MLB HOFer Christy Mathewson, Man, Myth and Legend
The legendary pitcher remains one of the greatest players in baseball history
Pitcher Christy Mathewson was the first big-league superstar player of the 20th century. The right-hander was not only dominant on the mound, but revered for his clean living and pleasant demeanor off it. Playing for the New York Giants for 16 of his 17 seasons (1900–1916), he quickly became the most famous person in the Big Apple. At the height of his popularity, he gave an interview and a rare inside peek into his background and how he grew from a small factory town boy to the king of Gotham.
Despite humble origins growing up in a small Pennsylvania factory town (literally named Factoryville), Mathewson, also known as a player as “Big Six,” grew up to be one of the greatest pitchers the game has ever seen. A college man, which was rare during his time in baseball, he developed into a major star with the Giants by the time he was 20 and maintained that title for the remainder of his career. Possessing an underrated fastball and a screwball also known as his fade-away, he was a combined 373–188 with a 2.13 ERA.
He was also the first true World Series star, throwing three complete-game shutouts in the 1905 Fall Classic, as his Giants took the championship against the Philadelphia…
