Sox draft Cards manager Matheny's son

BOSTON -- Tate Matheny will never forget the exhilaration he felt in a hotel room in Denver on Tuesday when he learned he had been selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. And most importantly, he will never forget with whom he shared the moment.

Tate is the son of Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, and he made advance plans to be in the same city as his father for the Draft.

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"It's a little more special to be able to be here with my dad and see his reaction when they called my name," said Tate Matheny, an outfielder. "It was a lot of fun, we really enjoyed it. It's a memory we'll have for the rest of our lives.

"He just jumped up out of his seat and gave me a big hug. It's something we've been waiting for for a very long time, ever since I was a kid. Every swing I've taken has led to that. It's really cool to see all the hard work pay off."

Three years ago, Tate was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school, but wound up going to Missouri State. Mike was admittedly mixed about the pressure his son might feel if he was again drafted by the Cardinals.

But it was somewhat humorous that the Red Sox were the team that came calling.

Mike Matheny was a player for the Cardinals when they were swept in the World Series by the Red Sox in 2004 and the manager when Boston won a six-game Fall Classic in '13.

"[Hitting coach John Mabry] and I were counting together how many rings that organization has taken from us. Tate was quick to say he hopes it's one more. That didn't go over real well in our clubhouse. He almost wore out his welcome really fast," quipped Mike Matheny.

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"I don't know what to say to that," said Tate. "If I win a World Series, everyone in the family's going to be happy, honestly. I don't think he'll be too mad about it when it's all said and done."

In truth, Mike Matheny couldn't have been more thrilled with the way things worked out for his son.

"Another great organization," Mike Matheny said of the Red Sox. "They take a lot of pride in how they develop their players. It's a great place to play if you do make it to Boston, so I couldn't be any happier for him. This team has been on him for a while. They really like what he can do.

"They took another center fielder [Andrew Benintendi] with their first pick in the Draft, and so that's going to be a great push for him. I don't know if anything could have been drawn up better, to be honest. I know that I had a catcher take real close to where I was in the Draft, and I can't tell you the value of how that pushed me."

A left-handed hitter, Tate Matheny is known for his advanced plate approach and ability to go to the opposite field. He hit .291 with five homers and 43 RBIs while making 61 starts this season.

"He's had kind of a breakout year after getting over some hand injuries," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "A left-handed outfielder who has a great skills package from the way it looks. He can run, he can throw. I know he's hit for more power this year. I know he was high on a lot of people's boards."