View source for Jon Matlack

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Jon Matlack
|image=Jon Matlack 2012.jpg
|image_size=230px
|caption=Matlack in 2012
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1950|1|19}}
|birth_place=[[West Chester, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 11
|debutyear=1971
|debutteam=New York Mets
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 15
|finalyear=1983
|finalteam=Texas Rangers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=125–126
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.18
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,516
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1977}})
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1983}})
'''As coach'''
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{Baseball year|1996}})
|highlights=
* 3× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1974 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1974]]–[[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976]])
* [[NL Rookie of the Year]] (1972)
* [[New York Mets Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack''' (born January 19, 1950) is an American former professional [[baseball]] player and [[Coach (baseball)|coach]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] as a left-handed [[pitcher]] from {{By|1971}} through {{By|1983}} for the [[New York Mets]] and the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].

The three-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] was named the {{By|1972}} [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|National League Rookie of the Year]] and was a member of the {{By|1973}} National League pennant-winning New York Mets team. Matlack led the National League in shutouts in 1974 and 1975 and, ranks in the top 10 among Mets pitchers in wins, complete games, ERA, strikeouts, shutouts and innings pitched.<ref name="NY Mets Hall of Fame to induct Ron Darling, Jon Matlack and Edgardo Alfonzo">{{cite news |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2020/01/28/ny-mets-hall-fame-ron-darling-jon-matlack-edgardo-alfonzo/4598563002/ |title=NY Mets Hall of Fame to induct Ron Darling, Jon Matlack and Edgardo Alfonzo |publisher=northjersey.com |access-date=September 29, 2020 }}</ref> In 2020, Matlack was inducted into the [[New York Mets Hall of Fame]].<ref name="NY Mets Hall of Fame to induct Ron Darling, Jon Matlack and Edgardo Alfonzo"/>

==Early life==
Matlack was born in [[West Chester, Pennsylvania]]. He was 17 years old when the Mets drafted him as the fourth overall pick in the [[1967 Major League Baseball draft]] out of [[Henderson High School (Pennsylvania)|Henderson High School]] in the [[West Chester Area School District]] of [[Pennsylvania]]. His [[baseball]] career was delayed by his [[American Legion Baseball]] team's tournament. Once he was able to begin his [[professional baseball]] career, he was a disappointing 0–1 with a 14.40 [[earned run average]] for the [[Williamsport Mets]], but improved to 3–2 with an even 2.00 earned run average later in the {{by|1967}} season for the [[Florida Instructional League]] Mets.

His rise to stardom began in {{by|1968}} with the [[Raleigh-Durham Mets]]. Matlack went 13–6 with a 2.76 earned run average and 188 [[strikeout]]s in 173 [[innings pitched]]. Along with fellow southpaw [[starting pitcher|starters]] [[Charlie Hudson]] and Jerry Bark, he led the Mets to an 83–56 record,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2006-08-09-0608090066-story.html|author=Frederick Rasmussen|date=August 9, 2006|title=Gerald 'Jerry' Bark, 61, pitching coach, salesman|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref> and first place in the [[Carolina League]] Eastern Division. His rise up the ranks continued in {{by|1969}}, when he went 14-7 to lead the Triple-A [[Tidewater Tides]] to the [[International League]] championship.

==Career==
===New York Mets===
A rhomboid muscle injury to [[Jerry Koosman]] opened a spot for a left hander in the Mets' [[starting rotation]] during the {{by|1971}} season. Matlack made his major league debut against the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in the second game of a July 11 [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]], and was on the line for the victory when he departed after seven innings. However, the Mets [[bullpen]] (including a [[blown save]] by [[Tom Seaver]]) was unable to secure the victory, and Matlack got a no decision in his major league debut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197107112.shtml|title=Cincinnati Reds 5, New York Mets 3|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|date=July 11, 1971}}</ref>

Matlack was also in line for a victory in his second career start against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] until the wheels came off in the seventh. After retiring the first two batters, Matlack [[base on balls|walked]] the next two. [[Jim Beauchamp]] followed with a [[double (baseball)|double]] to tie the score, and knock Matlack out of the game. A [[single (baseball)|single]] by [[Ted Simmons]] (selected 6 spots after Matlack in the 1967 draft) scored Beauchamp with the go ahead [[run (baseball)|run]], and hang an L on Matlack in his second career start. For the season, Matlack went 0–3 with a 4.14 ERA in seven appearances (six starts). His finest pitching performance was his last, when he gave up just one [[run (baseball)|run]] in eight innings of work against the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197109250.shtml|title=New York Mets 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=September 25, 1971}}</ref>

