Michael Warren Maroth (born August 17, 1977) is an American former

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), ...

(MLB)

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

and current pitching coach for the

UCF Knights The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I ( FBS for football) as a member of the Am ...

. Born in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, and after attending the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

, the

left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

Maroth made his Major League debut in 2002 for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Playing career

Early career

A third-round pick in the 1998 draft, Maroth spent his first two years of professional baseball playing for the Single-A

Sarasota Red Sox Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

in the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

organization. He led Sarasota's starting pitchers with 11 wins in 1999.

Detroit Tigers

Before the 2000 season, Maroth was traded to the Tigers organization for relief pitcher

Bryce Florie Bryce Bettancourt Florie (born May 21, 1970) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Florie pitched for four teams, the San Diego Padres (–), the Milwaukee Brewers (1996–), the Detroit Tigers (–), and the Boston Red Sox (1999–), and fi ...

and worked his way up from the Single-A

Lakeland Tigers Lakeland is primarily a toponym. It may refer to: Places Australia *Lakeland, Queensland Canada *Lakeland (electoral district), a federal electoral district in Alberta *Lakeland County, a former municipal district in Alberta * District of La ...

to the Triple-A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

by 2001. Maroth had a 4.65

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) with Toledo. At the time of his promotion to the Tigers, he was also tied for second place in wins for the entire

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

. Maroth was made a starter for the Tigers on June 8, 2002. In 2003, Maroth

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

21 games for the Tigers—the first pitcher to lose 20 or more games in a season since

Brian Kingman Brian Paul Kingman (born July 27, 1953) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1979 to 1983 for the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before signing with the Athletics in ...

lost 20 for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

in 1980. However, he led the Tigers in wins (9) and win–loss percentage (.300) while the team set the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

record of 119 games lost (43–119). Maroth rebounded to a decent 2004 campaign, going 11–13 with a 4.31 ERA and 108

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s. 2004 also saw Maroth pitch a one-hit complete game shutout against a surging

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

team that July – he lost his no-hit bid in the fourth-inning due to future teammate Gary Sheffield. In light of the Tigers continually struggling offense, Maroth's 2005 performance was similarly solid, as he managed to rack up 14 wins from 28 starts – the second best record on the team, and just one loss behind their young ace,

Jeremy Bonderman Jeremy Allen Bonderman (born October 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Bonderman batted and threw right-handed. High school Bonderman attended Pasco High School in Pasco, Washington. In his last year of high school ...

. In 2006, Maroth assumed the No. 3 role in the starter rotation, behind the veteran

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

and Bonderman, and ahead of rookie

Justin Verlander Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. From Manakin-Sabot, ...

and

Nate Robertson Nathan Daniel Robertson, (born September 3, 1977) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies. Career Florida Marlins Robertson attended Wichi ...

. Maroth credited Rogers with suggested changes to his pitching strategy, and – after the season's first month – it appeared that he was experiencing a breakout year, though digging a little deeper reveals that his defense independent pitching statistics were actually about the same as they had been in the previous two seasons and that his sparkling ERA was due in large part to an exorbitant and unsustainable rate of stranding baserunners. After a start against the Kansas City Royals on May 25, Maroth was placed on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

in early June with bone chips in his left elbow. Late in the 2006 season, Maroth made four

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

appearances, posting a 9.53 ERA over 5 innings of work, giving up three

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s. Maroth was left off the postseason roster. He returned to the starting rotation in the 2007 season. He missed only one start due to illness. With Kenny Rogers on the DL, the rotation consisted of Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander,

Chad Durbin Chad Griffin Durbin (born December 3, 1977), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, and Detroit Tigers of the American League (AL), and the Ari ...

, and Nate Robertson.

St. Louis Cardinals

Maroth was traded to 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 ha ...

for a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

Minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

pitcher Chris Lambert, a former first-round pick for the Cardinals in 2004, was sent to the Tigers on August 31, 2007, to complete the deal. In his first career

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

start on June 25 against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

, Maroth surrendered just one

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

and two

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

in 7 innings, but did not figure in the decision. However, Maroth was unable to succeed in any role with St. Louis during the rest of the year, going 0–4 with an ERA above 10. He was given his release from the team on October 25, 2007.

Later career

On February 8, 2008, the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

signed Maroth to a minor league contract and invited him to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

. Maroth was released on May 2, 2008. Maroth underwent shoulder surgery in May 2008, expecting to be able to pitch by spring training 2009. On December 30, 2008, Maroth signed a minor league deal with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

. Maroth pitched two innings of an exhibition game on March 3, 2009, the first time he had thrown in a Major League game since 2007. Maroth commented "My arm felt great...Probably felt too great. It’s been a while since I've been able to get out there. Got that adrenaline." After not making the team out of camp, Maroth was released. On January 8, 2010, Maroth signed a minor league contract with the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

with an invite to spring training. Maroth did not make the team out of spring training and was sent down to triple A Rochester. In late May, Maroth had surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow causing him to be out four to five weeks. Maroth retired on January 25, 2011.

Coaching career

In September 2011, Maroth was named the pitching coach for the Class A Advanced

Lakeland Flying Tigers The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Lakeland, Florida, and play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. ...

. In October 2014, after three seasons with Lakeland, it was announced Maroth was named the pitching coach for the Triple-A

. In September 2015, the Atlanta Braves hired Maroth as their minor league rehab pitching coordinator. Maroth was named as the pitching coach for the A advanced

Florida Fire Frogs The Florida Fire Frogs were a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League from 2017 to 2020. They were located in North Port, Florida, and served as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Founded in 2017, the Fire Frog ...

in the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

organization for the 2018 season. Maroth was named as the pitching coach for the AAA

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

in the

organization for the 2019 season. Maroth was named as the pitching coach for his alma mater, the

of the

NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...

for the 2023 season.

Scouting report

Maroth was not an overpowering pitcher, rarely touching 88 MPH on his

two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...

. He also threw an 80 MPH cutter with a curveball and a changeup.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maroth, Mike 1977 births Living people category:Baseball coaches from Florida Baseball players from Orlando, Florida Detroit Tigers players Gulf Coast Twins players Indios de Mayagüez players Jacksonville Suns players Lakeland Tigers players Lowell Spinners players Major League Baseball pitchers Minor league baseball coaches Memphis Redbirds players Omaha Royals players Rochester Red Wings players Sportspeople from Orlando, Florida St. Louis Cardinals players Toledo Mud Hens players UCF Knights baseball players William R. Boone High School alumni University of Central Florida alumni