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Christy Mathewson

Pitcher

Born: August 12, 1880
Factoryville, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Died: October 7, 1925 (aged 45)
Saranac Lake, New York, U.S.

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

debut

July 17, 1900, for the New York Giants

Last appearance

September 4, 1916, for the Cincinnati Reds

MLB statistics

Win–loss record

373–188

Earned run average

2.13

Strikeouts

2,502

Managerial record

164–176

Winning %

.482

Teams

As player

New York Giants (1900–1916)
Cincinnati Reds (1916)

As manager

Cincinnati Reds (1916–1918)

Career highlights and awards

2× World Series champion (1905, 1921)
2× Triple Crown (1905, 1908)
4× NL wins leader (1905, 1907, 1908, 1910)
5× NL ERA leader (1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1913)
5× NL strikeout leader (1903–1905, 1907, 1908)
Pitched two no-hitters
Name honored by the Giants
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Baseball Hall of Fame

Induction

1936

Vote

90.7% (first ballot)

Career information
Football career
Position(s)	Fullback
College	Bucknell
High school	Keystone Academy
Career history
As player
1898	Greensburg A. A.
1902	Pittsburgh Stars

Career highlights and awards
Pittsburgh Stars 1902 Championship team

Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Army
Years of service	1918–1919
Rank	Captain
Unit	Chemical Warfare Service 1st Gas Regiment
Battles/wars	World War I Western Front (DOW)

Christopher "Christy" Mathewson (born August 12, 1880 – died October 7, 1925) was an amazing American baseball player. People called him "Big Six" or "Matty." He was a right-handed pitcher who played for 17 seasons, mostly with the New York Giants.

Mathewson was one of the best pitchers ever. He ranks among the top 10 in baseball history for wins, shutouts, and earned run average. In 1936, he was one of the very first players chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Christy grew up in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. He started playing semi-professional baseball when he was just 14. He played in the minor leagues before joining the Giants. He won a record 373 games in the National League. In the 1905 World Series, he led the Giants to their first championship by pitching three shutouts. Christy never pitched on Sundays because of his beliefs. He served in the United States Army during World War I. Sadly, he was exposed to gases during training, which weakened his lungs. This led to him getting tuberculosis, and he passed away in 1925.

Early Life and College Sports
Professional Football Career
Professional Baseball Career
Personal Life and Writing
World War I and Later Life
Death and Legacy
Baseball Honors
Film Appearances
Books Written by Christy Mathewson
See Also
Images for kids

Early Life and College Sports

Christy Mathewson was born in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. He went to high school at Keystone Academy.

He later attended Bucknell University. There, he was a class president and played on the school's football, basketball, and baseball teams. He was a talented athlete in many sports.

His first experience playing semi-professional baseball was in 1895. He was only 14 years old. He helped his hometown team win a game, showing his early talent. He continued to play baseball for minor league teams while studying at Bucknell. He was even chosen for the Walter Camp All-American football team in 1900.

Professional Football Career

Before focusing on baseball, Mathewson played football for Keystone Academy from 1895 to 1897. He played professionally in 1898 as a fullback for the Greensburg Athletic Association.

While he was already a baseball player for the New York Giants, Mathewson also played fullback for the Pittsburgh Stars in the first National Football League in 1902. He left the team during that season. Some people think the Giants told him to stop playing football to protect his baseball career.

Professional Baseball Career

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Mathewson warming up as a New York Giant in 1910

In 1899, Mathewson began his professional baseball journey with the Taunton Herrings. The next year, he played for the Norfolk Phenoms and had an amazing record of 20 wins and only 2 losses. He was still attending Bucknell during this time.

Becoming a Star with the New York Giants (1900–1916)

In July 1900, the New York Giants bought his contract. He played a few games for them but was sent back to the minor leagues. However, the Cincinnati Reds then picked him up. Soon after, in December 1900, the Reds traded Mathewson back to the Giants. This was a great move for the Giants!

During his 17 years in baseball, Mathewson won 373 games and lost 188. This is a fantastic winning percentage of .665. His career earned run average (ERA) of 2.13 and 79 career shutouts are among the best ever for pitchers. His 373 wins are still the most in the National League, tied with Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Mathewson had a great fastball and amazing control. He also used a special pitch he called the "fadeaway," which is now known as the "screwball." He learned this pitch from a teammate.

He recorded 2,507 career strikeouts while only giving up 848 walks. He was also famous for his 25 pitching battles against Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown. Brown won 13 of these duels, and Mathewson won 11.

Mathewson was also a good hitter for a pitcher. He had a .215 batting average and hit 7 home runs. He often had double-digit runs batted in (RBI) each season.

By 1903, Mathewson was a top pitcher. He helped the Giants win their first National League title in 1903. In 1904, the Giants won the pennant again, but there was no World Series that year.