====Rookie of the Year====
Matlack made the team out of [[spring training]] in [[1972 New York Mets season|1972]], and got off to a 6–0 start with a 1.95 earned run average in the first two months of the season. He&nbsp;ended the season at 15–10 with a 2.32 ERA to win the [[National League Rookie of the Year]] award. On September&nbsp;30, Matlack gave up [[Roberto Clemente]]'s 3000th, and final, career [[hit (baseball)|hit]].<ref name=bbsmzk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rXcqAAAAIBAJ&pg=4436%2C402538 |work=Pittsburgh Press |last=Smizik |first=Bob |title=Roberto gets 3,000th, will rest until playoffs |date=October 1, 1972 |page=D1}}</ref><ref name=clppwn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=42g0AAAAIBAJ&pg=1126%2C140390 |work=Sunday Star-News |location=(Wilmington, North Carolina) |agency=UPI |title=Clemente paces Pittsburgh win |date=October 1, 1972 |page=2C}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197209300.shtml|title=Pittsburgh Pirates 5, New York Mets 0|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=September 30, 1972}}</ref>

On May 8, [[1973 New York Mets season|1973]], a vicious line drive off the bat of [[Marty Perez]] of the [[1973 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] struck Matlack's head so hard that the ball rebounded into the dugout. He suffered a hairline fracture of his skull, but recovered quickly enough to return and pitch six shutout innings at Pittsburgh on May&nbsp;19. He ended up winning fourteen games for the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] champion Mets.

====1973 NLCS & World Series====
Matlack's record dipped to 14–16 in 1973, however, he was 5–1 from August 18 on, helping the Mets capture the [[National League East]] crown. Perhaps his most memorable moment with the Mets occurred on October 7, 1973, when he held the "[[Big Red Machine]]" to just two hits in Game 2 of the [[1973 National League Championship Series]]. Both hits were by reserve outfielder [[Andy Kosco]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197310070.shtml|title=1973 National League Championship Series, Game 2|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 7, 1973}}</ref>

He was equally impressive in the [[1973 World Series]], giving up just three hits in six innings in game one of the [[World Series]], however, the [[Oakland A's]] scored two runs on a [[Félix Millán]] [[error (baseball)|error]] in the third, and held on for the 2–1 victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197310130.shtml|title=1973 World Series, Game 1|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 13, 1973}}</ref> He won game four, giving up just one run in eight innings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197310170.shtml|title=1973 World Series, Game 4|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 17, 1973}}</ref> However, he lost the seventh and decisive game of the series 5-2; in the third inning of that game, he gave up two-run home runs to both [[Bert Campaneris]] and [[Reggie Jackson]]—the only two home runs Oakland hit during the Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197310210.shtml|title=1973 World Series, Game 7|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 21, 1973}}</ref>

====All-Star====
Matlack was an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] for the Mets for the next three seasons, sharing [[MLB All-Star Game MVP|MVP]] honors in the 1975 game with [[Bill Madlock]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS197507150.shtml|title=1975 All-Star Game|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=July 15, 1975}}</ref> In 1976, Matlack went 17–10 with a 2.95 earned run average and a league leading six [[shutouts in baseball|shutout]]s to finish sixth in N.L. [[Cy Young Award]] balloting.

===Texas Rangers===
In 1977, Matlack's record dipped to 7–15 with a 4.21 earned run average (he had entered the season with a career earned run average of 2.88) for a Mets team that lost 98 games and finished last in the National League East Division. Matlack was dealt from the Mets to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in the first four-team blockbuster deal in Major League Baseball history on December 8, 1977, that also involved the [[Atlanta Braves]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] and a total of 11 players changing teams. The Rangers also received [[Al Oliver]] and [[Nelson Norman]] from the Pirates. The Mets got from the Braves [[Willie Montañez]] and from the Rangers [[Tom Grieve]] and [[Ken Henderson]] who was sent to New York to complete the transaction three months later on March 15, 1978. [[Adrian Devine]], [[Tommy Boggs]] and [[Eddie Miller (outfielder)|Eddie Miller]] were traded from the Rangers to the Braves. The Pirates acquired [[Bert Blyleven]] from the Rangers and [[John Milner]] from the Mets.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/09/archives/matlack-milner-go-in-fourteam-trade.html| title = Durso, Joseph. "Matlack, Milner Go In Four‐Team Trade," ''The New York Times'', Friday, December 9, 1977.| work = The New York Times| date = December 9, 1977}} Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref><ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/16/archives/mets-get-ken-henderson-outfielder-from-rangers-fourth-straight.html| title = Durso, Joseph. "Mets Get Ken Henderson, Outfielder, From Rangers," ''The New York Times'', Thursday, March 16, 1978.| work = The New York Times| date = March 16, 1978}} Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref>

Matlack went 15–13 with a 2.27 earned run average (second to [[Ron Guidry]]) and earned his first career [[save (baseball)|save]] his first season in [[Texas]], however elbow surgery limited him to just 13 starts in 1979. He rebounded to make 34 starts in 1980, one of which was on August 19, when he held [[George Brett]], who was batting over .400, hitless, ending his 30-game [[hitting streak]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX198008190.shtml|title=Kansas City Royals 4, Texas Rangers 3|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=August 19, 1980}}</ref>

===Stats===
<div>
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Win (baseball)|W]]
|L
|[[Winning percentage|PCT]]
|[[Earned run average|ERA]]
|[[Games played|G]]
|[[Games started|GS]]
|[[Complete game|CG]]
|[[Shutouts in baseball|SHO]]
|[[Save (baseball)|SV]]
|[[Innings pitched|IP]]
|BF
|[[Hit (baseball)|H]]
|[[Earned run|ER]]
|[[Run (baseball)|R]]
|[[Home run|HR]]
|[[Batting average against|BAA]]
|[[Strikeout|K]]
|[[Base on balls|BB]]
|BB/9
|[[Wild pitch|WP]]
|[[Hit by pitch|HBP]]
|[[Fielding percentage|Fld%]]
|[[Batting average (baseball)|Avg.]]
|-
|125
|126
|.498
|3.18
|361
|318
|97
|30
|3
|2363
|9789
|2276
|835
|970
|161
|.254
|1516
|638
|2.4
|68
|26
|.952
|.129
|}
</div>
Matlack compiled 1,023 strikeouts and a 3.03 earned run average as one of the "Big Three" pitchers the New York Mets were built around in the 1970s, along with Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman. However, the Mets were also a light hitting team at the time,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091547/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102062718/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091547/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012|author=Kent Hannon|date=September 13, 1976|title=The Throes Of Frustration|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref> and his 82–81 record is not nearly indicative of how well he pitched for the club. On January 28, 2020, the Mets announced that Matlack will be inducted into the [[New York Mets Hall of Fame]] on May 17 in a ceremony at [[Citi Field]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/mets/news/2020-mets-hall-of-fame-class|title=Alfonzo, Matlack, Darling named to Mets HOF|date=January 28, 2020|website=MLB.com}}</ref>
*[[1973 National League Championship Series]]
*2× [[National League (baseball)|National League]] leader in [[shutouts in baseball|shutout]]s (1974, 1976)
*National League leader in [[Wins above replacement|wins above replacement for pitchers]] (1974)
*[[American League]] leader in lowest base on balls ratio per 9 innings (1980)
*3× [[List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers|Texas Rangers Opening Day Starter]] (1978, 1980, 1981)
*National League leader in Situational Wins Saved (1974)<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matlajo01.shtml| title = Jon Matlack Stats {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com}} </ref>
*National League leader in fielding percentage by a pitcher (1974)
*American League leader in fielding percentage by a pitcher (1982)

==Coaching==
Matlack retired following the 1983 season. After four years away from the game, he was hired as pitching coach for the [[San Diego Padres]]' [[Arizona League]] affiliate. He also coached in the [[Chicago White Sox]] organization before he was hired as the [[Detroit Tigers]]' major league pitching coach in 1996. He was later hired as their minor league pitching coordinator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/11/29/2008-11-29_where_are_they_now_former_met_jon_matlac.html#ixzz0qPM394rc|title=Where are they now? Former Met Jon Matlack Can't Stay Away from the Game|author=Anthony McCarron|date=November 29, 2008|work=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref> He spent the 2012 season as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Houston Astros.

==Personal life==
Matlack is the son of Ralph Matlack Jr. and Marcella Trumpbour. His parents married in 1947, in Saugerties, New York, and he had four younger siblings. His 2nd great-grandfather, William Trumpbour was postmaster of [[West Camp, New York]] from 1867 to 1869.

==See also==
* [[List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders]]
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award|List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award winners]]

==References==
* 1980 Baseball Register published by ''[[The Sporting News]]''
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Baseballstats|mlb=118428|espn=965|br=m/matlajo01|fangraphs=1008246|brm=matlac001jon|retro=M/Pmatlj101}}, or [http://ultimatemets.com/profile.php?PlayerCode=0190 The Ultimate Mets Database]
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|c0ddd500}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[Detroit Tigers]] [[coach (baseball)|pitching coach]]|years=1996|before=[[Ralph Treuel]]|after=[[Rick Adair]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{1967 MLB Draft}}
{{New York Mets first-round draft picks}}
{{New York Mets Hall of Fame}}
{{NL Rookie of the Year}}
{{Sporting News MLB Rookie of the year}}
{{Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs}}
{{Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matlack, Jon}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers coaches]]
[[Category:Florida Instructional League Mets players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitching coaches]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:People from Norwich, New York]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from West Chester, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Chester County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Raleigh-Durham Mets players]]
[[Category:St. Petersburg Pelicans players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Tidewater Tides players]]
[[Category:Williamsport Mets players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]