December 23, 1998, for the 1999 season. He served as Darrin Fletcher's understudy. Toronto released him after the season, and he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on December 15, 1999. St. Louis Cardinals (2000–04) Matheny barely made the Cardinals roster after the spring training session, but went on to earn the starting catcher's role in the 2000 season. He posted a career-high .261 batting average and provided exceptional defense for the Cardinals, with a .993 fielding percentage and throwing out 53% of would-be base stealers, well above the league average of 32%. Matheny helped the Cardinals improve from their fourth-place finish in 1999 to capturing the National League Central Division title, and claimed his first Gold Glove award in the process. After the season, the Cardinals signed him to a three-year, $9 million contract. After teammate Darryl Kile's sudden death in the summer of 2002, Matheny showed that he was "an inspirational leader", helping the team to cope and make it to the National League Championship Series. After the 2003 season, the St. Louis and Houston chapters of the BBWAA voted for Matheny as the inaugural winner of an award established in Kile's honor. Bolstering his growing reputation as a top defensive catcher, Matheny again won Gold Gloves with the Cardinals in 2003 and 2004. His defensive contributions helped St. Louis reach the postseason in four of his five years with the team, including claiming the National League pennant in 2004. Between August 1, 2002, and August 4, 2004, Matheny played in 252 games without committing an error, establishing a new Major League record for catchers. Matheny set another Major League record for catchers in 2004 by fielding 1,565 consecutive chances without an error. During his playing days in a Cardinal uniform, Matheny caught 611 games, accumulating 4,938.1 innings and committing just 14 errors. His .997 fielding percentage leads all catchers who have caught at least 2,000 innings for St. Louis. He became a free agent after the 2004 World Series, primarily due to the emergence of rookie catcher Yadier Molina, with whom he would eventually be reunited. San Francisco Giants (2005–06) Matheny signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 13, 2004. The next season, he displayed a rare power surge, amassing career-highs with 13 home runs, 34 doubles, a .406 slugging percentage and 59 runs batted in (RBIs). Matheny continued his defensive excellence, compiling