Christy Mathewson was a college man, with a range of interests, who mowed down opposing hitters in his spare time. While at Bucknell University, Mathewson sang in the glee club, belonged to a literary society, played football and served as a model of clean living. On top of these achievements, Mathewson also wrote a series of children’s books. In a time when baseball was known for hard-living, hard-drinking baseball players, there was Christy Mathewson to prove that there was another way for athletes to live. He was the role model after whom every parent wanted their children to shape their lives.

On the mound, Mathewson was a fierce competitor who became arguably the most dominating pitcher of all time. During his illustrious 17-year career, he led the league in wins four times, won five strikeout titles, won 30 or more games four times, pitched four shutouts and ten complete games in World Series competition, and won 373 games in his career.

In 1936, he joined Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson as the first class of baseball Hall of Famers.