This week peerless sidewinder Christy Mathewson, newly acquired by the dodgphin29, was recently chosen as the All Time Baseball Pitcher of the Week. Mathewson sported a 3-0 mark with a 1.45 ERA, with all three victories coming against the Willets Point Mechanics. Mechanic’s manager Flash Gordon has obviously had enough of Christy’s scroogies to last the rest of season; he was recently observed hoisting down a few pints to drown out his sorrows at the Diamond Café, a high-class joint owned by John “Mugsy” McGraw, Mattie’s former boss, now toiling for the Gold Country Gossamers, and Wilbert Robinson, currently the skipper of Uncle Robbie’s Daffiness Boys. The Diamond Café is not only known for wining and dining, but many ballplayers unwind after the games to play at billiards, a friendly game of cards, and bowling. In fact, the game of duckpin bowling was invented at the Diamond.
Last evening we spotted Mattie playing a game of bridge in the back room with McGraw, his erstwhile partner. Chief Myers, Mathewson’s former catcher, and now playing for the Otherton Fishbiscuits, related that Christies’ mind for card-playing was legendary. “Just like Matty never forgets a single pitch that he has ever thrown, nor makes the same mistake twice, he never forgets a discard on the table.” Yet it is at the game of checkers that Mathewson is most accomplished. Frequent patron Heinie Zimmerman claims that Mugsy would take him to high-tone places like the Lambs Club, have Mathewson play the rube, and then whip all comers. McGraw would come home with a tidy sum, and give his hurler half of the spoils. Zimmerman also swears that he saw Mathewson win blindfolded, as well as beat six players simultaneously.
It came as quite a surprise for this observer to notice that Christy engaged in games of chance, including poker. Hal Chance, who played several tumultuous years playing for Mathewson during his stint as manager with the Redlegs, and was later suspended from baseball after Mathewson testified against him for allegedly throwing games, had this to say: “Hey, Christy has this image as the impeccable gentleman; you know, that Frank Merriwell type. You know, the noble Christian who plays clean, never utters a swear word, and rescues damsels in distress in his spare time. But let me tell you, Christy enjoyed his liquor, played the ponies, poker till dawn; heck, he shilled tobacco, and even Mugsy wasn’t too crazy about that. Hey, I’m not sore at him, for goodness sake, at one time the guy was like a brother to me; he even wrote a best selling baseball novel based on me. It’s no secret that I was laying down for sure, and he caught me, but Mathewson wasn’t any choir boy. I’m not saying that he engaged in any muckerism or threw a game. But I do recall the imbroglio that ensued back in naught five against the Phillies, when Matty knocked down a lemonade vendor, giving him a split lip and some loose teeth.” Indeed, one shocked Philly fan had this to say: "It's just to show that his association with the old Baltimore crowd has turned Mathewson into a hoodlum.”
Be that as it may, it is safe to say that dodgphin29 owner Jason S is quite pleased with his second round pick, and desperately needs Big Six to continue to pitch with pristine excellence in order to hold water in the uber-competitive American League East.
Paul J. Nebenfuhr
a.k.a Paulie Allnuts
From time to time, our very own Paulie N will grace this blog with historical features, tying the world of ATB into the glorious past of our National Pastime. Everything in the article is factual. except for the quotes by Hal Chase and Heinie Zimmerman; the content of the quotes, however is true. Chase did indeed hang out with Mathewson and McGraw, and Christy did indeed write a fictional book based on Hal; the name of the novel was Won in the Ninth, and the first baseman was named Hal Case from California.
excellent!!!!
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