Their only son, Christopher Jr., was born shortly after. Another brother, Henry Mathewson, pitched briefly for the Giants before dying of tuberculosis in 1917. With the game deadlocked 11 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Giants had runners on first and third bases with two outs. Christy Mathewson Bats: Throws: Right 6-1 , 195lb (185cm, 88kg) Born:, us 5x ERA Title Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Mathewson was 19 years old when he broke into the big leagues on July 17, 1900, with the New York Giants. The universitys Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium seats thirteen thousand spectators and includes an eight-lane, all-weather track and grass-like artificial playing field for football and lacrosse. He exceeded the maximum draft age of thirty established by the Selective Service Act of 1917. It's a feat so out of reach in today's game that it's not even considered for lists of baseball's "unbreakable records.". That decision cost him his life; or at least, that's the narrative that's been accepted about his death for nearly a century. During the next seven years, he battled. Even that first spring. While packing up his gear, he admitted, I dont know whether I want to become the manager of another club or not. . He was thoughtful and kind, never forgetting his boyhood friend, Ray Snyder, to whom he always gave a pair of tickets to a World Series game. ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM View death records Living status . February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite! Bucknell's football stadium is named "Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.". Year built: 1924 The Christy Mathewson Cottage at 21 Old Military Road is by location and design one of the most prominent houses in the Highland Park section of Saranac Lake. The stadium underwent a major renovation in 1989, and at that time it was rededicated to honor the iconic Christy Mathewson, who was a three-sport star and model student-athlete . I might almost say that while he is still creeping on all fours he should have a bouncing rubber ball." Source: Baseball: An Informal History (Douglass Wallop) "Anybody's best pitch is the one the batters ain't hitting that day." Source: The Sporting News (August 6, 1948) Mathewson pitched for two hours against coal miners as old as twenty-one, striking out everyone at least once and winning the game, 1917. It weakened his respiratory system and was the cause of his death in 1925. He employed a good fastball, outstanding control, and, especially a new pitch he termed the "fadeaway" (later known in baseball as the "screwball"), which he learned from teammate Dave Williams in 1898.[12]. Quotes From Christy Mathewson. Schoor, Gene, and Henry Gilfond. "Mathewson pitched against Cincinnati yesterday. Today marks the 94th anniversary of the death of Christy Mathewson, who died in Saranac Lake after an unsuccessful battle against tuberculosis. The legendary hurler was among the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1936. In nearby LaPlume, Lackawanna County, is the present-day Keystone College, where Mathewson attended preparatory school and played ball. . Posting eight wins and three losses, he led Honesdale to an anthracite league championship. Mathewson soon became the unspoken captain of the Giants. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Born in 1880 #31. Nearly a century after his final major league appearance, Christy Mathewson is still considered one of the greatest right-handed pitchers in the history of baseball. Christy began pitching at the age 13 for his hometown team in Factoryville. Mathewson was fantastic from age 20 through 32, but then fell off a cliff. The baseball field at Keystone College is named "Christy Mathewson Field.". You can learn everything from defeat. Death 15 Jan 1909 (aged 19) Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA. Returning home, Christy Mathewson rejoined the New York Giants in 1919 as a coach, but suffered from fatigue, constant bouts of coughing, recurring fever, and considerable weight loss. The combination of athletic skill and intellectual hobbies made him a favorite for many fans, even those opposed to the Giants. From 1900 to 1904, Mathewson established himself as a premier pitcher. He was greatly devoted to his wife Jane and their only child, John Christopher (19061950), known as Christy Jr., a 1927 graduate of Bucknell University, who died at the age of forty-three following an explosion at his home in Helotes, Texas. