Matt Mantei
Encyclopedia
Matthew Bruce Mantei [MAN-tie] (born July 7, 1973 in Tampa, Florida
) is a former Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
. In his career, Mantei played with the Florida Marlins
, Arizona Diamondbacks
and Boston Red Sox
. He batted and threw right-handed.
. He had two fastball
s, one of which regularly hit 95 MPH and occasionally hit 100, a sharp curve
and an occasional slider
. He was also known to throw a knuckleball
earlier in his career. Two issues concerning his play were his control and his ability for his arm to stay healthy.
After posting 32 saves in , Mantei was slowed by injuries in and , when a right-elbow injury ended his season in April and he underwent "Tommy John"
ligament replacement surgery. In Mantei worked hard to regain his old form. Despite the fact that he missed a month in , he finished strong in the last three months of the season. He had 29 saves while posting a 2.62 ERA
.
Mantei missed most of 2004 after a surgery to deal with bone spur
s in his shoulder
. In 12 game
s, he was 0-3 with an 11.81 ERA and four saves. At the end of the season he was signed by the Red Sox. 2005 was yet another injury-plagued season for Mantei, as he only pitched 26.3 innings before being placed on the disabled list
for the remainder of the year. Mantei was invited to the Detroit Tigers
spring training
camp in 2006 to make a comeback try, but after suffering more arm troubles early in the spring, he left camp and was out of baseball until 2008
.
Mantei threw a bullpen session for the Detroit Tigers
on January 11, and signed a minor league contract with them. However, after experiencing discomfort in his arm a few games into spring training, he was released and retired on March 4.
In a ten-year career with Florida, Arizona, and Boston, Mantei owned a 14-18 record with a 4.07 ERA and 93 saves in 322.7 innings
. He also compiled a 1.98 strikeout-to-walk ratio (396-to-200) and a 1.39 WHIP
.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. In his career, Mantei played with the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He batted and threw right-handed.
Career
Mantei had four pitchesPitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
. He had two fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
s, one of which regularly hit 95 MPH and occasionally hit 100, a sharp curve
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
and an occasional slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
. He was also known to throw a knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
earlier in his career. Two issues concerning his play were his control and his ability for his arm to stay healthy.
After posting 32 saves in , Mantei was slowed by injuries in and , when a right-elbow injury ended his season in April and he underwent "Tommy John"
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
ligament replacement surgery. In Mantei worked hard to regain his old form. Despite the fact that he missed a month in , he finished strong in the last three months of the season. He had 29 saves while posting a 2.62 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Mantei missed most of 2004 after a surgery to deal with bone spur
Bone spur
Osteophytes, commonly referred to as bone spurs, are bony projections that form along joint margins. They should not be confused with enthesophytes, which are bony projections which form at the attachment of a tendon or ligament.-Pathophysiology:...
s in his shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
. In 12 game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s, he was 0-3 with an 11.81 ERA and four saves. At the end of the season he was signed by the Red Sox. 2005 was yet another injury-plagued season for Mantei, as he only pitched 26.3 innings before being placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
for the remainder of the year. Mantei was invited to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp in 2006 to make a comeback try, but after suffering more arm troubles early in the spring, he left camp and was out of baseball until 2008
2008 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:* Regular Season Champions* World Series Champions – Philadelphia Phillies** American League Champions – Tampa Bay Rays** National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies* Postseason – October 1 to October 29...
.
Mantei threw a bullpen session for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on January 11, and signed a minor league contract with them. However, after experiencing discomfort in his arm a few games into spring training, he was released and retired on March 4.
In a ten-year career with Florida, Arizona, and Boston, Mantei owned a 14-18 record with a 4.07 ERA and 93 saves in 322.7 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. He also compiled a 1.98 strikeout-to-walk ratio (396-to-200) and a 1.39 WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
.