Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson
Mathewson in 1910
Pitcher
Born: (1880-08-12)August 12, 1880
Factoryville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: October 7, 1925(1925-10-07) (aged 45)
Saranac Lake, New York, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 17, 1900, for the New York Giants
Last MLB appearance
September 4, 1916, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Win–loss record373–188
Earned run average2.13
Strikeouts2,502
Managerial record164–176
Winning %.482
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Managerial record at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
As player

As manager

Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1936
Vote90.7% (first ballot)
Football career
Career information
Position(s)Fullback
CollegeBucknell
High schoolKeystone Academy
Career history
As player
1898Greensburg A. A.
1902Pittsburgh Stars
Career highlights and awards
  • Pittsburgh Stars 1902 Championship team
Military career
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service / branchUnited States Army seal U.S. Army
Years of service1918–1919
Rank Captain
UnitChemical Warfare Service
1st Gas Regiment
Battles / warsWorld War I

Christopher Mathewson (August 12, 1880 – October 7, 1925), nicknamed "Big Six", "the Christian Gentleman", "Matty", and "the Gentleman's Hurler", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants. He stood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). He was among the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, and ranks in the all-time top 10 in several key pitching categories, including wins, shutouts, and earned run average.[1] In 1936, Mathewson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five members.

Mathewson grew up in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and began playing semiprofessional baseball when he was 14 years old. He played in the minor leagues in 1899, recording a record of 21 wins and two losses. He pitched for the Giants the next season, but was sent back to the minors. He eventually returned to the Giants and went on to win a National League record 373 career games, tying Grover Cleveland Alexander for the third-most career wins of all time. He led the Giants to the franchise's first World Series championship in 1905 by pitching a single World Series record three shutouts.[2] He also holds the record for career shutouts in the World Series, with four.[3] Mathewson never pitched on Sundays, owing to his Christian beliefs. Mathewson served in the United States Army's Chemical Warfare Service in World War I, and was accidentally exposed to chemical weapons during training. His respiratory system was weakened from the exposure, causing him to contract tuberculosis, from which he died in Saranac Lake, New York, in 1925.

  1. ^ "MLB & Baseball Leaders & Records". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  2. ^ "Most Shutouts By A Pitcher In A Single World Series". StatMuse. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "Most Career Shutouts By A Pitcher In The World Series". StatMuse. Retrieved May 30, 2024.