Ex-MLB pitcher arrested and jailed - report
Former MLB pitcher Matt Mantei was taken into police custody Tuesday night in Michigan, per TMZ Sports.
According to local authorities, Mantei was booked in the Berrien County Jail and charged with assault and battery.
On Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence. Mantei was set to be released on a personal recognizance bond and is due back in court on May 2.
Mantei, now 44, was once a standout closer who enjoyed a productive 10-year career in the majors.
He originally broke into the big leagues as a relief pitcher in 1994, but really came into his own in 1998.
That year, Mantei recorded a 2.96 earned run average with 63 strikeouts in 54 and two-thirds innings pitched.
In 1999, Mantei had the best season of his career, pitching to a 2.76 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 65 and one-third innings.
His impressive performance made him a valuable trade chip for the Marlins, who shipped him off to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle of the year.
Mantei finished that season with 32 saves, a career high.
Two years later, Mantei won a World Series ring with the Diamondbacks, though he appeared in just eight regular season games — and zero in the postseason — due to injury.
“Just once I’d like to pitch in the World Series,” he would later tell the Herald Palladium in southwest Michigan.
“I’ve been close, and I’ve got the rings. But it’s not the same,” he added.
Mantei would go on to bounce back and pitch with the Diamondbacks for three more years.
Following the 2004 season, he signed with the Boston Red Sox.
He appeared in 34 games for Boston in 2005, pitching to a 6.49 ERA.
When it was all said and done, Mantei finished his career with 93 saves and a 4.07 ERA.
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