Christy Mathewson Jr. Didn’t Play Baseball but Did Take After His Father When it Came to Tragedy
The son of the MLB legend had a successful and short life punctuated by sadness
Pitcher Christy Mathewson was one of the early great heroes of baseball. “Big Six” used his powerful right arm to win 373 games during an illustrious career (1900–1916). He charmed fans with his talent and wholesome persona that made him and baseball appeal to a much wider audience during a time when the professional game was considered rough and tumble. Sadly, his life also was rife with tragedy and he died early, both of which became true of his son, Christy Mathewson, Jr.
Using his famed fade-away screwball, Mathewson dazzled baseball in the early part of the 20th century. Spending all but the final start of his big-league career with the New York Giants, he was one of baseball’s biggest stars on its biggest stage. In addition to his 373 wins (still third all-time), he also had a career ERA of 2.13 and appeared in four World Series (winning one), where he had a sparkling ERA of 0.97. Ultimately, he was part of the inaugural induction class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
After his playing days were over, Mathewson served overseas during World War I. During his time in France, he came…
