Evening journal., 1916-06-08
'MATTY" Flashes
THE Comeback STUFF
May Duplicate Stunt Pulled
by Cy Young in
1907
WISE ONES DISHED
HIM YEARS AGO

Is Christy Mathewson going TO
flash the same sensational come back
that Cy Young did in 1907 just when
everyone had figured him as COM
pletely through?
In many ways, the records of
Mathewson and Young parallel each
other. Just recently it seemed that
they would dverge that Mathewson
had reached the end-but the great
showing of big Six during the last
month, has led many to hope that he
too will do as Young did
Young broke into the majors back
in 1890 For ten years he starred
with the Cleveland club. then was
transferred TO the st. Louis Cardinals.
and. in 1901, was sold to the Red SoX
II was the brilliant pitching OF Cy
during 1903 and 1904 that enabled the
Bostonians to win two ponnants and
one worlds championship.
But in 1905 something went amiss
with Young's arm. The old whip
wouldn't crack as it had in the other
years; the old zipp was gone from the
ball. The opposition clubbcrs found
little or no difficulty in swatung the
heaves OF the veteran
just about then the wise ones" be-
gan to chant the swan song. They
pointed out that Young was through.
''He's been pitching for 16 years
and no matter how good a man Is,
he cant go on for ever they de-
clared. Furthermore. Cy is 3S years
old--an age far beyond the athletic
prime"
When Young turned in his 1905 av-
erage il was found that he had won
only is out of the 81 combats in which
he had figured Young's showing for
1906 was even worse He won only
l3 out Of "a games and didn't seem
able TO go the route He finished the
season with an average OF .3S2-the
worst he ever amassed. That con-
WINGED the fans that Cy was through.
But the Red Sox manager wouldn't
"can' Cy. He figured that his work
for the Red SoX in the other years
merited his keeping him for another
season. even II he did nothing but
coaching duty.
And so Cy. then 30 years old, was
kept on the Red Sox roster. while the
fans clamored for his banishment to
the Old Mems Home. That probably
peeved him a bit. because. after hav-
ing his arm tinkered here and there,
he begged for a chance to display his
wares in 1907. He did-and won %
out OF 81 combats. for a pitching av-
erage of .595. The next season-190S
--Cy won 81 out Of 30 games for an
average OF .656. which is quite a
healthy showing for a 41-year-old
hurler. On June 80 1908. he shut out
the Yankees without hit, only one
man reaching first.
In 1909 he went back 10 the Cleve-
land club and won 10 out OF "a games
The following year-1910-he figured
In IA games and won TO- In 1871 he
> took unto himself Job with the Bos-
; ton Braves and won four out OF nine
& starts. He decided then that he was
getting a bit too old to pitch, being
"A years old al the time, and he re
tired from the frolic.
Reviewing Youngs record from the
end OF the 1906 campaign, when he
was considered "all through uni
the time he actually quit We FIND
that he won 73 and lost only 81
games. giving him a grand average
Of .567 for the fve years from 19O'
TO 1911. inclusive.
The Case Of Mathews0n.
Now let us consider the case o
Mathewson:
Matty Joined the Giants in 1900
Over a sweep ofs Is seasons-fron
: 1900 until the end OF the 1914 season
the big blonde hurler was the kinl
pin of the Giant pitching staff. Blu
late In the 1914 season he contracted
"aritis." as did Young at the end O
his 18th year.
In 1915 Matty. then in his sixteenth
year as a major performer, was Of nC
real value to his club. His arm seem
ed gone. He won only S out of his
22 starts and some OF those victories
we're Of the fluke order. Before the
season ended. the wise ones" de-
clared that Matty was about through
Quite An Elderly Person.
He's been pitching for 16 years
and no matter how good man is. hC
cant go on forever" they said. re
peatlng what their associate men,
bes said about Cy Young back il
AcANs Ant A0Aho NRAMANN WAA aAnU Aud
Matty was quite an elderly person
as baseballers go, then approaching
s. his Both birthday.
But Matty in 1916 seems to be dup
licating what Young did in 1907. II
has started off this season at a grea
rate. His arm trouble seems gon,
In his first tryout Of the year. "Bi
Six" didn't look overly good. That
because he merely was giving It'd
wing a workout But since then h
has been pitching real baseball. H
hasn't the old speed Of by-gone year,
but he is using a splitter and his braiI
and by mixing up his delivery. he
breezing along in a way that make
8 it seem as if he still has number q
= years OF major league usefulness
his system.