Throwback Thursday - Christy Mathewson - June 16, 2011

Christy Mathewson was a right-handed pitcher in the dead ball era, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five inaugural members in 1936. Mathewson played with the New York Giants for most of his career as he compiled a .665 winning percentage, a career ERA of 2.13, and 79 career shutouts.

In 1905, Mathewson pitched 3 complete games in the World Series against the Philadelphia Athletics, and he only allowed one run. The Giants won the World Series over the Athletics as Mathewson collected the first of two triple crowns for pitchers. ESPN selected his pitching performance in the 1905 World Series as the greatest playoff performance of all time.

Other achievements include: 2 no-hitters, won 20 games or more 13 times, won 30 games or more 4 times, five-time ERA champion, five-time strikeout champion, and was named to MLB’s All-Century Team. While a member of the New York Giants, he played pro-football for the Pittsburgh Stars in the first National Football League in 1902.

Christy Mathewson also served in the Army during the end of World War I in the Chemical Service with Ty Cobb. During a training exercise, Mathewson developed tuberculosis, which made his return to the game a difficult task because he was constantly fighting the illness. He died in 1925 in New York.

On his Hall of Fame plaque it reads, “Matty was master of the them all.”