Mathews High School will celebrate Keith Atherton Day on Tuesday with a trophy presentation, prior to the 5 p.m. Mathews-Middlesex junior varsity baseball game. Atherton, who graduated from Mathews High School in 1978, went on to have a successful major league baseball career as a reliever with the Oakland Athletics (1983-86), Minnesota Twins (1986-88) and Cleveland Indians (1989). In 342 games, Atherton had a 33-41 record, with 26 saves, 349 strikeouts and a 3.99 ERA. He appeared in the 1987 World Series as a member of the Twins. While at Mathews High School, he set the state record for consecutive shutouts at eight, including four consecutive no-hitters. He went on to be picked by Oakland in the second round of the 1978 amateur draft. He was in the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame’s charter class of inductees in 1990. Atherton currently volunteers as an assistant coach for the Blue Devil jayvee team, serving with head coach Kevin Mitchem and assistant Marty Broaddus. “Keith volunteers his time and efforts to the JV baseball team. What an opportunity for these kids to work and learn with someone who was at the highest level of competition,” said MHS athletic director Paul White. “When the bus pulls out to travel distances from Colonial Beach to Middlesex, Keith is on the bus,” White said. “I remember him as a kid from the glory days of American Legion Baseball Post 75. He is still the same person.” The MHS athletic director said that other MHS graduates who earned professional status will be recognized during the fall season.
