Matt Mantei
Matthew Bruce Mantei [MAN-tie] (born July 7, 1973 in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who plays for the Boston Red Sox. Previously, Mantei played with the Florida Marlins (1995-1996, 1998-99) and Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004). He bats and throws right-handed.
Mantei has four pitches, all of which he can throw for strikes. He's got two fastballs, one of which goes 95 MPH and occasionally hits 100, a sharp curve and a occasional slider. His quality has never been in question. His problem has been staying healthy.
After posting 32 saves in 1999, Mantei was slowed by injuries in 2000 and 2001, when a right-elbow injury ended his season in April and he underwent "Tommy John" ligament replacement surgery. In 2002 Mantei worked hard to regain his old form. Despite the fact that he missed a month in 2003, he finished strong in the last three months of the season. He got 29 saves (22-for-23 in save opportunities) while posting a 1.42 ERA and held opposing hitters to a low .150 batting average.
Mantei missed most of 2004 after a surgery to deal with bone spurs in his shoulder. In 12 games, he was 0-3 with an 11.81 ERA and four saves. At the end of the season he was signed by the Red Sox. He joins a Red Sox bullpen that already has an established closer in Keith Foulke. Mantei is supposed to share duties with setup men Mike Timlin and Alan Embree in the 2005 season.
In a nine-year career with Florida and Arizona, Mantei owns a 13-18 record with a 3.86 ERA and 93 saves in 296.1 innings. He also has compiled a 2.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio (374-to-176) and a 1.36 WHIP.