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014. The Washington Senators and Pittsburgh Pirates wore black armbands in his memory during the 1925 World Series. His finest season came in 1908, when he led the league with an astounding thirty-seven wins, 259 strikeouts, twelve shutouts, and an earned run average of 1.43. Mathewson's pin includes a familiar head shot image used on many of his collectibles, including his . New York: DK Publishing Inc., 2001. In March 1941, he was given a job with the Air Corps in Washington D.C. He also led the league in starts, innings pitched, complete games, and shutouts, and held hitters to an exceptionally low 0.827 walks plus hits per innings pitched. Although he possessed a sense of humor, he was shy by nature and, according to one teammate, a little hard to get close to, but once you got to know him, he was truly a good friend. Chief Meyers insisted that the Giants loved to play for him. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. When we played together on local teams, Christy had none of those fancy pitches they now use in the big leagues, recalled Snyder. Mathewson was a wonderful person as well as a great ballplayer, and was known by nicknames that reflected his decency, including The Gentlemans Hurler, The Christian Gentleman, and Big 6. As a devout Christian, the appropriately named Christopher Mathewson would not pitch or play ball on Sunday. One of Mathewson's most affordable issues is this pin, issued during his playing career via Sweet Caporal tobacco. His wife Jane was very much opposed to the decision, but Mathewson insisted on going. For the remainder of his career with the Giants, Mathewson began to struggle. After contracting tuberculosis, Mathewson moved to the frigid climate of Saranac Lake, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains, where he sought treatment from Edward Livingston Trudeau at his renowned Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium. Christy Mathewson real name: Christopher Mathewson, Nick Name(s): Big Six, The Christian Gentleman, Matty, The Gentleman's Hurler Height: 6'1''(in feet & inches) 1.8542(m) 185.42(cm) , Birthdate(Birthday): August 12, 1880 , Age on October 7, 1925 (Death date): 45 Years 1 Months 26 Days Profession: Sports Persons (Baseball Player), Father: Gilbert Bailey Mathewson, Mother: Minerva Mathewson . Mathewson got by far the worst of it, and died just a few years later, in 1925, of tuberculosis that was brought on by his exposure. 2 bids. Though no World Series was held in 1904, the Giants captured the pennant, prompting McGraw to proclaim them as the best team in the world. Another way of putting it is that Cincinnati lost a game of baseball. Burial. Journeying into the hills about ten miles above Scranton, in northeastern Pennsylvania, the family intended to establish a textile business, but Factoryville, in a region in which anthracite ruled as king, proved too isolated for it to live up to its name and remained a small hamlet. Winning the most games of his career, 37, coupled with a 1.43 earned run average and 259 strikeouts, he claimed a second triple crown. Michael Hartley. This section is to introduce Christy Mathewson with highlights of his life and how he is remembered. Christy Mathewson Sr. Go out and have a good cry. Macht, Norman L. Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball. While his premature death was tragic - and a huge loss for the sport - he should get no "bonus" credit for the abbreviated career. McGraw was only 30 years old . New York / San Francisco Giants retired numbers, Boston Red Stockings/Red Caps/Beaneaters/, List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball player-managers, "Keystone Adds Football as 22nd Varsity Sport", "St. Louis Browns team ownership history", "Mathewson's Son Is Fatally Burned Christy Jr. Biography: Player biography is under development. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. The Christy Mathewson Historical Marker in Factoryville. . He played 17 seasons with the New York Giants, of MLB. The Baseball Timeline. His name was Christy Mathewson, but most baseball fans called him "Matty" or "Big Six." He was only 45, a late casualty of World War I, whose health. While he was enrolled at Bucknell University, he was class president and an . Mathewson strove even harder in 1905. The following summer, Mathewson pitched twenty wins, two losses, and 128 strikeouts for Norfolk in the Virginia League, attracting the attention of both the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants. The 19th century was full of great players who won great popularity, but one thing the period lacked was a superstar the masses could idolize. Actor: Love and Baseball. He earned his first money playing baseball for Mill City, PA in 1895. He played in the minor leagues in 1899, recording a record of 21 wins and two losses. During the summers he would play in various minor-league teams. The losses can be attributed to the Giants inability to score enough runs since Mathewsons earned run average in the fall classic was a remarkably low 1.15. Introduction Early life College career Professional football career Professional baseball career . At the time, chemical warfare was emerging as a viable threat, and he and other baseball players, Ty Cobb and Branch Rickey included, joined the Chemical Service. Hedges later said that ensuring the return of peace to the game was more important, even if it meant effectively giving up a pennant.