Christy Mathewson - Early Life

Early Life

Mathewson was born in Factoryville, Pennsylvania and attended high school at Keystone Academy (now Keystone College). He attended college at Bucknell University, where he served as class president and played on the school's football and baseball teams. He was also a member of the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. His first experience of semi-professional baseball came in 1895, when he was just 14 years old. The manager of the Factoryville ball club asked him to pitch in a game with a rival team in Mill City, Pennsylvania. Mathewson helped his hometown team to a 19–victory, but with his batting rather than his pitching. He continued to play baseball during his years at Bucknell, pitching for minor league teams in Honesdale and Meridian, Pennsylvania. Matthewson was selected to the Walter Camp All-American football team in 1900. He was a drop-kicker.