Old-Timer: Christy Mathewson

by John Sickels on Apr 19, 2010 12:00 AM EDT

I love these ancient videos.

Christy Mathewson was a terrific pitcher and a great human being by all accounts. He was gassed in the Great War and never really recovered, dying quite young at age 45.

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Smart guy...

one of the first guys to realizing that pitching really does come to disrupting timing. Threw a ton of different pitches.

by SenorGato on Apr 19, 2010 12:08 AM EDT reply actions

I know nothing about pitching, but

that seems like an inefficient delivery. Every time I watch old footage like that I am forced to wonder what these guys could do if born in the 1980s.

Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.

by t ball on Apr 19, 2010 12:49 AM EDT reply actions

I should clarify

that I mean with modern nutrition, workouts, training, video, etc. I think the most talented would be pretty amazing to watch now.

Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.

by t ball on Apr 19, 2010 12:50 AM EDT up reply actions

I look at it the other way. His delivery would be unlike anything modern players have ever seen. If Matthewson’s stuff was indeed as good as they say, you would have a pretty impressive combination to combat hitters

by ScottAZ on Apr 19, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Baseball today is a different sport than the game they played 100 years ago.

The game they played in Mathewson’s day was the “inside game”. The “outside game” started with Babe Ruth after the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Comparisons of guys like Mathewson, Johnson, Cobb, and Wagner with today’s players are invalid. We no longer have dead balls, place hitters, tiny gloves, etc.

by Derekcarstairs on Apr 20, 2010 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Wonder what the velocity readings for him were

You’re name has 2k9 in it — what are you some 8 year-old who makes Pillsbury Doughboy cookies and jerks off to that bullshit video game with Tim Lincecum on the cover--
Frederick0220

by Mets2k9 on Apr 19, 2010 10:14 AM EDT reply actions

Based on NO scientific evidence ...

… I’ll be they threw in the low 80s.

"Most overrated prospect in the minors." -- Bravesin07 on Madison Bumgarner

by criminal type on Apr 19, 2010 10:24 AM EDT reply actions

no way

low 90s
and what is the logical arguement otherwise? Nutrition? Coaching?
There are kids in Latin America by the dozens that are malnourished and have received zero coaching that throw in the low to mid 90s. Why would the greatest pitcher of his generation be able to do so as well?

by ScottAZ on Apr 19, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions