At Home Plate

Book Review: The Player - Christy Mathewson, Baseball and the American Century

The Player: Christy Mathewson, Baseball and the American Century
By Philip Seib
Four Walls Eight Windows, NY
2003
198 pp.

Now that unrepentant gambler Pete Rose is making the rounds, flogging his best-selling book and angling for a place in the Hall of Fame, this is an interesting time to look back and see if there ever was an “age of innocence” in baseball. In “The Player,” a survey of the life and times of Christy Mathewson, the myth is exploded almost at once—such a time has never existed. Ever since the sport was invented, ballplayers have gambled or thrown games to line their pockets. What was remarkable about Mathewson wasn’t so much his honesty but his lack of dishonesty. There’s a difference, and this book tells us why.

Philip Seib gives us a nice mix of baseball lore and cultural history as he tells the story of this phenomenal player and model of good sportsmanship that was “admirable in victory, magnificent in defeat.” Christy Mathewson lived and played during the turbulent terms of four baseball-loving but largely incompetent U.S. presidents. When America was catapulted into World War I, half of the major league players were drafted into service. “Matty” volunteered to serve, learning to identify poison gas from the enemy and teaching American troops how to protect themselves against it. The damage to his lungs would ultimately cost him his life.

According to Seib, Matty was “baseball’s first megastar.” He excelled on the field as a pitcher for the New York Giants, posting an ERA of 1.14 in 1909. Off the field, he inspired young players everywhere with personal appearances, pitching clinics, and even children’s books that featured ambitious, clean-cut young heroes with impeccable morals. Great literature it wasn’t, but Christy believed in every word he wrote.

Yet Mathewson was no prude, as his wife once remarked with a wink. He could drink and swear with the best of them, and he loved to gamble on anything from checkers to poker, to his own team. But he could not be bought. He didn’t hesitate to give eyewitness testimony against former Giants teammate Hal Chase, who tried to pay a teammate to throw a game on the Cincinnati team. Chase was banished from baseball. Later he was indicted as one of the participants in the Black Sox fix of 1919, if not the mastermind behind it.

In an era when players brawled, drank, and cheated left and right, Christy (born Christopher) Mathewson stood out for his gentlemanly behavior. Ironically, his best friend, manager, and long-time teacher was John McGraw, who for forty years terrorized players with his fiery temper and quick fists. (As third bagger for the Orioles, McGraw once incited the crowd to taunt Cleveland Indian Louis Sockalexis by wearing a full war bonnet and making obscene gestures.) By 1902, however, McGraw was managing the Giants and guiding young Mathewson to a Hall of Fame career of 4,782 regular season innings, with 2502 strikeouts. When Mathewson died of tuberculosis at only 42, a grief-stricken McGraw said, “...I do not expect to see the like of Mathewson again, but I do know that the example he set and the imprint he left on the sport he loved and honored will remain long after I have gone.”

“The Player” brings to life a legendary player from a fast-fading era. Before reading this book, I knew only vaguely that Christy Mathewson was a hero. Now I know why.

I give this excellent book a rating of 2.5 balls.

Buy From Amazon!

Our Rating System is based on a four ball system as follows:
One Ball: Average. It has something to say but is nothing special.
Two Balls: Something men usually have - also means its a cut above average, and worth reading/owning.
Three balls: Stands out from its peers and is highly recommended.
Four Balls: More than just what two men have when hanging out together, it means it is an exceptional book that truly earns a walk - straight to the local book store to get a copy.

Have you always wanted to be a sportswriter? We did too! We can always use writers, editors, fact checkers, photographers, graphic designers, and web gurus to help us make the site even better. Come chase your dreams with us. Click here for more information

Would you like to Exchange Links? Our links page can be found here: Links

Search Now: