Christopher Mathewson, nicknamed "Big Six", "the Christian Gentleman", "Matty", and "the Gentleman's Hurler", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher, who played 17 seasons with the New York Giants. He stood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). He 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, Mathewson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five members.
Mathewson in 1910
Mathewson warming up as a New York Giant in 1910
Mathewson in his New York Giants uniform
Mathewson with the Giants, c. 1913
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league and the highest level of organized baseball in the United States and Canada. One of the big four major leagues, MLB comprises 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. Formed in 1876 and 1901, respectively, the NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903, making MLB the oldest major professional sports league in the world. They remained legally separate entities until 2000, when they merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball. MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
National League Baltimore Orioles, 1896
Cy Young, 1911 baseball card
Jackie Robinson comic book, 1951
1959 World Series action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum