Lot # 95: c.1916 Christy Mathewson Sits in the Dugout as a Cincinnati Red – PSA Type l Encapsulated Underwood & Underwood Photo – Measures Approx. 7” x 9”

Category: Photos

Starting Bid: $500.00

Bids: 15 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring Rarities Auction 2020",
which ran from 5/6/2020 12:00 PM to
5/30/2020 7:00 PM




(LOT 95)
c.1916 Christy Mathewson Sits in the Dugout as a Cincinnati Red – PSA Type l Encapsulated Underwood & Underwood Photo – Measures Approx. 7" x 9"

To the ultimate shock of his seemingly infinite-like New York fan base, on July 20, 1916, on the heels of beginning their incredible 26-game winning streak, the Giants would stun the baseball world by trading the aging Mathewson to the Cincinnati Reds. Matty had claimed 372 victories and a 1905 World Championship for the perennial first division Giant's in which the "Christian Gentleman" threw an unfathomable three shutouts, a record that still stands today. Immediately named the Reds' player/manager, the immortal Mathewson would only pitch one more game when on September 4, 1916 he faced off against his old rival, the likewise great Mordecai "Three Fingered" Brown. In atypical fashion, this "hyped-up" pitching duel would be nothing of the kind, as Mathewson outlasted Brown and the Cubs by an uncharacteristic 10-8 score.

Although Matty went the distance, he surrendered 15 hits and all 8 runs were earned, as the aging Mathewson picked up his final 373 career victory that along with Grover Alexander's same mark, currently resides as the most wins ever by a National League pitcher! Matty would manage the Reds for the rest of the season and two more years before leaving baseball in the latter part of the 1918 season to join American forces in World War I. This magnificent 1916 photo portrays the iconic "Big Six" in the dugout donning his seldom seen Cincinnati Reds uniform, and you can literally see the intensity on his face as he appears to be reflecting on a Hall of Fame career that started some 16 years ago with the Giants.

Indeed, Matty's stoic facial expression literally says "the writing is on the wall" with regard to his future playing days for like any world-class athlete, they truly know when the time has come to step down and retire. Measuring approximately 7" x 9", the image reveals absolutely breathtaking contrast and clarity, and you can virtually feel as if Christy is about to remove himself from the classic wooden bench and step right off this grand offering. No glaring flaws are evident, and the microscopic-like lower right corner chip is rendered practically negligible. The flipside includes several Underwood & Underwood credit stamps, the final "thumbs up" for an extremely rare Mathewson image that depicts this all-time great hurler in the final days of his extraordinary playing career! - PSA Type I Encapsulation

MIN BID $500
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