{{short description|American baseball player (born 1970)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{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.<ref>[http://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Friday-s-Sports-Transactions-6747274.php Transactions], The Associated Press, Jan. 8, 2016</ref>
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.<ref name=tireball/> 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.<ref name=tireball>{{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 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=tireball/><ref name=br>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cathemi01.shtml|title=Baseball Reference|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-08-23}}</ref> 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.<ref name=br/>
Cather made his major league debut on July 13, {{mlby|1997}} at age 26 with the Atlanta Braves.<ref name=br/> On that day, the New York Mets were playing against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field with 42,111 people attending the game.<ref name=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}}</ref> In the top of the seventh inning, Cather was called to replace Keith Lockhart pitching and batting ninth.<ref name=game/> He pitched two innings, striking out one batter and allowing only one base on balls.<ref name=tireball/> At the end of the game, the Atlanta Braves lost against the New york Mets with the score at 7–6.<ref name=game/>
He did not allow an earned run over his first eight games.<ref name=tireball/> 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.<ref name=tireball/> 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.<ref name=tireball/>
In the {{mlby|1998}} season, he played and made it on the Opening Day roster.<ref name=tireball/> 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.<ref name=tireball/> 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).<ref name=tireball/> 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.<ref name=br/> In {{By|2000}}, he played Triple-A in Minor League Baseball in the Florida Marlins organization.<ref name=tireball/> 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.<ref name=coaching>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref> He then returned to coaching in {{by|2012}} when he was named the roving minor league pitching coordinator of the San Diego Padres.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>
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.<ref>[https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-64366022 milv.com]</ref> Then, in December 2014, Cather joined the Chicago Cubs' organization as pitching coach of the {{by|2015}} Triple-A Iowa Cubs,<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On June 15, 2019, Cather was relieved of his duties as pitching coach at Arizona State.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He then spent 2 years with the New York Mets organization as an Assistant pitching coordinator and AAA pitching coach. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-cather-3b94b525b |title=Mike Cather LinkedIn |author=Mike Cather |date=April 2022 |publisher=LinkedIn |work= LinkedIn.com |accessdate=July 20, 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|br=c/cathemi01|brm=cather001mic|retro=C/Pcathm001}} *[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=cathemi01 Baseball Almanac]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cather, Mike}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:Atlanta Braves players Category:Arizona State Sun Devils baseball coaches Category:Baseball coaches from California Category:Baseball players from San Diego Category:Boston Red Sox scouts Category:Calgary Cannons players Category:California Golden Bears baseball players Category:Charlotte Rangers players Category:Greenville Braves players Category:Gulf Coast Rangers players Category:Macon Peaches players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Memphis Redbirds players Category:Richmond Braves players Category:Tiburones de La Guaira players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Category:Tulsa Drillers players Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:Winnipeg Goldeyes players