David Mathews

His early baseball experience come in Southern California but Mathews diamond career blossomed in Tacoma-Pierce County as a member of the Puyallup Reds (1988-891. Paradise Travel (‘90-’91), Washington Senators (‘92-961, and Tacoma Cascades (97- 991 He was on World Series teams in 92-96 (Senators), 95-98 (Florida Masters), 96-98 (Seattle White Sox), and 1999 (Tacoma Cascades). All of those teams competed as 30,40 and 50 year olds. Mathews had his share of honors and thrills in that competition, playing against the Soviet Olympic team, being named MVP of the Northwest Classic (30 year-old) in 1993, batting .429 in the 1998 Nike World Masters Games, hitting for the cycle in the 1997 MSBL World Series (including two inside the park homers in the same day), and getting the game-winning RBI in the 1992 playoffs against Houston. In 1995-98 he was a member of the Florida Masters who won four straight national titles and compiled a 36-0 record. He batted .486 during that stretch and had a .588 average and .941 slugging percentage in the ‘97 championships. Mathews legendary achievements included 0.619 average in the 1996 Puerto Rico Masters Tournament and averages of .500, .620 and .540 at the MSBL World Series in Arizona from ‘96 to ‘98 In 1998 he received a 10-year award for participating in 10 straight Florida World Series, and in the ‘95 and ‘97 series he competed in both the 40s and 50s competition in the same week. His biggest thrill came in 1999 when the Cascades defeated his farmer Florida team, ending their five-year 36-0 record in series play. He had nine putouts in centerfield against his ex-mates. The Cascades finished second that year and Mathews hit .414 and even pitched one game for a win.