[14]. In a span of only six days, Mathewson had pitched three complete games without allowing a run, while giving up only 14 hits. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Christy Mathewson. Type above and press Enter to search. Lincoln, Neb. The Tragic 1925 Death Of Baseball Legend Christy Mathewson. Christy Mathewson Day and Factoryville, Pennsylvania, are the subjects of the documentary, Christy Mathewson Park in Factoryville is home to the community's. Mathewson served with the American Expeditionary Forces until February 1919 and was discharged later that month.[26]. He also died a few years later of tuberculosis, a disease that affects the lungs, as the L.A. Times reports. Death and legacy. Most Popular #141395. Sold: Jan 28, 2022 . When the next batter hit a single to right field, the third base runner appeared to have scored. [15], Late in the 1918 season, Mathewson enlisted in the United States Army for World War I. But no hurler, with the possible exception of Walte. Many baseball historians consider this story apocryphal. Baseball was a popular sport in its first 30 years, but it had always lacked one thing: a superstar. Born: August 12, 1880, Factoryville, Pennsylvania Died: October 7, 1925, Saranac Lake, New York Married: Jane Stoughton Children: Christy Mathewson, Jr. Nicknames: "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", "Matty" Playing primarily for the New York Giants . . Mathewson confirmed that Merkle had not touched second base. Officials declared the game a draw and scheduled a one-game playoff at the Polo Grounds, a contest the Giants lost, 4-2. Her mother, Christiana Capwell, was a founder of the Keystone Academy, a private preparatory school chartered in 1868 by the Commonwealth to educate Factoryvilles children. He was the son of Gilbert B. Mathewson and Minerva J. Capwell. Mathewson was mentioned in the poem by Ogden . Seldom did he rely on his blazing fastball to strike out a batter. Jealousy and greed threatened to destroy the game, but the colorful, seemingly invincible, play of a few teams assured its popularity and place in the history of American recreation. 1 Comment. After his playing career, he was a manager, army officer and baseball executive, played a role in the unraveling of the Black Sox, and fought a courageous battle against tuberculosis. Syndicated columnist Ring Lardner (18851933), who elevated baseball writing to a literary art, stood by the pitching legend with a folksy essay. Sometimes, the distraction prompted him to walk out 10 minutes after his fielders took the field. Compelled by duty and his desire to do the right thing, Mathewson did as many other men of his time did, and joined the war effort, heading overseas to fight in World War I. Christy Mathewson, in full Christopher Mathewson, also called Matty and Big Six, (born August 12, 1880, Factoryville, Pennsylvania, U.S.died October 7, 1925, Saranac Lake, New York), American professional baseball player, regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game. Too old for infantry service, he entered the Chemical Warfare Service and was placed in the Gas and Flame Division to train inexperienced doughboys how to defend themselves against poisonous mustard gas used by Germany. [25] He served overseas as a captain in the newly formed Chemical Service along with Ty Cobb. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. In 1898, he pitched for a small town team at Honesdale, Wayne County, for twenty-five dollars a month, plus room and board. He was nicknamed "Big Six," "The Christian Gentleman," "Matty," and "The Gentleman . Unfortunately, my experiences with Taunton were anything but pleasant. Located thirty miles south of Boston, Taunton was well known for its large silver manufacturing plants; the Herrings was a team well known as a perennial loser in the league. M is for Matty,Who carried a charmIn the form of an extrabrain in his arm. Our motto is We try until we succeed!, Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com, Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use. The Browns had finished a strong second in 1902, five games behind the Philadelphia Athletics. 