JASON MOTTE

Baseball

Position: Pitcher
Born: June 22, 1982; Port Huron, Michigan
Played For: St. Louis Cardinals (2008-2012, 2014), Chicago Cubs (2015), Colorado Rockies (2016), Atlanta Braves (2017)

By Ed Wheatley

Fans, players, and even Bob Costas call St. Louis “the best baseball town in America.” It’s a tale of the history of the game, the players who play it and the fans who watch. The focus of that story is the team that has won the second most World Championships in the history of the Major Leagues – the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s a history of special memories, moments and players.

Jason Motte is one such player who provided Redbird fans across the nation with one very memorable moment – the last out of the 2011 World Series and a leap into the arms of catcher Yadier Molina.

But Jason Motte is much more than that moment. In fact when he started his professional baseball career, he wasn’t even a pitcher. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 19th round of the 2003 amateur draft. That year, the 21-year-old rookie from Iona College came to camp ready to play on the other side of the mound — as a catcher.

And that’s where he stayed as he jumped around the Cardinals’ during the next several years. By 2006, Jason’s hitting wasn’t his strength, but his arm was being noticed and he was told he needed to take a shot at pitching if he was to make it to the big leagues. And that’s when things began to happen. Some may say that his fastball put him in the fast lane.

By 2007, he was at AA Springfield and the next year in AAA Memphis where on September 3, he got the call to report to the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals. During those Redbird years, Jason never started a game. Instead, he became the Cardinals’ premier closer in late 2011 when he earned 9 saves in 10 chances after August 28 on the way to a World Championship. He then recorded another 5 saves in the post-season.

Over those six seasons as a Redbird, Jason pitched in 311 games and finished 126. During his Cardinal career, he recorded 54 saves. Forty-two of those saves occurred during the 2012 season as the National League Saves Leader.

Jason played for the Cardinals through the 2014 season and then spent a season each in Chicago, Colorado, and Atlanta before retiring from the game after nine big league seasons. Jason played in 444 MLB games while gaining 60 saves and an 18-13 record to go along with a 3.30 ERA.

During his career, Jason was also leaving his mark off the field. In the fall of 2010, Jason and his wife Caitlin asked a simple question that led to the evolution of the Jason Motte Foundation.

Caitlin’s grandfather was battling Stage 4 lung cancer. Noticing a sign that mentioned a need for blankets, they wondered what more could they do to help. Soon the now familiar slogan, “Strike Out Cancer” became their rallying cry and with that moniker, the Jason Motte Foundation uses monies raised towards various research projects and programs all while providing comfort and care where there is a need for those affected, either directly or indirectly, by cancers of all kinds.

Today, Jason and his family live in Memphis, Tenn., supporting their Foundation’s cause and where Jason also continues his work supporting student-athletes as part of the coaching staff at Memphis’ Christian Brothers High School.