In 1905, Mathewson had an incredible season. He walked only 64 batters in 338 innings. He pitched eight shutouts and often finished games quickly. He won 31 games, had a 1.28 ERA, and recorded 206 strikeouts. He led the National League in all three categories, earning him the Triple Crown.

Mathewson's Giants won the 1905 World Series against the Philadelphia Athletics. Mathewson was the star. He pitched three complete games without allowing any runs, giving up only 14 hits in total. This was an amazing performance!

The next year, he struggled a bit after getting sick. But by 1908, Mathewson was back on top. He won 37 games, the most in his career. He also had a 1.43 ERA and 259 strikeouts, earning him another Triple Crown. He led the league in many pitching categories.

Mathewson continued to pitch well in 1909, 1910, and 1911. The Giants won the pennant in 1911 but lost the 1911 World Series to the Philadelphia Athletics.

In 1912, Mathewson had another great season. The Giants won the pennant again but lost the 1912 World Series to the Boston Red Sox in a very close series. The Giants also lost the 1913 World Series.

After 1913, Mathewson's performance started to decline. The Giants also began to struggle. In 1915, he became interested in managing a team.

Moving to the Cincinnati Reds (1916–1918)

Mathewson in 1904

On July 20, 1916, Mathewson was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He became their player-manager. He only pitched in one game for the Reds, which was a special game against his old rival, Mordecai Brown. Mathewson's Reds won that game 10–8.

He stopped playing after that season and managed the Reds until 1918.

Personal Life and Writing

Mathewson married Jane Stoughton in 1903, and they had a son named Christopher Jr. Christy Mathewson was highly respected in baseball. He was known as "The Christian Gentleman" because he was clean-cut and intellectual. He never pitched on Sundays, a promise he made to his mother. This made him very popular with many fans.

Mathewson and his wife Jane, c. 1916

In his free time, Mathewson enjoyed nature walks, reading, golf, and checkers. He was even a champion checkers player! His mix of athletic skill and smart hobbies made him a favorite. Sportswriters loved him, and fans cheered loudly every time he pitched. He became an important leader for the Giants.

Mathewson was also a writer. In 1912, he published his famous book Pitching in a Pinch, which is still read today. He also co-wrote a play and a children's book called Second Base Sloan.

He even helped a journalist uncover the 1919 World Series scandal, where some players were accused of fixing games. Mathewson was trusted because of his honesty and intelligence.

World War I and Later Life

Late in 1918, Mathewson joined the United States Army during World War I. He served overseas as a captain. While in France, he was accidentally exposed to gases during a training exercise. This weakened his lungs and caused him to develop tuberculosis.

After the war, he coached for the Giants from 1919 to 1921. However, he spent a lot of time in Saranac Lake, New York, fighting tuberculosis. In 1923, he became part-owner of the Boston Braves. But his health was too poor to do much work.

Death and Legacy

Mathewson's private "cure cottage" in Saranac Lake

Mathewson's gravesite at Lewisburg Cemetery in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Christy Mathewson died from tuberculosis on October 7, 1925, in Saranac Lake, New York. He is buried in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Baseball players in the 1925 World Series wore black armbands to honor him.

Christy Mathewson is remembered in many ways:

His hometown of Factoryville, Pennsylvania, celebrates "Christy Mathewson Day" every year.
Bucknell University's football stadium is named "Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium".
The baseball field at Keystone College is named "Christy Mathewson Field".
A park in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, is also named after him.
He is mentioned in poems, books, and even a jazz song.
During World War II, a ship was named USS Christy Mathewson in his honor.

Baseball Honors

In 1936, Mathewson was one of the first five players elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The others were Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner. He was the only one chosen after he had passed away.


Christy Mathewson was honored alongside the retired numbers of the San Francisco Giants in 1986.

His jersey, marked "NY," was retired by the Giants in 1986. It hangs in their stadium, Oracle Park.
In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number seven on their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was the highest-ranked National League pitcher.
ESPN called his pitching in the 1905 World Series the greatest playoff performance ever.
His plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame says he was the "Greatest of all of the great pitchers in the 20th century's first quarter" and that "Matty was master of them all."

Film Appearances

Christy Mathewson appeared in several films, mostly short films about baseball:

Christy Mathewson and the New York National League Team (1907)
Athletics vs. Giants in the World's Championship Baseball Series of 1911 (1911)
Breaking into the Big League (1913)
The Giants-White Sox Tour (1914)
The Universal Boy (1914)
Love and Baseball (1914)
Matty's Decision (1915)
Animated Weekly, No.16 (1916)
Animated Weekly, No.31 (1916)
The Baseball Revue of 1917 (1917)

Books Written by Christy Mathewson

Won in the Ninth (1910)
Pitching in a Pinch; or, Baseball from the Inside (1912)
Pitcher Pollock (1914)
Catcher Craig (1915)
First Base Faulkner (1916)
Second Base Sloan (1917)

Images for kids

Mathewson with the New York Giants, c. 1913
Mathewson in his New York Giants uniform

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