Mike Maroth

Mike Maroth
Maroth with the Detroit Tigers
Pitcher
Born: (1977-08-17) August 17, 1977 (age 46)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 8, 2002, for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
September 24, 2007, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record50–67
Earned run average5.05
Strikeouts443
Teams

Michael Warren Maroth (born August 17, 1977) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher and current pitching coach for the UCF Knights. [1][2] Born in Orlando, Florida, and after attending the University of Central Florida, the left-handed Maroth made his Major League debut in 2002 for the Detroit Tigers.

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 in the Boston Red Sox organization. He led Sarasota's starting pitchers with 11 wins in 1999.[citation needed]

Detroit Tigers

Before the 2000 season, Maroth was traded to the Tigers organization for relief pitcher Bryce Florie and worked his way up from the Single-A Lakeland Tigers to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens by 2001. Maroth had a 4.65 earned run average (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. Maroth was made a starter for the Tigers on June 8, 2002.[citation needed]

In 2003, Maroth lost 21 games for the Tigers—the first pitcher to lose 20 or more games in a season since Brian Kingman lost 20 for the Oakland Athletics in 1980. He remains the most recent pitcher to lose 20 or more games in a season as of 2023. However, he led the Tigers in wins (9) and win–loss percentage (.300) while the team set the American League record of 119 games lost (43–119).[3]

Maroth rebounded to a decent 2004 campaign, going 11–13 with a 4.31 ERA and 108 strikeouts. 2004 also saw Maroth pitch a one-hit complete game shutout against a surging New York Yankees team that July – he lost his no-hit bid in the fourth-inning [4] 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.

In 2006, Maroth assumed the No. 3 role in the starter rotation, behind the veteran Kenny Rogers and Bonderman, and ahead of rookie Justin Verlander and Nate Robertson. 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.[citation needed] After a start against the Kansas City Royals on May 25,[5] Maroth was placed on the disabled list in early June with bone chips in his left elbow. Late in the 2006 season, Maroth made four relief appearances, posting a 9.53 ERA over 52⁄3 innings of work, giving up three home runs. 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, and Nate Robertson.[citation needed]

St. Louis Cardinals

Maroth was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later. Minor league 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.[6] In his first career National League start on June 25 against the New York Mets, Maroth surrendered just one run and two hits in 71⁄3 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.[7]

Later career

On February 8, 2008, the Kansas City Royals signed Maroth to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.[8] Maroth was released on May 2, 2008.[9]

Maroth underwent shoulder surgery in May 2008, expecting to be able to pitch by spring training 2009.[10]

On December 30, 2008, Maroth signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.[11] 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."[12] 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 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.[13]

Coaching career

In September 2011, Maroth was named the pitching coach for the Class A Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers.[14] In October 2014, after three seasons with Lakeland, it was announced Maroth was named the pitching coach for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.[15]

In September 2015, the Atlanta Braves hired Maroth as their minor league rehab pitching coordinator.[16]

Maroth was named as the pitching coach for the A advanced Florida Fire Frogs in the Atlanta Braves organization for the 2018 season.

Maroth was named as the pitching coach for the AAA Gwinnett Stripers in the Atlanta Braves organization for the 2019 season.[citation needed]

Maroth was named as the pitching coach for his alma mater, the UCF Knights of the NCAA Division 1 American Athletic Conference for the 2023 season. [17]

Scouting report

Maroth was not an overpowering pitcher, rarely touching 88 MPH on his two-seam fastball. He also threw an 80 MPH cutter with a curveball and a changeup.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Mike Maroth - Assistant Coach - Baseball Coaches".
  2. ^ "Former Knight and MLBer Mike Maroth Hired as UCF's Pitching Coach". January 5, 2023.
  3. ^ "2003 Detroit Tigers Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  4. ^ "Maroth fires 1-hitter to blank Yankees - Results- NBC Sports". Archived from the original on October 8, 2012.
  5. ^ "Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals Box Score, May 25, 2006".
  6. ^ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070831/SPORTS02/70831011/0/NEWS07. {cite news}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[dead link]
  7. ^ Leach, Matthew (October 25, 2007). "Cardinals release Maroth". MLB.com. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  8. ^ Kaegel, Dick (February 8, 2008). "Royals ink Maroth to Minors contract". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  9. ^ "Kansas City Royals Transactions: May 2008". MLB.com. May 31, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  10. ^ "Maroth Rehabbing Shoulder in Orlando". June 16, 2008. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  11. ^ "Jays sign four to Minor League contracts". December 30, 2008. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  12. ^ "Ex-Tiger Mike Maroth pitches for first time since '07". Detroit Free Press. March 4, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2009.[dead link]
  13. ^ "Former Tigers pitcher Mike Maroth to retire". Archived from the original on July 30, 2012.
  14. ^ "Tigers name former pitcher Mike Maroth pitching coach for Single-A Lakeland". September 26, 2011.
  15. ^ Beck, Jason (October 29, 2014). "Maroth moves up to coach pitchers at Toledo". MLB. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  16. ^ "Braves announce Mike Maroth as Minor League rehabilitation pitching coordinator". MLB.com. September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  17. ^ "Former Knight and MLBer Mike Maroth Hired as UCF's Pitching Coach". January 5, 2023.
  18. ^ "Mike Maroth St. Louis Cardinals". Retrieved May 16, 2014.

External links