American baseball player (born 1982)
Baseball player
Jason Louis Motte
(born June 22, 1982) is an American former
professional baseball
pitcher
. He played in
Major League Baseball
(MLB) for the
St. Louis Cardinals
,
Chicago Cubs
,
Colorado Rockies
, and
Atlanta Braves
. The Cardinals drafted him as a
catcher
in
2003
and he converted to pitching in
2006
. Motte played a key role in the
2011 World Series
championship
run, saving five
postseason
games. In
2012
, he led the
National League
(NL) in
saves
with 42. Motte had
Tommy John surgery
to repair an
ulnar collateral ligament
injury that kept him from playing all of
2013
. After returning to the Cardinals midway through the 2014 season, Motte signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Cubs for 2015.
Early life and amateur career
[
edit
]
Motte was born in
Port Huron, Michigan
. His father, James, worked for
Wheelabrator Technologies
and moved the family around several times during Motte's childhood including stops in
Shreveport, Louisiana
,
Shelton, Connecticut
,
Pueblo, Colorado
,
Pensacola, Florida
and, ultimately,
Montgomery, New York
.
[1]
He graduated from
Valley Central High School
in Montgomery in 2000 and played
catcher
on the varsity baseball team. Valley Central is also the alma mater of former MLB pitcher
Matt Morris
.
[2]
He then attended
Iona College
in
New Rochelle, New York
. At Iona, Motte could throw to second base from behind the plate as fast as 1.76 seconds, and was clocked at throwing 85 mph from this position. While Motte never pitched for Iona, the school's pitching coach reported that, with shinguards on, Motte once released a 94 mph pitch from the mound at practice.
[3]
Despite his arm strength, Motte never threw a single pitch in a game in either high school or college.
[4]
Professional career
[
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]
Draft and minor leagues: Catcher (2003?2008)
[
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]
Cardinals selected Motte in the 19th round of the
2003 Major League Baseball draft
as a catcher. In 2003 with the Peoria Chiefs, in 48 games at catcher he committed four errors with five
passed balls
.
[5]
Early in his
minor league
career, he struggled as a hitter. He
batted
.222 in
2003
, .175 in
2004
, and .176 in
2005
. On June 29, 2005, Motte went on the
disabled list
(DL) for a
thumb
fracture
while playing for the High-A
Palm Beach Cardinals
. Entering the
2006
season, Motte had compiled a .188 career batting average. He also had just 21
walks
, 13
doubles
and four
home runs
in 209 minor league games as a catcher. However, his arm strength and accuracy were difficult to ignore. Motte threw out 53 of 109 would-be
base stealers
for a 49%
rate
. He also recorded 160
assists
in his first 181 games.
[6]
Spurred by the thumb injury, declining batting average, and conspicuous throwing abilities, Motte converted to pitching.
[7]
Conversion to pitcher: 2006
[
edit
]
The results as a pitcher showed much more promise than attempting to become a Major League hitter. Between
State College
and
Quad Cities
in 2006, Motte pitched his first 39 professional
innings
. He
struck out
38 batters and posted a 3.69
earned run average
while allowing 10.6
hits per nine innings
pitched. The next season, he improved across the board. Between
Palm Beach
and
Springfield
, he totaled 59 innings, 69 strikeouts, a 1.98 ERA, and 6.6 hits per nine innings.
[6]
That performance made him one of the Cardinals' top pitching prospects and the Cardinals added him to their 40-man roster in early December
2007
to avoid exposing him to the
Rule 5 draft
.
[7]
Motte spent the majority of the 2008 season with the
Memphis Redbirds
, the St. Louis Cardinals'
Triple-A
farm team in the
Pacific Coast League
. His abilities as strikeout pitcher became even more prominent: in
66
+
2
⁄
3
innings, he struck out 110, a rate of 14.8
strikeouts per nine innings pitched
.
[6]
St. Louis Cardinals (2008?2014)
[
edit
]
2008?11
[
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]
The Cardinals called Motte from the minor leagues on September 2,
2008
. He recorded a total of 12 appearances, all in relief, with an ERA of 0.82 in his first month in the big leagues. In 11 innings, Motte struck out 16 batters, allowing three walks and five hits. He earned his first
save
on September 18 against
Cincinnati
in their
ballpark
, getting the final out in the ninth inning with a fly ball to left field.
[8]
During the 2009
spring training
camp, Motte competed with
Ryan Franklin
and
Chris Perez
in an attempt to earn the role as the Cardinals' 2009
closer
;
manager
Tony La Russa
later said he would not establish a closer. Instead, he would use a mix of relievers in the ninth inning. Motte was called on to save the
first game
. However, he gave up four runs to the
Pittsburgh Pirates
in the ninth inning. Pittsburgh won 6?4. After this blown save opportunity, La Russa moved Motte into a
middle reliever
role. Despite the blown the save on opening day and occasional rough outings that contributed to a 4.59 ERA, Motte recorded 14
holds
. Motte became the Cardinals'
de facto
closer late in the 2011 season ? La Russa still had not named him as the closer ? helping his team win the
Wild Card
. Motte pitched in two games against the
Philadelphia Phillies
in the
2011 National League Division Series
(NLDS), in which the Cardinals won the series 3 games to 2. Motte also pitched in three games in the
2011 National League Championship Series
(NLCS) against St. Louis'
division
rival, the
Milwaukee Brewers
. The Cardinals won this series in six games. Motte was on the mound for the final out of the NLCS winning the Cardinals their 18th pennant. He was also on the mound when the Cardinals defeated the
Texas Rangers
in the World Series.
