CHRISTY MATHEWSON·1909

Peak SkillScore summer — twenty-five wins, a 1.14 ERA, and only thirty-six walks all year. The fadeaway did not argue; it simply left the zone after promising to stay. New York’s right arm looked calm while the National League looked late. Eight shutouts, twenty-six complete games, and a control ledger that read like a lock on the plate. The cartoons chase the vanishing ball and the cool thermometer.

THE FADEAWAY

His fadeaway baffled the N.L. in 1909 — smoke, stars, and a dizzy batter.

1.14 E.R.A.

In 1909 his E.R.A. was 1.14 — cool glass on a peak SkillScore summer.

36 WALKS

In 1909 he walked only 36 men — a padlock on the plate.

Christy Mathewson, New York Giants. Bain Collection / Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (US).