Rob Mattson

Donald Robert Mattson Jr.

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.

• School Arizona State University
• High School Palm Beach Gardens High School

• Born November 18, 1966 in West Palm Beach, FL USA

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Knuckleballer Rob Mattson has pitched in the minor leagues and Nippon Pro Baseball. He pitched in the US, Mexico, Japan and Germany.

Mattson started him professional career with the Atlanta Braves organization in 1991, and he went 5-2 with a 2.82 ERA for the Macon Braves that season. He also went 1-4 with a 2.34 ERA for the Durham Bulls, and he had a 4.15 ERA in 8 appearances for the Beloit Brewers (affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers) in 1992. Mattson then signed with the San Diego Padres in 1995, and he went 12-13 with a 4.11 ERA for the AA Memphis Chicks. He was 13-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 1996, tying Tom Kramer and Osvaldo Fernández Guerra for 5th in the Southern League in wins. His three shutouts tied Clint Sodowsky and Matt Ruebel for the SL lead and his 11 complete games easily led, more than double Sodowsky's 5.

He pitched for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes in 1997, going 11-14 with a 2.87 ERA. The Kintetsu Buffaloes signed him, and he went 9-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 1998. He was the first full-time knuckleballer in Japan. He was 5-4 with a 4.70 ERA in 1999, and he left Japan after that season. Mattson signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000, and he was 6-8 with a 5.60 ERA for the AAA Nashville Sounds. He also pitched 7 games with a 6.32 ERA for the Altoona Curve in the same season. Mattson was 4-6 with a 1.91 ERA for the Olmecas de Tabasco in 2001, but he struggled in the Atlantic League as his ERA was 5.13 in 4 games for the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds and 10.80 in 2 games for the Long Island Ducks.

Going to the Fürth Pirates in Germany in 2004, he was 7-3 with a 1.69 ERA. He was third in the Bundesliga-1 South in ERA, 6th in K (77), 3rd in wins (after Ryan Balan and Manuel Möller), 6th in IP (80), had the lowest walk rate and led in WHIP (.80, .16 ahead of #2 Martin Almstetter). The next summer, he had a 8-5, 2.22 record; the veteran hurler was 4th in ERA (between Michael Otto and Markus Winkler), 9th with 56 strikeouts (between Winkler and Almstetter), tied for 3rd in wins, 5th in IP (89) and 4th in WHIP (1.20).