St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-21
MATTHEWS, RREAK.DOwN.
The Once Great Pitcher Will be seen
NO More OH the Diamond This
Season.

The Once Great Pitcher Will be seen
NO More on the Diamond This
Season.
Another great pitcher has broken down
in the person of Bobby Matthews of the
Athletic base ball club. For years past
Matthews has been one of the best known
figures on the diamond, and public audi
ences have everywhere greeted him with
popular favor. AS a pitcher he has occu-
pied the foremost rank for more than ten
years, and although slight in figure, and
seemingly devoid of Drawn and muscle, his
puzzling curves and tricky delivery have
made him one of the most phenomenal
twirlers that ever opposed a formidable
rival.
In Tuesdays contest with the Louisvilles
Matthews pitched a plucky game for four
innings. He used all his curves. employed
all the tactics known to pitchers, but his
speed was gone, and the heavy Kentucky
batters pounded his delivery without mercy.
In the fifth inning it was painful to look at
him. His arm gave out completely, and he
tossed the ball over the plate like child.
Matthews is one of the oldest men in the
base ball profession, being 81 years of age.
Everywhere he is popularity known as
Bobby" He is the triekiest pitcher ever
known, and not a little of his success is dine
to this fact. AS rule pitchers wear them
selves out and last but two or three seasons,
but Matthews has been winning base ball
tosSer for fourteen years. - -,
In 1872 Matthews pitched his first game
at Fort Wayne, Ind. The game lasted
fourteen innings and he won after a mo st
sanguinary contest. Afterward he played
with the old Mutuals of New York, and
also with the Bostons, where he wasla
member of the team in which Spaulding,
White, George and Harry Wright, Leon
ard. Barnes, O'Rourke and others played.
In 1882 Matthews joined the Athletic club,
and ever since has been the backbone of
the team. In 1883 it was mainly by Mat
thews' fine work in the pitchers box that
the Athletics won the championship.
Matthews was one of the very first men
to curve the ball. For a long time no one
knew the secret of his success as pitcher.
Batters could not hit his delivery to any
effect. and he was everywhere regarded as
an enigma. Finally it was discovered that
he possessed The curve, and the discovery
is said to have been quite as much a reve-
lation to Matthews as to any one else. This
was before scientific men acknowledged
the possibility of a pitcher curying the
ball.
Matthews nearly always threw low
curve. His most effective ball was a pc
culiar drop curve. He is a small man,
weighing about 1875 pounds, and compared
with most other players is as frail as a
reed. He never lost his head in game,
but, on the contrary, was cool, calculating,
and ready to take advantage of any opper-
tunity. Given man on base, and the
chances were that Bobby would catch him
mapping and put him out Base-runners
were always kept hugging the bags. Mat
thews was never much of batter, but this
season he has been hitting the ball very
successfully, and his batting average is very
high.
Matthews has pitched only twenty-one
games this season. He first threw his arm
out at Pittsburg, winning the game by
to 4. The contest was sharp, and he could
not rest himself during the game, and his
collapse was the result. Several times
since he has tried to pitch, but has each
time been compelled to abandon the game,
His breakdown may not be permanent, but
the chances are largely against him. Man
ager Simmons has sent him back to Phiia-
delphia, and will not pitch him again this
year unless he makes remarkable recov-
cry. The athletic players all say that
Matthews ball days are over. Certainly
great and popular ball-player has retired
from the green diamond.