Mather puts on a show at alumni HR derby

Little did he know, but the path he was walking on would soon bear his name.

Joe Mather was cruising between the baseball fields at Mountain Pointe where he set so many records - the 2001 graduate still holds career records for home runs (23) and RBIs (92), and home runs in a season (17) - when workers quickly covered up a sign.

• Blog: Mountain Pointe shows off new scoreboard
• More MP baseball: Former MP catcher Ethel signs with Louisville
• More Joe Mather: Mather enjoys big-league stay in St. Louis; Hometown boy makes it to the major leagues; Mather makes Major League debut; Mather emerges from the minor-league abyss

"I kind of figured it might be something," Mather said.

"Certainly I didn't know anything was coming," Mather said. "It's quite an honor."

Mather became the first Ahwatukee Foothills product to make it to the Major Leagues when the St. Louis Cardinals called the slugger up in late May. He would go on to hit .241 with eight home runs and 18 RBIs in 54 games.

Mather, a third-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2001 draft, hopes the season will go a little way in securing his spot on the team's roster next season.

"We have so many guys," Mather said. "If I would've hit 30 or 40 home runs, I would've been a little more comfortable. We have so many guys, but at the same time, I do. I feel comfortable. I feel confident because I know that I can play there at that level and at least compete for a job."

Mather's season ended Sept. 1 when he broke his left hand. He's spent the offseason recovering from surgery on that hand and also rehabbing a back injury.

"I feel alright, about 85 percent on both ends, my back and my hand," Mather said. "Hopefully it's coming along. It's come along a lot farther since it was hurt and I had the surgery. I think it'll be good."

Mather's father, Paul, was Mountain Pointe's assistant varsity coach from 1997 to 2005. He just completed his third year as the head coach of the freshman team.

"It kind of means I know everybody here," Mather said. "It's been an awesome experience to see the kids grow and see them from the freshman level all the way up to their senior year."

When Mather's turn to take some swings finally came during the home run derby, the constant stir on the field and in the stands came to a halt. Everyone wanted to see what the big-leaguer would do.

Five home runs later, he moved himself onto the semifinals. And then the finals, where he proceeded to put on another show, crushing balls over the Pride's new manual scoreboard in left field.

By the time the event was over, Mather had gone out of his way to talk to nearly every ballplayer and coach on the field - almost 50 current and former players and coaches.

The topic of most of those conversations? The Major Leagues, of course.

"I think some of the younger kids don't really know what I've gone through necessarily," Mather said. "I'm not really that big of a name, I just made it for a little bit. They have a lot of questions and I love to answer them."

Cron adjusting to college life at Utah

Perhaps the next player to follow Mather's route, C.J. Cron is on his way to taking the next step.

The 2008 graduate has moved on to Utah, where he'll play catcher, first base and also serve as a designated hitter.

"I'm loving it," Cron said. "(Fall ball) was really good, it ended on a good note. I should hit everyday, but other than that, I'm not sure."

The biggest adjustment, Cron said, has been the sheer amount of baseball.

"Mostly just having baseball everyday and five hour days," he said.