151 runs, seven home runs, and 167 runs batted in. History Short: Americas First Spy Satellite, A Failure! Factoryville, PA 18419 Visit Website Phone (570) 945-7484 Email manager@factoryville.org Categories Local, State & National Parks, Sports & Outdoors Price Free Share Report as closed Related Things to Do Find Your Next NEPA Adventure View All Things to Do Christy Mathewson 1880 - 1925 . Christy Mathewson Quotes - BrainyQuote. The boys been writin subscriptions on his tombstone as far back as 1906, and they been layin him to rest every year since, Lardner wrote. The university has also named him to its Athletics Hall of Fame. [19] During Mathewson's playing years, the family lived in a duplex in upper Manhattan alongside Mathewson's manager John McGraw and his wife Blanche. Convinced of victory, Fred Merkle (18881956), the nineteen-year-old Giants runner on first base, headed toward the clubhouse without ever touching second base. He even led the league in saves, racking up 5 of them in 12 relief appearances. When he arrived in France, he was accidentally gassed during a chemical training exercise and subsequently developed tuberculosis,[2] which more easily infects lungs that have been damaged by chemical gases. Work and travel fatigued him, forcing long periods of rest. He was born in Factoryville, Pa., on Aug. 12, 1880. So its the old bean that makes Matty tick. Just as Lardner predicted, Mathewson proved his critics wrong and completed the season with a 2613 record and 141 strikeouts. However, the impact of this practice on the Giants was minimized, since, in the eight-team National League, only the Chicago Cubs (Illinois), Cincinnati Reds (Ohio), and St. Louis Cardinals (Missouri) played home games in states that allowed professional sports on Sunday. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. A bronze statue honoring the Hall of Fame pitcher has been erected in the communitys Christy Mathewson Park, located on Seamans Road. Thousands of cheering New York fans swarmed the field believing that their beloved Giants had won. His respiratory system was weakened from the exposure, causing him to contract tuberculosis, from which he died in Saranac Lake, New York, in 1925. Mathewson returned for an outstanding 1909 season; though not as dominant as the previous year, he posted a better earned run average (1.14), and a record of 25-6. But the details of Mathewson's demise never quite added up. Christy Mathewson inhaled poison gas while conducting training exercises in France; that much is true, according to Medium. 1961 FLEER # 59 CHRISTY MATHEWSON Post is $5.00 for 40 cards. As Baseball-Reference reports, over 17 seasons, he racked up 373 regular-season wins against 188 losses. [15] Mathewson, the team's "star pitcher", signed a three-year contract with the Giants in late 1910, for the upcoming 1911, 1912 and 1913 seasons, the first time he had signed a contract over a year in length.[16]. During his two and a half seasons at the helm, however, the Reds won 164 games, but dropped 176 and failed to finish in the first division. He recorded 373 victories while posting a career 2.13 ERA. Christy also played for a short time in the NFL (Pittsburgh Stars) as a fullback and punter. Mathewson, who had expressed interest in serving as a manager, wound up with a three-year deal to manage the Cincinnati Reds effective July 21, 1916. Christy Mathewson Park 18 Thompson Rd. He was known to argue with umpires, throw pitches to hit batters, break contracts, and occasionally indulge in profanity. Christy passed away on August 14 1973, at age 58. Early life. Christy Mathewson married Jane Stoughton in 1903. [7] He turned pro in 1898, appearing as a fullback with the Greensburg Athletic Association. Baseball mirrored the economic structure and labor relations of the nations industrial sector. He faced Brown in the second half of a doubleheader, which was billed as the final meeting between the two old baseball warriors. [4] He continued to play baseball during his years at Bucknell, pitching for minor league teams in Honesdale and Meridian, Pennsylvania. Mathewson and McGraw remained friends for the rest of their lives. [1] In 1936, Mathewson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five members. Its nearly over, he whispered. Sportswriters eulogized him in prose and poetry making him larger than life itself. Although he returned to serve as a coach for the Giants from 1919 to 1921, he spent a good portion of that time in Saranac Lake fighting the tuberculosis, initially at the Trudeau Sanitorium, and later in a house that he had built. Right-handed pitcher Christy Matty Mathewson (18801925), a thirty-seven-game winner, took the mound against the Cubs Jack Pfiester (18781953), the so-called Giant Killer because of his remarkable success against the New York clubs hitters. A collection of Mathewson artifacts is also held by the Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Union County, where he attended college from 1898 through 1901, leaving after his junior year to play professionally. He went on to college at Bucknell University, where he was class president as well as playing on the football and baseball teams. DEATH DATE Oct 7, 1925 (age 45) Popularity . Mathewson died on October 7, 1925, according to Pennsylvania Heritage. By 1903, Mathewson's stature was such that when he briefly signed a contract with the