Mike Matheny

Sports, character, and life. That is what Mike Matheny writes about in his book, The Matheny Manifesto. Many people know Mike Matheny as the former catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and their now club manager. They know him as a winner and a great example. But what many may not know is the story of what happened between his days as a player and his managerial career.

A living room full of parents, a letter, and a life principle that he could not walk away from defined what would happen in the life of Mike Matheny and a group of kids that he would teach not only baseball, but the game of life. He would teach them respect, character, integrity and baseball. But he would also teach that winning is not everything. It is how you live your life, how you play the game.

Matheny doesn’t shy away from his Christian faith and he is convinced, as am I, that the Bible is the ultimate road map to daily living. He makes no apologies for teaching his players Biblical truths on and off the field and they come out better for it.

Matheny also believes that a major problem with youth sports is the parents. Parents that put too much pressure on the kids, parents that kill the game by taking the fun out of it, parents that foster disrespect by second guessing coaches and umpires. Matheny let them know that if they engage in that behavior, their kid is off the team. And he stuck to his guns.

As a baseball lover, though I hate the Cardinals (I’m a Reds fan), I could not put this book down. As a Christian, I was inspired. As a human being I was touched. This book is not just for parents or coaches, this book is for everyone who wants to know what life is truly about and how to play life’s game the right way.

Disclaimer: I was given this book free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.… (lisätietoja)

This is an ER book that hasn't shown up yet but, as a huge baseball fan, I was so eager to read it that I picked up a copy of the library.

It was not at all what I expected. That doesn't make it bad, just different. I expected a baseball biography with some discussion of "life lessons" but the focus of the book is clearly on life lessons, particularly for coaches of youth sports. For that audience, I would say it's outstanding.

For baseball fans like me, it's very good, as Matheny talks about his baseball career as both a player and a manager, but the baseball angle is not primary, instructing kids in youth sports is key.

Matheny's old school approach presents an interesting approach to dealing with kids, via his manifesto.… (lisätietoja)

A handful of book reviews:
"A must read for parents, coaches, teachers all who work with young people" —Jim Harbaugh

“[T]his book should be read by anybody who coaches a kids team, as well as the parents of those kids.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Every parent who has a son or daughter that plays sports, dances, plays in the band, is in theater, or does anything as team or group, must read The Matheny Manifesto." —Quad-Cities Online, The Dispatch

“You win, or in this case, lose, with class. With integrity. You play hard. You play smart. You respect yourself, your teammates, your opponents, and your craft. It’s a game and it should be fun. It’s a business, and those realities are there, too. But it can be more than just that. It can, at least for some, be an expression of principles…. In many ways, Matheny’s still new, but already extremely successful, tenure with the Cardinals is an ongoing example of those principles writ large.”
—From the afterword by Bob Costas

“The Matheny Manifesto illustrates a perspective we need not only in youth sports, but in our culture as a whole. By teaching the importance of respect, character, and a team-first approach, Mike Matheny gives our kids, and those who set an example for them, a positive outlook on healthy competition—and demonstrates how the most powerful lessons of baseball apply to their futures beyond the diamond.”
—Joe Torre

“Readers agree there are ‘must read ‘ books. The Matheny Manifesto, inspired by Mike's letter is one and much more. After you read it, you ‘must consider’ and then ‘must act’ on its core principles—principles that benefit coaches, parents, success seekers, and especially young players.”
—Tony La Russa… (lisätietoja)