Evening journal., 1916-07-19
NEW YORK FANS
Will Hiss 'NATTY"
Passing OF Famous Pitcher
viii be Great Shock TO
the New York ROoterS
ALWAYS A CREDIT TO
NATIONAL PASTIME

The passing Of Christy Mathewson
from New York will be q great shock
70 Giant fans. for the big pitcher with
his pleasant personality and fine char
acter has become as much an inst.tu-
ton i'm the New York baseball world
as the Polo Grounds itself No player
who has ever played in New York
has been so popular for such length
Of time as Matty Year after year he
was the mainstay of the McGraw
pitching staff, and just as soon as the
big fellow began to slip the New York
club also began to go backward.
Mathewson's pitching days are
practically over While his strong
right arm is still in good shape,
cracked rib has been the cause Of
continual pain. whenever he tries TO
throw the ball A recent visit to
Bonesetter Reese in Springfield, o.,
revealed the fact that the ailment
could not be remedied. and Just as
soon as McGraw found this out he be-
gan TO look around to land Matty a
managerial berth.
New York fans have come 10 re-
gard Mathewson as such a permanent
institution that they hardly can be-
lieve that the big, good-natured box
man is going to leave the club. There
Is a great amount OF sentiment at
tached TO Matty's presence with the
New York club. and his work for the
last fifteen years has marked him as
perhaps the greatest pitcher the game
has ever developed.
Back in 1905 Mathewson. almost
single-handed defeated the Philadel-
phia Athletics in the worlds series.
This was perhaps his greatest pitch
ing feat. although he was an impor-
tant factor in the winning OF tae
National League pennant in 1911, 1872
1918 and 1914 He also did great work
in the worlds series IN three years
against the Athletics and the Boston
Red Sox in 1912.
Although the Giants were defeate,
In all these classics. the pitching o
Mathewson stood out as the most pic
turesQue feature OF the hard battles
No one who witnessed The games vii
soon forget the great battles whic
Were wagod between Mafty and Chic
Bender in 1913 and between Matty an
Joe Wood in 1912
IN past years IL always has bee
The rule at the Polo Grounds whel
any Of the pitchers were getting thu
worst of IL TO put in Matty" II,
was always on deck to come into q
game at any time. and stem the tide
ot defeat No hoxman of this genera.
tion ever developed the science nj
curved pitching as Mathewson uid
His judgment of hatsmen was un.
errins and his control at times was
marvellous.
Mathewson's greatest asset was his
famous fadeaway ball. a drop curve
which broke and fell before reaching
the batsman
Gentleman On and on the Field.
The game never knew a cleane
character or a more sportsmanlik
player than Big Six He was admire
not only for his great skill as a pitch
Fl. but also for his gentiemanly con
fnct on and Of the baseball diamond
He was the best type Of player m
game ever knew; and q player wn
was instrumental IN raising it 10 N
high standing IL now occupies.
Mathewson was born az Factor,
vile. Pa. August -. 1880 He frs
played ball al Keystone Academy an
later went 70 Buckneli Universit
where be played baseball and football
His FIRST professional engagement va
with the Norfolk (Va.) club. and late
be went 10 Taunton, Mass. In 19t
he was back in the Virginia Leagu
and was drafted by Cincinnati. y
was then drafted 70 New York befoI
The opening OF the 1900 season fo
Amos Rusie.
The first year liStty was with th
Giants the New York team was ga las
place but with Mathewson as N
keystone Manager McGraw built up
club which for more than doze
years was one Of the best baseball ma
shines in the business. Matty wa
The Giants mainstay in the box. Al
ways an accomplished athlete
hathewson kept himself IN the bef
n physical condition and was a shin
ing example for every youthful Amer
fan from Maine to Texas