2012
[
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]
He won the
NL Player of the Week Award
for the first time for his week of September 17?23, after picking up his fifth consecutive save out of five opportunities and league-leading 40th.
[9]
Motte finished the season with 2.75 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 76 innings, along with a National League-leading 42 saves. Motte is one of five pitchers in Cardinals history to reach 40 or more saves, joining Hall of Fame pitchers
Lee Smith
and
Bruce Sutter
, as well as
Jason Isringhausen
and
Trevor Rosenthal
.
[10]
[11]
2013
[
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]
On January 22,
2013
, the St. Louis Cardinals reached a two-year contract with Motte, the financial details of which were not disclosed.
[10]
The deal effectively bought out the final two years of Motte's arbitration eligibility. At the end of the contract he became a free agent.
[10]
Motte earned $1.95 million in 2012 and had filed for a salary of $5.5 million for 2013. The Cardinals' counter-offer was reported as $4.5 million.
[10]
On March 29, 2013, the Cardinals placed Motte on the DL with a strained elbow. He and the team physician at first hoped that non-surgical rehab treatment could allow him to still pitch at some point in 2013. However, on May 3, the Cardinals announced that Motte would undergo season-ending
Tommy John surgery
to repair a torn
ligament
in his elbow.
[12]
Manager
Mike Matheny
called upon
Edward Mujica
to replace Motte as closer. Eventually, rookie
Trevor Rosenthal
replaced Mujica by season's end and saved four games in the Cardinals'
NL pennant-winning
playoffs.
[13]
Like
Adam Wainwright
and
Chris Carpenter
before him ? both of whom also rehabilitated through Tommy John surgery ? Motte made himself available for the Cardinals relievers during games, especially for the rookies and inexperienced relievers. After the
World Series
, with Motte still recovering and Rosenthal's convincing finish as closer, Matheny announced Rosenthal would be the closer for
2014
. Meanwhile, Motte continued to progress and was throwing off a mound by November. Due to Motte availing himself to the other Cardinals pitchers even while he was unable to pitch, his teammates voted for him to receive the
Darryl Kile Good Guy Award
. He is the first player to receive the award while not making a single game appearance in the season for which he was awarded.
[14]
2014
[
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]
On May 21, Motte made his return to the mound after missing 2013, pitching
1
+
1
⁄
3
innings of scoreless relief. However, he struggled for the rest of the season and was ultimately left off the Cardinals' postseason roster. In 29 games he was 1-0 with a 4.68 ERA.
[15]
He became a free agent after they were eliminated by the San Francisco Giants.
In six seasons with the Cardinals, Motte was 18-13 with 54 saves and a 3.03 ERA with 290 strikeouts in 285 innings.
[15]
Chicago Cubs (2015)
[
edit
]
On December 16, 2014, Motte and the
Chicago Cubs
agreed to a 1-year, $4.5 million contract.
[16]
In 57 games with the Cubs in 2015, Motte was 8-1 with a 3.91 ERA and six saves.
[15]
Colorado Rockies (2016)
[
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]
On December 8, 2015, Motte signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the
Colorado Rockies
.
[17]
In 2016 for the Rockies, in 30 games he was 0-1 with a 4.94 ERA.
[15]
He was designated for assignment on March 31, 2017, to create room for
Stephen Cardullo
who had his contract purchased, and released on April 5.
[18]
Atlanta Braves (2017)
[
edit
]
On April 9, 2017, Motte signed a minor league deal with the
Atlanta Braves
.
[19]
He was called up on April 27 and had a 3.54 ERA in 46 games with 27 strikeouts in 40 innings.
[20]
Return to St. Louis (2018)
[
edit
]
On February 16, 2018, Motte signed a minor league deal to return to the Cardinals, reuniting him with the team that drafted him.
[21]
He was given an invite to spring training
[22]
but was released by the Cardinals on March 22.
[23]
[15]
In nine major league seasons, Motte was 27-15 with 60 saves and a 3.30 ERA in 444 career games. In 19 career postseason games, all with the Cardinals, Motte was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and eight saves.
[15]
Coaching career
[
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]
On June 15, 2018, he joined the
University of Memphis
coaching staff, although he did not formally announce his retirement.
[24]
In February 2022, he was named the head baseball coach at
Christian Brothers High School
in
Memphis
.
[25]
Pitching profile
[
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]
Motte's primary pitch is a four-seam
fastball
, which was clocked in the upper 90s during 2008. In 2012, it was clocked at 102
miles per hour
(MPH). He also threw a
cut fastball
that reached 93 MPH and a
sinking fastball
that reached 96 MPH, and, rarely, an 85-MPH
changeup
.