St. Louis Browns of the American League, he was thought to be the spark the Browns needed to win the pennant. (Photo by Michael Mutmansky), Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Historical Societies: News and Highlights, Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter. He smoked cigars and pipes and enjoyed being the highest paid player at $15,000 a year in 1911the equivalent of $330,000 today. He never smoked. Nearly a century after his final major league appearance, Christy Mathewson is still considered one of the greatest right-handed pitchers in the history of baseball. If you made an error behind him, hed never get mad or sulk. SUMMARY Career WAR 106.6 W 373 L 188 ERA 2.13 G 636 GS 552 SV 30 IP 4788.2 SO 2507 WHIP 1.058 Christy Mathewson Overview Minor & Cuban Lg Stats Manager Stats Splits There I learned the rudiments of the fadeaway, a slow curve ball, pitched with the same motion as a fast ball. 1983 Galasso Cracker Jack Reprint #88 Christy Mathewson. Mathewson also played the bass horn in the schools band, sang in the glee club, and served as freshman class president. Sportswriter Lardner memorialized the event with six satirical but bittersweet lines: My eyes are very misty As I pen these lines to Christy; O, my heart is full of heaviness today, May the flowers neer wither, Matty, On your grave at Cincinnati, Which youve chosen for your final fade-away. Instead, he focused on managing. They wanted their son to become a preacher and continue his education, but Christys passion for sports threatened to sidetrack those parental aspirations. Pitching in a Pinch passes on Mathewson's substantial knowledge of the game in . I know it and we must face it. As noted in The National League Story (1961) by Lee Allen, Mathewson was a devout Christian and never pitched on Sunday, a promise he made to his mother that brought him popularity among the more religious New York fans and earned him the nickname "The Christian Gentleman". The Academy building was about half a mile from where I lived, so that when I reached home and finished my chores, there was no time left to play baseball. Mathewson began skipping lunch to stay at school to play ball. B. Manheim takes a look at one of the oft-told legends of early 20th century baseballthat Christy Mathewson died of TB after being exposed to poison gas in a training accident. $1.25 shipping. Christopher Mathewson was born on August 12, 1880, in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. In the 1909 offseason, Christy Mathewson's younger brother Nicholas Mathewson committed suicide in a neighbor's barn. Mathewson and McGraw remained friends for the rest of their lives. On Wednesday, September 23, 1908, twenty thousand baseball fans packed New York Citys Polo Grounds to watch the hometown New York Giants host the reigning World Series champion and archrival, the Chicago Cubs. August 12 Baseball Player #5. During a five-game losing streak in August 1911, sportswriters began penning Mathewsons career obituary. He started one of those games and compiled a 03 record. On the morning of October 7, 1925, consumed by fever and barely able to talk, the forty-five-year-old Mathewson called his wife Jane to his bedside. In 1913, he pitched sixty-eight consecutive innings without walking a single batter. When J. Mathewsons death caused tremendous sadness across the nation. In 1936, Mathewson became a charter inductee in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York, along with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson. Mathewson's life ended due to WWI, but his career was effectively over (as a great pitcher) several years before then. He also died a few years later of tuberculosis, a disease that affects the lungs, as theL.A. Times reports. F. Scott Fitzgerald refers to Christy Mathewson in his first novel, Mathewson is a central character in Eric Rolfe Greenberg's historical novel. Hed come over and pat you on the back., The blond-haired, blue-eyed Mathewson was uncommonly handsome and projected an image of good sportsmanship. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland Publishing, 2002. Although New York returned to the World Series in 1911, 1912, and 1913, Mathewson won only three out of eight games. The greatest that ever lived. Christy Mathewson, 1910.Library of Congress. Here are six cards of 'Big Six' for budget-minded collectors to target. The Baseball Hall of Fame website reports that Mathewson, while serving as a captain in France, was accidentally gassed during a training exercise. Christy Mathewson Day is celebrated as a holiday in his hometown of Factoryville, PA., on the Saturday that is closest to his birthday. Christy Mathewson. Because of his popularity, his character, and the courageous battle he waged against tuberculosis, he set a standard for all athletes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Table of Contents: