40 Facts About Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson 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.

In 1936, Christy Mathewson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five members.

Christy Mathewson grew up in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and began playing semiprofessional baseball when he was 14 years old.

Christy Mathewson played in the minor leagues in 1899, recording a record of 21 wins and two losses.

Christy Mathewson pitched for the New York Giants the next season, but was sent back to the minors.

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Christy Mathewson eventually returned to the Giants, and went on to win a National League record 373 career games, tied Grover Cleveland Alexander for the third most career wins of all-time.

Christy Mathewson led the Giants to their first World Series championship in franchise history in the 1905 World Series by pitching a single World Series record three shutouts.

Christy Mathewson never pitched on Sundays, owing to his Christian beliefs.

Christy Mathewson served in the United States Army's Chemical Warfare Service in World War I, and was accidentally exposed to chemical weapons during training.

Christy Mathewson was born in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and attended high school at Keystone Academy.

Christy Mathewson attended college at Bucknell University, where he served as class president and played on the school's football, basketball, and baseball teams.

Christy Mathewson was a member of the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.

Christy Mathewson continued to play baseball during his years at Bucknell, pitching for minor league teams in Honesdale and Meridian, Pennsylvania.

Christy Mathewson was selected to the Walter Camp All-American football team in 1900.

Christy Mathewson played football at Keystone Academy from 1895 to 1897.

Christy Mathewson turned pro in 1898, appearing as a fullback with the Greensburg Athletic Association.

However, Christy Mathewson disappeared from the team in the middle of the team's 1902 season.

Christy Mathewson employed a good fastball, outstanding control, and, especially a new pitch he termed the "fadeaway", which he learned from teammate Dave Williams in 1898.

Christy Mathewson is famous for his 25 pitching duels with Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, who won 13 of the duels against Mathewson's 11, with one no-decision.

Christy Mathewson shut out opposing teams eight times, pitching entire games in brief 90-minute sessions.

Christy Mathewson led the National League in all three categories, earning him the Triple Crown.

Christy Mathewson's Giants won the 1905 World Series over the Philadelphia Athletics.

Christy Mathewson was the starting pitcher in game one, and pitched a four-hit shutout for the victory.

Christy Mathewson led the league in starts, innings pitched, complete games, and shutouts, and held hitters to an exceptionally low 0.

Christy Mathewson even led the league in saves, racking up 5 of them in 12 relief appearances.

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Christy Mathewson repeated a strong performance in 1910 and then again in 1911, when the Giants captured their first pennant since 1905.

Christy Mathewson faced Brown in the second half of a doubleheader, which was billed as the final meeting between the two old baseball warriors.

Christy Mathewson was highly regarded in the baseball world during his lifetime.

Christy Mathewson was the only player to whom John McGraw ever gave full discretion.

Christy Mathewson garnered respect throughout the baseball world as a pitcher of great sportsmanship.

Christy Mathewson was often asked to write columns concerning upcoming games.

In 1912, with the editing and ghostwriting aid of sportswriter John Wheeler, Christy Mathewson published his classic memoir Pitching in a Pinch, or Pitching from the Inside, which was admired by poet Marianne Moore and is still in print.

Years later, Christy Mathewson co-wrote a mildly successful play called The Girl and The Pennant, which was inspired by Helene Hathaway Britton's ownership of the St Louis Cardinals.

Christy Mathewson went on to pursue more literary endeavors ending in 1917 with a children's book called Second Base Sloan.

Late in the 1918 season, Mathewson enlisted in the United States Army for World War I His wife Jane was very much opposed to the decision, but Mathewson insisted on going.

Christy Mathewson served overseas as a captain in the newly formed Chemical Service along with Ty Cobb.

Christy Mathewson served with the American Expeditionary Forces until February 1919 and was discharged later that month.

In 1923, Christy Mathewson returned to professional baseball when Giants attorney Emil Fuchs and he put together a syndicate that bought the Boston Braves.

Christy Mathewson turned over the presidency to Fuchs after the season.

Christy Mathewson is buried at Lewisburg Cemetery in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Bucknell University.