RetroSimba

Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny made a play that his manager, Tony La Russa, called “the best I’ve ever seen to win a game.”

On May 4, 2004, in the Cardinals’ first appearance at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, closer Jason Isringhausen recorded a save, but it should have been credited to his catcher.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the Cardinals ahead, 6-5, the Phillies loaded the bases with two outs against Isringhausen. Pat Burrell, who hit a home run off starter Chris Carpenter in the fifth inning, stepped to the plate.

Epic showdown

With the count 2-and-2, Burrell fouled off three consecutive 94 mph pitches from Isringhausen.

For the eighth pitch of the matchup, Matheny called for a cut fastball down and away. The catcher positioned himself accordingly.

Isringhausen delivered a pitch high and inside.

Burrell took a mighty rip. It appeared to some, including Isringhausen, that Burrell’s swing had resulted in a foul tip, because the ball sailed past Matheny and umpire Kerwin Danley and rocketed toward the brick backstop in front of the stands behind home plate.

“I thought it was a foul tip,” La Russa said to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Matheny, who couldn’t shift in time to catch the pitch, knew Burrell had swung and missed for strike three. Burrell knew it, too, and he barreled toward first base.

Said La Russa: “I heard someone yell, ‘Chase it,’ and I started panicking.”

Matheny, his mind in overdrive, turned and pursued the ball, which, fortunately for the Cardinals, ricocheted off the backstop and toward the catcher.

“I knew there wasn’t a lot of time,” Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “There was a lot of stuff going through my mind.”

Retrieving the ball, Matheny whirled, quickly determined he had no chance to nail Marlon Byrd racing from third to home, and fired the ball to first baseman Albert Pujols.

“It’s all a blur,” Matheny said. “Fortunately, it took a good kick off that wall.”

Said La Russa: “(Matheny) had a long way to go. Where was his margin to throw the ball without hitting the runner?”

Gold Glove catcher

Matheny’s accurate missile beat Burrell by a half step for the third out and a 6-5 Cardinals victory.

“That’s one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen to win a game,” La Russa said. “I’m sure if I thought about it overnight, I’d say it was the best play I’ve ever seen to win a game.”

Said Matheny: “If Burrell had beaten the throw, that would have been a nightmare. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight.”

In an interview with the Bucks County Courier Times, Burrell added,  “I was way too overly aggressive in that at-bat. I ended up swinging at bad pitches.” Boxscore

Matheny won his third of four career Gold Glove awards in 2004. He also led National League catchers in fielding percentage at .999, committing one error in 977.2 innings caught.