Matt Kata: From MLB Versatility to Banking and Youth Coaching

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Matt Kata and why is he being inducted into the Round Rock Express Hall of Fame?

Matt Kata is a former Major League Baseball utility player who debuted as a second baseman with the Arizona Diamondbacks and later played for the Round Rock Express when it was a Double-A affiliate. During his time with the Express, he played seven positions other than the battery, earning a reputation as a versatile "Swiss Army knife" who could fill in wherever the team needed him.

What was Matt Kata's role during Randy Johnson's perfect game?

Kata played second base for the Diamondbacks during Johnson's perfect game and assisted on three ground balls across the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. He recalls the first play involving Jesse Garcia trying to push-bunt on Johnson, plus a memorable slow-hopper from Julio Franco, and credits a relentless internal mantra of "hit it to me" for keeping his mind free of negative visualization.

What is Kata's ACE framework?

ACE stands for Attitude, Concentration, and Effort, the three things Kata believes athletes and professionals can actually control. He traces it back to his high school hats and now uses it as the foundational culture-setter with teams he coaches, arguing that players who fixated on things outside their control, like promotion timing, often failed to reach the big leagues despite abundant talent.

What three quotes did Kata's father repeat throughout his childhood?

Kata's father told him, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll still be amongst the stars," that "preparation was always in season," and a grittier line about chewing nails and using sandpaper. Together, the quotes taught him to set big goals, prepare year-round, and accept that life and baseball demand toughness in the face of constant failure.

Why does Kata say a coach's impact is "never neutral"?

Kata argues that coaching always leaves either a positive or negative mark, never nothing, especially in youth sports where volunteer dads are often recruited to fill roster gaps. He believes leagues rarely provide real coach development beyond a checkbox clinic, which is why he collaborated with former British forces trainer Mark Bennett at the Cleveland Indians to build a more robust coaching-excellence program.

How does Kata connect baseball lessons to his work as a commercial lender?

Kata says banking is fundamentally about relationships and character, the first of the "5 C's of credit." He treats coffees, lunches, and chamber events as network-building the same way he treated clubhouse chemistry, giving customers his direct cell number and emphasizing that clients need to be comfortable with him personally, not just the institution behind him.

How did Kata end up settling in Round Rock?

Kata first visited Round Rock in 2002 as a visiting player with the El Paso Diablos, initially getting food poisoning at the team hotel. Later that season he returned for the Texas League All-Star Game, where he met his future wife Jillian, who worked in marketing for the Express. He won the game's MVP, and the couple eventually bought their first home in Round Rock.