Christy Mathewson - Famous Pennsylvanian © Geoffrey Kula for VisitPA.com

Dubbed the “Greatest of all the great pitchers in the 20th Century’s first quarter,” Factoryville’s Christopher “Christy” Mathewson occupies hallowed ground among baseball’s elite: the Bucknell University grad’s 17-year career winning record of 373 games has only been surpassed by two others in the history of the game.

While pitching for the New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds, “Big Six” was the pitcher batters feared most. Master of the fadeaway and slowball, he led the league in wins four times, won five strikeout titles, won 30 or more games four times, won at least 20 games for 12 consecutive years, and pitched 79 career shutouts – three in the 1905 World Series alone – all contributing to a career win percentage of .665.

“Matty,” as he was also known, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, fourteen years after his death. Alongside Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson, he was one of the first five players to receive this honor.

Born on August 12, 1880, the clean-living right-handed hurler is honored in his hometown every year on “Christy Mathewson Day,” the Saturday closest to his birthday. This year – the 50th anniversary of the Christy Mathewson Little League organization – the celebration will be Aug. 11-12. Festivities include a one-man play about the life of the northpaw, a parade, softball tournament and dance at the six-year-old Christy Mathewson Park, which features walking trails, an outdoor stage, basketball court, and, naturally, a baseball diamond and statue of the standout sportsman.

Factoryville, with 1,500 residents, is approximately 15 miles north of Scranton in the Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.

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