Matty Gahan

Matthew James Gahan

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.

• Born November 26, 1975 in Lismore, New South Wales Australia

BR Minors page

Matty Gahan pitched for two seasons in the minor leagues and was with Australia for the first World Baseball Classic. He is related to Peter Gahan.

Matt Gahan tossed 15 2/3 innings without allowing a run in the 2000-2001 International Baseball League of Australia. Signed by the New York Mets, he was 4-1 with 4 saves and a 1.99 ERA for the 2001 Brooklyn Cyclones, striking out over a batter per inning and allowing a .187 average and a WHIP under 1. He also was with the Capital City Bombers for five games, but was less effective (0-3, 5.79, .317 opponent average).

In 2002, Gahan went 2-1 with a save and a 5.95 ERA for the St. Lucie Mets; having gotten a late start to his professional career at age 25, Gahan was let go by the Mets at this point. He was on the Australian team that won the 2003 Oceania Championship.

Matty had a 1-1, 3.48 record for the 2004 Queensland Rams but took the loss in the Grand Finals of the Claxton Shield. In 2005, the 29-year-old had a 3.52 ERA for the Rams. The next year, Gahan was amazing, allowing 7 hits and 1 run in 15 innings and going 3-0. Australian baseball historians Flintoff and Dunn called it "[O]ne of the greatest individual pitching performances ever." Gahan won the Claxton Shield Golden Arm Award and Winner's medal that year. Through that season, apparently his last in the Australian leagues, he was 5-1 with a 1.48 ERA in his Aussie career.

Gahan's amazing 2006 Claxton Shield won him a spot on the Australian national team for the 2006 World Baseball Classic. The veteran right-hander was his nation's top hurler in that event as well. He relieved Wayne Lundgren to open the 7th against the Dominican Republic. Matt began by fanning Pedro Feliz. Ronnie Belliard flew out, then Wily Mo Peña struck out on a full count. In the 8th, Gahan retired Ronny Paulino on a fly and Willy Taveras on a foul out. Alfonso Soriano walked on a full count, the lone player to reach off Gahan in the tourney. Juan Encarnacion then flew out.

Gahan allowed 8 hits and 3 runs in 4 1/3 IP in the 2006 Intercontinental Cup.

Sources

• CBS Sports
• Australian Baseball Federation
• Defunct IBAF site
• 2002 Baseball Almanac
• Flintoff & Dunn's Australian Baseball Almanac