Product Description
Christy Mathewson was baseball's first superstar—a beloved turn-of-the-century pitcher who was among the initial group of five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also defined moral excellence, bridging sport and national culture at a time when pro ballplayers were perceived as louts, and was the first to bring respectability to the game. This is a thoughtful and inspiring story of a singular American life that had a profound and lasting influence on our national identity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Mathewson-Lite
There is not enough baseball detail in what could have been an interesting book.Seib's efforts to set the career of BIG SIX in a broader context is laudable, but misses the point for a book this brief and this short. Some people devote their lives to the history of the world's greatest game.Seib is not one of them. The mechanics ofhis prose will not put you to sleep, but do not linger in the mind either.But the glaring error of this book is selling Christy short.Seib can bring himself to devote less than two pages to one of the greatest World Series performances in history, where Christy spun three shutouts. While some baseball books devolve into pitch-by-pitch tedium, more detail here is demanded.

If there is a better Christy book out there I will consider reading it.Do not waste your time with this one.

"Good Guys" make for bad Biographies.
As a baseball fanatic, why wouldn't I read about one of the greatest pitchers of all time? I think the book would have been a lot better if Big Matty wasn't such a boring guy.I was hoping for some sort of foul play, foul language but there was nothing. A lot of " boy, that Mathewson sure was a heck of a guy" and "I wish we were all like Christy" If you want to read a boring book with little to no excitement, pick this one up. However, if you want excitement and emotion, head towards Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Satchel Paige or Hal Chase.

Worth Reading
I agree with just about all the positive and negative critisms I've read here about this book. It's definitely worth reading...but just don't expect too much.

Great Book
When I was given this book, the gift-bearer informed me that it was the perfect gift for me, "... a book about baseball AND U.S. history.". Being the grateful recipient of said gift I of course bit my tongue, didn't respond, "How do you separate the two?", and accepted the gift in the spirit it was given. Now, after reading it, I realize how smart my niece is.The book is indeed about both, and without wandering too far from its subject, (Christy, in case there is some confusion), is a very engaging read. Similar books about this time period in baseball tend to get repetitive and somewhat choppy to read by piecing together newspaper reports and box scores. This author alleviates that problem by also tracking events in the U.S., (and the world as 1914 approaches), while Christy pitches his way through his baseball career. This is recommended for baseball novices, hard core fans and anyone in between as it's a nicely written book.

A look back to a different time
"The Player" provided a trip back in time to what it was like playing ball around the turn of the century through the times of the first World War.

To understand what Mathewson meant to the game itself is truly amazing.Not only being a phonomenal pitcher with exceptional control, he realized that he was a role model for others, not only the young kids that idolized him, but the everyday american worker.To know what he gave of himself to others off the ball field, his charity work, volunteering for WWI at the age of 37, gives us a better insight to the individual.

The book also tells of his attempts to clean up the game, before the Black Sox scandal.He knew it was going on, tried to warn others, but no one would listen.

A great read if you want to get a much clearer insight into one of the greatest ball players of all time.One that is unfortunatelly forgotten by too many in today's game. ... Read more

Product Description
Follows the life and career of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Absolutely amazing reading
What an amazing read. It makes you realize that not much has changed since Mathewson once ruled the roost on the pitching mound. The things he say, the wisdom of experience he imparts sounds so fresh, so immediately relevant to the game as it is played today that it might as well have been written yesterday.

Particularly impressive is the idea that there are pitchers who are fabulous when there are no runners on base, but once the pinch is on (hence the title of the book) they become tentative shrinking violets. The pinch, Mathewson writes, is the true test of a pitcher's character. How right he is, in this true baseball classic. A must read for all who love the game.

mom, baseball and apple pie
Reading a book like Pitching in the Pinch will stir an earnest yearning in my heart.It is Christy Mathewsons ghostwritten account of his career in major league baseball.It is a classic work of baseball writing.Mathewson was a 373 game winner in his career and had a lot of greatthoughts on the game.He shares insight into John McGraws management skilland he delves into the psychology of the game.You can learn a lot aboutAmericas past-time before Babe Ruth revolutionized the game.This is ahighly entertaining and educational book.

