Christy Mathewson (September 11, 1857 – January 22, 1924) was an American professional baseball player and the greatest pitcher in Major League Baseball history. He is widely considered one of the first five pitchers in baseball history to be a true "great." His lifetime record as a pitcher was 154–114, with a 2.12 earned run average (ERA). He pitched 21 no-hit games, third most in major league history, and holds the major league record for 26 consecutive years with at least 20 wins, which subsequently was surpassed by Walter Johnson. A 13-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion, he led his teams to three consecutive World Series titles from 1916 to 1918. Known for his fierce determination and unwavering self-confidence – he once summoned his entire team to bat against him because he was upset with the way they were playing – Mathewson revolutionized baseball pitching with his unorthodox windup and delivery
He led the National League in wins seven times and won at least 20 games in a season fifteen times. In its inaugural year of 1876, he led the league with twenty wins and a 1.53 ERA, at age 20. A year later, he won 27 games for Philadelphia, still an American League record.
After his playing career ended he went on to become one of the first test pilots for the Wright Brothers after making several flights in their airplane.
You can learn little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat.Christy Mathewson
Luck is a combination of confidence and getting the breaks.Christy Mathewson
Many baseball fans look upon an umpire as a sort of necessary evil to the luxury of baseball, like the odor that follows an automobile.Christy Mathewson