A History of the World, A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators, Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive, Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles, October 8, 1918: Ralph Talbot Becomes First US Marine Aviator to Win Medal of Honor. Baseball Player Born in Pennsylvania #32. Christy Mathewson was, as Pennsylvania Heritage reports, a baseball player unlike any other of his time. Ogden Nash, Sport magazine (January 1949)[35]. He was a strapping, six-foot, one-inch, 190-pound, affable young man, successful also in basketball and football. Mathewson was born in Factoryville, Pennsylvania and attended high school at Keystone Academy (now Keystone College).He attended college at Bucknell University, where he served as class president and played on the school's football and baseball teams. That season he pitched over 300 innings and I doubt if he walked twenty-five men the whole year.. 22 jersey", Christy Mathewson managerial career statistics, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (Tony Bennett song), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christy_Mathewson&oldid=1134863996, 19th-century players of American football, United States Army personnel of World War I, National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, National League Pitching Triple Crown winners, Players of American football from Pennsylvania, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, September 4,1916,for theCincinnati Reds, Christy Mathewson was honored alongside the. History Short: What was the First Country with an All-Woman Leadership? However, Mathewson disappeared from the team in the middle of the team's 1902 season. Christy Mathewson was born on August 12, 1880 (age 45) in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, United States. Dies After Blast in Texas Home Won Health After Air Crash Injuries", "Christy Mathewson, Helene Britton and the theater", "San Francisco Giants to retire Will Clark's No. Mathewson and Rube Marquard allowed two game-winning home runs to Hall of Famer Frank Baker, earning him the nickname, "Home Run". "A boy cannot begin playing ball too early. Da Capo Press, 2003. Christy Mathewson Stats. To this day, his hometown of Factoryville, Pennsylvania celebrates Christy Mathewson Day. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement. (Pennsylvania native Ed Walsh pitched forty wins in 1908 for the American Leagues Chicago White Sox.) This reference is challenged by Ken Burns documentary Baseball in which it is stated that Mathewson learned his "fadeaway" from Andrew "Rube" Foster when New York Giants manager John McGraw quietly hired Rube to show the Giants bullpen what he knew. Their happiness was our cause." Still, for all their success, all they would mean to the national . "Mathewson was a child of a wealthy farmer. New York sportswriters anointed him The Christian Gentleman.. To manager John McGraw, Mathewson was a companion and intellectual equal. Gaines, Bob. Besides winning 31 games, Mathewson recorded an earned run average of 1.28 and 206 strikeouts. He also struck out 2502 batters. Another brother, Henry Mathewson, pitched briefly for the Giants before dying of tuberculosis in 1917. He could stay with the Giants as long as he wanted to, but I am convinced that his pitching days are over and hed like to be a manager.. It's tragic, really, how heartbreak and disease and death always overshadowed their achievements. As he was a clean-cut, intellectual collegiate, his rise to fame brought a better name to the typical ballplayer, who usually spent his time gambling, boozing, or womanizing. He compiled 373 victories during a seventeen-year career. He died in Saranac Lake of tuberculosis on October 7, 1925. As a player and manager, Mathewson also had several seasons of experience playing alongside Hal Chase, a veteran major league player widely rumored to have been involved in several gambling incidents and attempts to fix games. Death 7 Oct 1925 (aged 45) . 1. He returned to baseball as president of the Boston Braves on February 20, 1923, but his illness doomed him. Like many sports idols, Mathewsons clean-living reputation was exaggerated. At the age of 19, Mathewson won 21 games and lost only 2 in minor league baseball, and was on his way to the big leagues, one of the few college players going into the major leagues at that time. Christy Mathewson. I dont like to part with Matty, lamented McGraw. Please let us know in the comments section below this article. In 1905, Christy Mathewson pitched three shutouts - over a span of six days - to lead the New York Giants to their first championship, defeating the Philadelphia A's in five games. Born on August 12, 1880, in Factoryville, Wyoming County, Christopher Mathewson was the son of Gilbert Bailey Mathewson (18471927), a gentleman farmer, and Minerva Isabella Capwell Mathewson (18551936).