Clean living and college educated Christy Mathewson was a classic American role model. Mathewson was the dominant pitcher of his era and one of five all-time greats originally inducted into the Hall of Fame. He retired with 373 wins (fourth all-time), 79 shutouts (third), and a 2.13 ERA (fifth).

Christy Mathewson was born August 12, 1880, in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. The son of well off parents he studied forestry at Bucknell University where he was class president, an All-America college football player, and, star pitcher.

Mathewson left Bucknell in 1899 and pitched for Taunton in the New England League. The following year he pitched for Norfolk of the Virginia League, posting a record of 20-2. Christy first pitched for the Giants in 1900 when the Giants paid $1,500 for him. However, when he lost his first three decisions he was returned to Norfolk. The Reds drafted him for $100 and then traded him to the Giants for veteran pitcher Amos Rusie.

In 1901, Mathewson went 20-17 with a 2.41 ERA. This was the first of his 13 twenty-win seasons. In addition to his mechanics and amazing control Christy Mathewson had his 'fadeaway' pitch. Known today as a screwball, it is a reverse curve that breaks in to right handers. However, it places a great deal of strain on the arm and Mathewson would, on average, only throw one an inning.

Although Mathewson would only win 14 games whilst losing 17 in 1902 he lead the league with eight shutouts and posted a 2.11 ERA. In 1903 he won 30 games, the first of three straight 30+ seasons, and led the league in strikeouts, something he would repeat in 1904 and 1905. Christy had a great year in 1905 leading in the league in wins (31), strikeouts (206), ERA (1.28) and shutouts (8). His form continued in to the World Series where the Giants played the Philadelphia Athletics. In a six day span, Mathewson shut out the Athletics in Games One, Three, and Five as the Giants took the series in 5 games.

It is widely accepted that Christy Mathewson's finest season came in 1908. Not surprising really when you consider his numbers. He led the league in wins (37), ERA (1.43), games pitched (56), games started (44), complete games (34), innings pitched (390.2), strikeouts (259), and shutouts (11). In spite of this the Giants were just edged by the Cubs.

Over the next six years, Mathewson would win a further 150 games never slipping below 20 wins in a single season. He would lead the league in ERA in 1909 (1.14, his lowest total ever), 1911 (1.99) and 1913 (2.06). However, Mathewson was starting to feel the effects of pitching over 300 innings in all but three of his major league seasons. In 1915, Christy Mathewson would only pitch in 27 games, his lowest total since 1900 when he first broke into the team. He would only win 8 games and lose 14.

1916 was Christy's last season with the Giants. He posted a 3-4 record with a 2.33 ERA but only 16 strikeouts in 65.2 innings of work. He was traded to the Reds during the season where he would win the only game he pitched in. Mathewson went on to manage the Reds for two years leading them to two fourth place finishes.

Mathewson volunteered for the U.S. Army in August 1918 and joined a chemical warfare unit in France. Though he never saw combat, he was accidentally exposed to poison gas in a training exercise that weakened his lungs. Mathewson coached with the Giants for the 1919 and 1920 seasons before he was appointed president of the Boston Braves in 1923. He held this post until he died from tuberculosis on October 7, 1925 (opening day of the World Series) in Saranac Lake, New York, aged 47.

When he retired, Christy Mathewson had lead the league in ERA and strikeouts five times as well as wins and shutouts four times.

In 1936 - along with Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner and Walter Johnson - Christy Mathewson was one of the five immortals first elected in to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Year	Tm/L	W	L	PCT	G	GS	CG	SH	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO	ERA
1900	NY-N	0	3	.000	6	1	1	0	0	33.2	37	1	20	15	5.08
1901	NY-N	20	17	.541	40	38	36	5	0	336.0	288	3	97	221	2.41
1902	NY-N	14	17	.452	34	32	29	8	0	276.2	241	3	73	159	2.11
1903	NY-N	30	13	.698	45	42	37	3	2	366.1	321	4	100	267	2.26
1904	NY-N	33	12	.733	48	46	33	4	1	367.2	306	7	78	212	2.03
1905	NY-N	31	9	.775	43	37	32	8	2	338.2	252	4	64	206	1.28
1906	NY-N	22	12	.647	38	35	22	6	1	266.2	262	3	77	128	2.97
1907	NY-N	24	12	.667	41	36	31	8	2	315.0	250	6	53	178	2.00
1908	NY-N	37	11	.771	56	44	34	11	5	390.2	285	5	42	259	1.43
1909	NY-N	25	6	.806	37	33	26	8	2	275.1	192	2	36	149	1.14
1910	NY-N	27	9	.750	38	35	27	2	0	318.1	292	5	60	184	1.89
1911	NY-N	26	13	.667	45	37	29	5	3	307.0	303	5	38	141	1.99
1912	NY-N	23	12	.657	43	34	27	0	4	310.0	311	6	34	134	2.12
1913	NY-N	25	11	.694	40	35	25	4	2	306.0	291	8	21	93	2.06
1914	NY-N	24	13	.649	41	35	29	5	2	312.0	314	16	23	80	3.00
1915	NY-N	8	14	.364	27	24	11	1	0	186.0	199	9	20	57	3.58
1916	NY-N	3	4	.429	12	6	4	1	0	65.2	59	3	7	16	2.33
	Cin-N	1	0	1.000	1	1	1	0	2	9.0	15	1	1	3	8.00
	Year	4	4	.500	13	7	5	1	2	74.2	74	4	8	19	3.01
Career	17 seasons	373	188	.665	635	551	434	79	28	4780.2	4218	91	844	2502	2.13

Red type indicates when Christy Mathewson lead the league.