Mathews native Keith Atherton holds true to the nature of many Mathews men—respectful, unassuming, a bit hesitant to talk about himself—but, as with so many other boys who grew up the Mathews way, Atherton doesn’t mind sharing a good story, and he has a good one to tell.
Now retired, the 55-year-old was a major league baseball player for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s, pitching in two games of the 1987 World Series.
Raised in the Blakes area of the county, Atherton was the youngest of three brothers and the youngest boy in a neighborhood of nearly a dozen boys. Unlike today’s youth, who are drawn inside by a world of ready technology, the Atherton boys and their friends were outside from sunup to sundown, playing baseball, basketball, football and any other sport that came their way.
Atherton’s brothers were good at sports, and it seemed to rub off on him. But the sport that rubbed off the most was baseball, and Atherton showed early promise.
“I pla...