Great inside view of how baseball used to be.
If you want to have an insider's view of how the world of baseball was in the early part of the century, this is the book for you.Mathewson takes us there in all its glory.Well done ... Read more

Product Description
Pitching in a Pinch
i
The Most Dangerous Batters I Have Met
How "Joe" Tinker Changed Overnight from a Weakling at the Plate to the Worst Batter I Had to Pace -"Pred" Clarke of Pittsburg cannot be Pooled by a Change of Pace, and 11 Hans'* Wagner's Only "Groove" Is a Base on Balls-"Inside" Information on All the Great Batters,
I HAVE often been asked to which batters I * have found it hardest to pitch.
It is the general impression among baseball fans that Joseph Faversham Tinker, the short-stop of the Chicago Cubs, is the worst man that I have to face in the National League. Pew realize that during his first two years in the big show Joe Tinker looked like a cripple at the plate when I was pitching. His *' groove M was a slow curve over the outside corner, and I fed him slow curves over that

Table of Contents

CONTENTS; LUGS; I-The Most Dangerous Batters I have; Met i; II-"Take Him Out!" ci; III-Pitching in a Pinch 54; IV-Big League Pitchers and their; Peculiarities 74; V-Playing the Game from the Bench 93; VI-Coaching-Good and Bad 117; VII-Honest and Dishonest Sign Stealing 140; VIII-Umpires and Close Decisions 161; IX-The Gams that Cost a Pennant 183; X-When the Teams Are in Spring; Training 206; XI-Jinxes and what they Mean to a; Ball-Player C30; ▼iii Contents; PACK; XII-Base Runners and how they Help; a Pitcher to Win 255; XIII-Notable Instances where the "Inside" Game has Failed 281

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attentio ... Read more

Product Description
Introducing a baseball fan to Christy Mathewson seems like a superfluous piece of writing and a waste of white paper. Schoolboys of the last decades have been acquainted with the exact figures which have made up Matty’s pitching record before they had ever heard of George Washington, because George didn’t play in the same League.

“Why don’t you write a real book of the Big Leaguers?” he was asked one day.

And he has done it. In this book he is telling the reader of the game as it is played in the Big Leagues. As a college man, he is able to put his impressions of the Big Leagues on paper graphically. It’s as good as his pitching and some exciting things have happened in the Big Leagues, stories that never found their way into the newspapers. Matty has told them. This is a true tale of Big Leaguers, their habits and their methods of playing the game, written by one of them.

Contents:

I - The Most Dangerous Batters I Have Met
II - “Take Him Out”
III - Pitching in a Pinch
IV - Big League Pitchers and Their Peculiarities.
V - Playing the Game from the Bench
VI - Coaching Good and Bad
VII - Honest and Dishonest Sign Stealing
VIII - Umpires and Close Decisions
IX - The Game that Cost a Pennant
X - When the Teams Are in Spring Training
XI - Jinxes and What They Mean to a Ball-Player
XII - Base Runners and How They Help a Pitcher to Win
XIII - Notable Instances Where the “Inside” Game Has Failed

This book has been digitally revised and optimized for Kindle, including an interactive table-of-contents. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Christy Mathewson, Bob Gibson, Bob Miller, Orel Hershiser, Jim Kaat, Lew Burdette, Roger Mcdowell, Harvey Haddix, Ron Guidry, Bob Lemon, Bill Mckechnie, Rick Peterson, Wilbert Robinson, Dave Righetti, Johnny Sain, Burt Hooton, Dave Stewart, Claude Osteen, Dave Ferriss, Bob Mcclure, Wes Westrum, Roger Craig, Mike Flanagan, Freddie Fitzsimmons, Larry Jansen, Dick Pole, Cot Deal, Johnny Podres, Sal Maglie, Tim Belcher, Don Mcmahon, Bud Black, Ted Lyons, Larry Sherry, Bob Welch, Dick Bosman, Mel Stottlemyre, Bob Turley, Brent Strom, Norm Sherry, Ron Perranoski, Darrell Johnson, Jack Aker, Dave Wallace, Dave Duncan, Rick Honeycutt, Bruce Kison, Phil Regan, Pat Dobson, Bill Monbouquette, Frank Shellenback, Rich Gale, Eddie Lopat, Art Fowler, Charlie Hough, Andy Hawkins, Jim Lett, Mark Davis, Mike Roarke, Harry Brecheen, Bill Fischer, Mel Stottlemyre, Jr., Ray Miller, Hub Kittle, Sammy Ellis, Whit Wyatt, Joe Kerrigan, Jim Colborn, Larry Shepard, Mace Brown, Stan Williams, Howie Pollet, Marv Grissom, Bob Gebhard, Ray Berres, Larry Rothschild, Les Moss, Nardi Contreras, Leo Mazzone, Joe Coleman, Billy Connors, Tom Hume, John Farrell, Tom Ferrick, Steve Mccatty, Jim Hickey, Rube Walker, Dick Such, Marcel Lachemann, Bruce Dal Canton, Cal Mclish, Fred Martin, Tony Cloninger, Jim Owens, Vern Ruhle, Lefty Phillips, Hugh Mulcahy, Jim Turner, Ken Mcbride, Charlie Wagner, Bill Campbell, Chuck Hartenstein, Mike Maddux, Bob Milliken, Chris Bosio, Bobby Cuellar, Mel Queen, Dan Warthen, Bob Cluck, Al Widmar, Al Jackson, Bryan Price, Ernie White, George Bamberger, Lee Stange, Joe Becker, Mike Brown, Joe Dobson, Brad Arnsberg, Oscar Acosta, Bill Posedel, Bill Castro, Billy Muffett, Frank Funk, Mel Wright, Frank Reberger, Herm Starrette, Randy St. Claire, Carl Willis, Larry Bearnarth, Mark Connor, Harry Dorish, Rick Adair, Bob Apodaca, Bill Burwell, Dewey Robinson, Curt Young, Juan Nieves, Mike Couchee, Glenn Gregson, Bruce Walton, Al Ni...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=9019850 ... Read more

