public high school in the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), located in the city of Anaheim, California in the United States. Savanna was established in 1961 and is one of eight comprehensive high schools w ...
in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, and of
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
. He played summer collegiate baseball for the
Hazlet Elks of the
Saskatchewan Major Baseball League
The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league based in Saskatchewan and Alberta that descends from leagues dating to 1931.
History
The league can trace its roots back to 1931, via its predecessors. The South ...
in 1986 prior to playing in the majors. During his rookie year Greg put up a 3.65 ERA in 145.1 innings. His 11 wins in 1986 were the most by a Cardinal rookie since
Brooks Lawrence
Brooks Ulysses Lawrence (January 30, 1925 – April 27, 2000) was a Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1954–1955), Cincinnati Redlegs (1956–1959), and Cincinnati Reds (1960).
Lawrence was born in Springfie ...
had 15 in 1954;
Luis Arroyo
Luis Enrique "Tite" Arroyo, (February 18, 1927 – January 13, 2016) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1955 to 1963. Arroyo was the first Puerto Rican player to appear for the New York Yankees and was a key part of their pennant winning s ...
also had 11 wins as a rookie in 1955.
His best year is most likely 1987, when he posted a 3.73 ERA, won 11 games and struck out 108 batters.
He lives in
Buena Park, California
Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 mi ...
.
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet o
Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
1962 births
Living people
Arkansas Travelers players
Baseball players from Los Angeles
Beloit Brewers players
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players
California State University, Fullerton alumni
Denver Zephyrs players
El Paso Diablos players
Erie Cardinals players
Johnson City Cardinals players
Louisville Redbirds players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Philadelphia Phillies players
Santa Ana Dons baseball players
Savannah Cardinals players
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players
St. Louis Cardinals players
St. Petersburg Cardinals players
Tigres de Aragua players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Webster University alumni
People from Harbor City, Los Angeles
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