Gary Matthews, baseball player, 234 home runs, 1972-1987

Gary Matthews

Born: 7/5/1950 in San Fernando, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1972-09-06 | Final Game: 1987-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Gary Nathaniel Matthews

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Biography

Gary Matthews, born in 1950, was a prominent Major League Baseball player who made a significant impact in the game from 1972 to 1987. Known for his versatility as a position player, Matthews showcased a blend of power and speed throughout his career, finishing with 2,033 games played, 2,011 hits, and 234 home runs. His offensive prowess was highlighted by 978 RBIs and a batting average of .281, complemented by 183 stolen bases. Matthews was particularly notable for his ability to perform in clutch situations, earning accolades such as the NLCS MVP and being recognized as both the Rookie of the Year and TSN Rookie Player of the Year. Matthews played during an era that transitioned from the deadball period into a time of increasing offensive output, where his skills as a hitter and baserunner were highly valued. He represented his talent at the All-Star Game once during his career, further solidifying his status in the league. His contributions on the field extended beyond personal statistics; Matthews was a key figure in various playoff runs, and his ability to adapt to different roles made him a valuable asset to his teams. His legacy in baseball endures, marked by his consistent performance and significant achievements over a long career.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2033 7147 1083 2011 319 51 234 978 183 940 1125 0.281 0.364 0.439 0.802 20274.4

Career AVG .281 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +8.7% above league average.

Career OBP .364 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +12.1% above league average.

Career SLG .439 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — +14.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.802 vs. league average 0.709 across their career seasons — +13.2% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1972 SFG NL 20 62 11 18 1 1 4 14 0 7 13 0.290 .243 (+19%) .310 (+15%) .353 (+50%) .664 (+34%) 307.2
1973 SFG NL 148 540 74 162 22 10 12 58 17 58 83 0.300 .256 (+17%) .325 (+13%) .378 (+17%) .703 (+15%) 1640.6
1974 SFG NL 154 561 87 161 27 6 16 82 11 70 69 0.287 .256 (+12%) .324 (+13%) .369 (+20%) .693 (+17%) 1958.2
1975 SFG NL 116 425 67 119 22 3 12 58 13 65 53 0.280 .257 (+9%) .327 (+15%) .374 (+15%) .701 (+15%) 1368.5
1976 SFG NL 156 587 79 164 28 4 20 84 12 75 94 0.279 .255 (+9%) .320 (+12%) .360 (+23%) .681 (+18%) 2090.3
1977 ATL NL 148 555 89 157 25 5 17 64 22 67 90 0.283 .264 (+7%) .329 (+10%) .401 (+9%) .730 (+9%) 1211.7
1978 ATL NL 129 474 75 135 20 5 18 62 8 61 92 0.285 .257 (+10%) .323 (+13%) .378 (+22%) .702 (+18%) 1707.0
1979 ATL NL 156 631 97 192 34 5 27 90 18 60 75 0.304 .265 (+15%) .329 (+10%) .397 (+26%) .727 (+19%) 2415.2
1980 ATL NL 155 571 79 159 17 3 19 75 11 42 93 0.278 .264 (+5%) .326 (avg) .387 (+8%) .714 (+4%) 413.7
1981 PHI NL 101 359 62 108 21 3 9 67 15 59 42 0.301 .255 (+18%) .320 (+24%) .368 (+22%) .688 (+23%) 1708.7
1982 PHI NL 162 616 89 173 31 1 19 83 21 66 87 0.281 .261 (+8%) .324 (+8%) .388 (+10%) .712 (+9%) 1189.2
1983 PHI NL 132 446 66 115 18 2 10 50 13 69 81 0.258 .260 (-1%) .324 (+8%) .389 (-4%) .714 (+2%) 326.0
1984 CHC NL 147 491 101 143 21 2 14 82 17 103 97 0.291 .259 (+12%) .322 (+27%) .384 (+11%) .707 (+18%) 2314.6
1985 CHC NL 97 298 45 70 12 0 13 40 2 59 64 0.235 .257 (-9%) .323 (+12%) .390 (+4%) .714 (+8%) 609.1
1986 CHC NL 123 370 49 96 16 1 21 46 3 60 59 0.259 .257 (+1%) .325 (+11%) .395 (+21%) .720 (+16%) 1287.7
1987 CHC NL 44 42 3 11 3 0 0 8 0 4 11 0.262 — — — — 0.0
1987 SEA AL 45 119 10 28 1 0 3 15 0 15 22 0.235 .262 (-11%) .331 (-4%) .415 (-23%) .746 (-15%) 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
19 65 12 21 0 1 7 15 10 9 0.323

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1984 NLCS CHN 5 15 4 3 0 0 2 5 6 4 0.200
1983 NLCS PHI 4 14 4 6 0 0 3 8 2 1 0.429
1983 WS PHI 5 16 1 4 0 0 1 1 2 2 0.250
1981 NEDIV PHI 5 20 3 8 0 1 1 1 0 2 0.400

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1876 1852 3226 135 112 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1972 SFN OF 19 17 34 0 1 0
1973 SFN OF 145 140 277 11 5 0
1974 SFN OF 151 144 281 9 9 2
1975 SFN OF 113 112 225 11 8 2
1976 SFN OF 156 155 265 8 7 0
1977 ATL OF 145 145 262 11 10 1
1978 ATL OF 127 126 238 10 8 0
1979 ATL OF 156 156 292 12 8 4
1980 ATL OF 143 142 258 8 11 0
1981 PHI OF 100 99 170 11 7 1
1982 PHI OF 162 161 268 14 10 2
1983 PHI OF 122 120 174 11 5 2
1984 CHN OF 145 144 224 7 11 0
1985 CHN OF 85 85 119 7 3 2
1986 CHN OF 105 104 137 5 9 1
1987 CHN OF 2 2 2 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 1446
Right Field 430
Designated Hitter 39

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2006 Player of the Week Week of 2006-09-16
1983 NLCS MVP
1982 Player of the Week Week of 1982-05-14
1981 Player of the Month September
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-06-22
1976 Player of the Week Week of 1976-04-23
1974 Player of the Week Week of 1974-07-19
1973 Rookie of the Year
1973 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1986 CHN NL $850,000
1985 CHN NL $600,000
Total Career Earnings $1,450,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1984 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 70.0 336 0
1982 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 2.0 336 0
1981 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 31.0 336 0
1979 Most Valuable Player NL 26th 4.0 336 0
1973 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 11.0 24 11