Mathewson, one of the towering figures in baseball history, won 373 games in 17 seasons, all but one of those victories for the New York Giants. After his playing career, he was a manager, army officer and baseball executive, played a role in the unraveling of the Black Sox, and fought a courageous battle against tuberculosis. A man with a keen sense of honor and responsibility for both private and public obligations, he was adored by the public as a real-life Frank Merriwell. In the decades since his death, the perception of Mathewson has changed remarkably little.
This biography documents in great depth his life on and off the baseball field, and draws from sources, old and new, to let Mathewson’s life speak for itself. Not many sports figures can withstand such scrutiny.

Engineering officer Michael Hartley lives in Corry, Pennsylvania.

Michael Hartley
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 207
Bibliographic Info: photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2004
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1653-0
eISBN: 978-0-7864-2693-5
Imprint: McFarland

“exceptionally well-researched book…an excellent resource for researchers who seek a comprehensive portrayal of Mathewson’s on-field accomplishments…meticulous research…a fine job of addressing many commonly-discussed questions surrounding Mathewson’s career…the book is quite valuable in offering many lesser known anecdotes about Matty…an excellent survey history of the New York Giants…the book does well in providing a picture of Mathewson as he related to his teammates and to manager John McGraw…provides an excellent window into Mathewson’s character…is, in the truest sense, an excellent baseball book…a strong effort and comes well-recommended”—The SABR Deadball Committee Newsletter.