Bobby Mathews
Had Bobby Mathews stuck around to win a few more games, he would be remembered today as a Hall of Famer, but instead he is largely forgotten, despite his fine 19th century career. In the 1870s, when games were frequently won with high scoring, Mathews led the league in shutouts twice and ERA once. The Maryland-born right-hander was one of the first pitchers to master the curveball and spitter, which he used along with a sinking fastball to win 297 games, the highest total of any man not enshrined in Cooperstown.
Played For
Fort Wayne Kekiongas, National Association (1871)
Baltimore, National Association (1872)
New York Mutuals, National Association (1873-1875)
New York Mutuals (1876)
Cincinnati Reds (1877)
Providence Grays (1879-1881)
Boston Braves (1881-1882)
Philadelphia Athletics, American Association (1883-1887)
Best Season: 1874
In the days of one-man pitching staffs, Mathews went 42-22 to help the Mutuals to a second-place finish. He hurled four shutouts, which was a very good number for that period, when teams frequently won by scores of 14-12. In 1884, Mathews had another fine season, winning 30 games for the Athletics, as he honed his skills with the spitball. In one game he struck out 16 batters with the revolutionary pitch
Factoids
In a three-year span for the Athletics from 1883-1885, Mathews struck out 775 batters, while walking only 137. He won 90 games against 48 defeats.
Description
Matthews [actually Bobby Mathews] was undoubtedly the first pitcher to work the raise ball, as far back at 1869. I never saw him pitch an out-curve until 1878, and faced his pitching for several years before that. In 1878, Matthews was with the Worcesters and pitched against the Bostons, defeating them. He had changed his style altogether from previous years, and adopted one-arm Daily’s style, that is, making a double motion by drawing back before delivering the ball. With his headwork and the addition of the curve, he jumped into the front ranks once more.
From former player Tim Murran's recollections in The California Spirit of the Times & Underwriter’s Journal, September 17, 1887. Credit to SABR member Carlos Bauer for this research.
Born
Robert T. Mathews was born on November 21, 1851, in Baltimore, MD.
Died
April 17, 1898, Baltimore, MD
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: PH4
Major League Debut
May 4, 1871
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1871
Coming soon...
Nicknames
Little Bobby
"Little Bobby," because Mathews stood under 5'9" and weighed just 140 pounds in his prime.
Similar Players
Pud Galvin may have been a better pitcher, but if he was, it wasn't by much. Galvin had the fortune to play his entire career in a sanctioned major league.
Related Players
Nathaniel "Nat" Hicks caught for Mathews on the Mutuals in 1873, 1875, and 1876, and also on the Reds in 1877.
The Pitches He Threw
Hank O'Day, a catcher who played in the 1880s, credits Bobby Mathews with developing the first spitball. "He used to cover the palm of his left hand with saliva and then rub the ball in it, twisting the leather around until there was a white spot on it as big as a silver quarter. The pitchers didn't wear gloves on their left hands in those days and if a ball was fouled into the stands it was brought back. Every time Mathews pitched (against us), we noticed the white spot on the ball, which was due to saliva."
Notes
Mathews will probably never be elected to the Hall of Fame, despite his 297 victories. Yet, Mickey Welch, who won just 10 more games than Mathews, is in the Hall. Pud Galvin, who won 364 games, had an ERA very comparable to Mathews', and is in Cooperstown. In 1878 and 1880, Mathews joined several other players who jumped to the International Association and the Pacific Coast League to play for more money. For several reasons, some of which are very dubious, these leagues were not sanctioned as "major leagues" in future years and none of the player's stats from those seasons were counted toward their career totals. That decision cost Mathews more than 30 victories.
Best Strength as a Player
His mastery of the curveball and spitter. Mathews was hailed as "without doubt the most versatile boxman of his day," and he "hardly ever used the same delivery twice."
Largest Weakness as a Player
He was a terrible offensive player, hitting .203 with no power.
Learn More about Bobby Mathews
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