Product Description
This volume was published in 1912.

From the Introduction:
Introducing a reader to Christy Mathewson
seems like a superfluous piece of writing and
a waste of white paper. Schoolboys of the last
ten years have been acquainted with the exact
figures which have made up Matty's pitching
record before they had ever heard of George
Washington, because George didn't play in the
same League.

Perfectly good rational and normal citizens once
deserted a reception to the Governor of the State
because Christy Mathewson was going to pitch
against the Chicago club. If the committee on
arrangements wanted to make the hour of the recep-
tion earlier, all right, but no one could be expected
to miss seeing Matty in the box against Chance
and his Cubs for the sake of greeting the Governor.

Besides being a national hero, Matty is one of
the closest students of baseball that ever came into
the Big League. By players, he has long been
recognized as the greatest pitcher the game has
produced. He has been pitching in the Big
Leagues for eleven years and winning games right
along.

His great pitching practically won the world's
championship for the Giants from the Philadelphia
Athletics in 1905, and, six years later, he was
responsible for one of the two victories turned in
by New York pitchers in a world's series again
with the Athletics.

At certain periods in his baseball career, he has
pitched almost every day after the rest of the staff
had fallen down. When the Giants were making
their determined fight for the championship in
1908, the season that the race was finally decided
by a single game with the Cubs, he worked in
nine out of the last fifteen games in an effort to
save his club from defeat. And he won most of
them. That has always been the beauty of his
pitching his ability to win.

Matty was born in Factoryville, Pa., thirty-one
years ago, and, after going to Bucknell College,
he began to play ball with the Norfolk club of
the Virginia League, but was soon bought by the
New York Giants, where he has remained ever
since and is likely to stay for some time to come,
if he can continue to make himself as welcome as he
has been so far. He was only nineteen when he
joined the club and was a headliner from the
start. Always he has been a student and some-
thing of a writer, having done newspaper work
from time to time during the big series. He has
made a careful study of the Big League batters.
He has kept a sort of baseball diary of his career,
and, frequently, I have heard him relate unwritten
chapters of baseball history filled with the thrill-
ing incidents of his personal experience.

"Why don't you write a real book of the Big
Leaguers?" I asked him one day.

And he has done it. In this book he is telling
the reader of the game as it is played in the Big
Leagues. As a college man, he is able to put his
impressions of the Big Leagues on paper graphi-
cally. It 's as good as his pitching and some excit-
ing things have happened in the Big Leagues, stories
that never found their way into the newspapers.
Matty has told them. This is a true tale of Big
Leaguers, their habits and their methods of play-
ing the game, written by one of them.

JOHN N. WHEELER.
NEW YORK,
March, 1912

... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. ... Read more

Product Description
It's difficult to think of an athlete today as universally beloved as a player and respected as a person as Christy Mathewson was nearly a century ago. Mathewson was, by all accounts, the finest pitcher of the first decade of the 20th century, and is widely considered one of the brightest and most interesting baseball thinkers of any era.Mathewson's Pitching in a Pinch was an instant hit when first published a century ago. For boys of that generation it was cultural currency like the Harry Potter stories are for kids today: every boy had read it, everyone knew Matty's stories, and everyone could quote his lines about courage, leadership, and teamwork by heart. The Boy Scouts of America issued a special edition for its members. If you were a boy a century ago, you probably loved Matty, and you definitely had read his book. And today it's not hard to understand why. Pitching in a Pinch is a wonder: Mathewson weaves together strands including how-to advice on strategy and techniques for playing the game, funny stories about the other stars of his day, and his approach to winning on the field and off. From the Introduction by John N. Wheeler:"Besides being a national hero, Matty is one of the closest students of baseball that ever came into the Big League. By players, he has long been recognized as the greatest pitcher the game has produced. . .In this book he is telling the reader of the game as it is played in the Big Leagues. It's as good as his pitching. . ." ... Read more