[26]
His cutter has shown the widest variance of movement of all his pitches, to being anywhere from flat vertically to moving up to eight inches. He also regularly threw a
curveball
through the 2010 season, but has discontinued it since last throwing it in 2011.
[27]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Motte is a
Christian
.
[28]
Motte and his wife Caitlin have a daughter and a son. They reside in Memphis, where Motte has coached at the college and high school level.
[29]
[30]
In part due to the traveling required for college baseball, he has currently serving as the head baseball coach at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis.
Motte's brother, James, played in the
Minnesota Twins
farm system
.
[4]
The couple runs two foundations: the Jason Motte Foundation, and a cancer awareness foundation called "Strikeout Childhood Cancer." While recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2013, Motte disclosed that his encounters with numerous people stricken with cancer ? from his grandfather to Cardinals fans, including many children ? moved him to visit and encourage them. As a result, Motte and the Cardinals organized a pediatric cancer awareness day on September 23, 2013, to set aside 5,000 game tickets at the pavilion that cost $10.00 each, with $3.00 per ticket going to the Jason Motte Foundation. An additional 1,000 tickets were donated to pediatric cancer patients just released from the hospital. For those unable to go to
Busch Stadium
, Motte organized a group of several of his teammates to see the children in person.
[31]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Wendland, Jeff (27 August 2006).
"For Motte, 'tis better to pitch than to receive"
.
The Dispatch
. p. 17
. Retrieved
10 November
2022
.
- ^
Leach, Matthew (February 25, 2008).
"St. Louis Cardinals news article on the status of Motte"
. stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com
. Retrieved
October 10,
2011
.
- ^
McCarron, Anthony.
"Former Iona College star Jason Motte playing major role in World Series for St. Louis Cardinals"
.
nydailynews.com
.
- ^
a
b
Rodriguez, Justin (October 19, 2011).
"Legend of Motte's arm began at Valley Central"
.
Times Herald-Record
. Retrieved
10 November
2022
.
- ^
"Jason Motte Stats, Fantasy & News"
.
MLB.com
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Jason Motte minor league statistics & history"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
September 22,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"Jason Motte profile"
. stlcardinals.scout.com
. Retrieved
September 22,
2013
.
- ^
Leach, Matthew (September 18, 2008).
"Cards paint the town Red in finale: Motte mops up first big league save; Pujols drills big blast"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
October 10,
2011
.
- ^
Meisel, Zack (September 24, 2012).
"Motte named NL Player of the Week for first time"
. stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com
. Retrieved
September 28,
2012
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Langosch, Jenifer (January 22, 2013).
"Motte, Cardinals reach two year agreement"
. MLB.com via St. Louis Cardinals official team website
. Retrieved
January 23,
2013
.
- ^
"St. Louis Cardinals Top 10 Single-Season Pitching Leaders"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
.
- ^
DiGiovanni, Joe (May 3, 2013).
"Cardinals' closer Jason Motte will have season-ending Tommy John surgery"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
January 3,
2014
.
- ^
"Trevor Rosenthal statistics and history"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
January 3,
2014
.
- ^
Goold, Derrick (January 1, 2014).
"Motte continues comeback"
.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
. Retrieved
January 3,
2014
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Jason Motte Stats"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
.
- ^
ESPN (15 December 2014).
"Reliever Jason Motte joins Cubs"
. Retrieved
17 December
2014
.
- ^
Todd, Jeff (December 8, 2015).
"Rockies sign Jason Motte"
. MLBTradeRumors
. Retrieved
December 8,
2015
.
- ^
"Rockies release Jason Motte"
. 5 April 2017.
- ^
Cunningham, Michael (April 10, 2017).
"Braves sign veteran reliever Motte to minor-league deal"
.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
. Retrieved
April 28,
2017
.
- ^
Knobler, Danny (April 27, 2017).
"Reliever Motte joins Braves; Recker optioned"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
April 28,
2017
.
- ^
"Cardinals Sign Jason Motte To Minor League Deal"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
.
- ^
"Cardinals reunite with Motte on Minors deal"
.
MLB.com
. February 19, 2018.
- ^
"Cardinals Release Jason Motte; Reunion Still Possible"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
.
- ^
"Jason Motte Joins University Of Memphis Staff"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
. Retrieved
2018-06-16
.
- ^
Greer, Jarvis (February 23, 2022).
"Former big leaguer becomes CBHS baseball coach"
.
WMC-TV
. Retrieved
5 October
2022
.
- ^
"Player card: Jason Motte"
. brooksbaseball.net
. Retrieved
September 22,
2013
.
- ^
"Player card: Jason Motte's pitch types, velo and movement"
. brooksbaseball.net
. Retrieved
September 22,
2013
.
- ^
"Keep Fighting"
.
Athletes For God
.
- ^
"Former MLB closer Jason Motte new pitching coach at CBHS"
.
- ^
"CBHS officially names Jason Motte head baseball coach"
.
- ^
Goold, Derrick (September 22, 2013).
"Motte is on a mission"
.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
.
External links
[
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]