Hall of Fame baseball pitcher in the early 20th century, regarded by many as one of the top pitchers of all-time.
Mathewson (DOB: 8/12/1880 in Pennsylvania) spent almost his entire career (1900-1916) with the New York Giants of the National League. "Big Six" (as he came to be known, because his fastball was said to resemble a New York fire engine of that name) had a career record of 373-188 (the 373 wins is tied for third all-time), with 434 complete games (13th all-time), and an ERA of 2.13.
Mathewson led the NL in ERA 5 times, wins 4 times, and strikeouts 5 times (winning all three categories in both 1905 and 1908). He won 30 or more games 4 times. He was known for his fadeaway screwball pitch, which flustered batters.
On July 20, 1916, at the end of his playing career, Mathewson was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, so he could be their manager. Christy immediately retired as a player. On September 4, 1916, Mathewson returned as a pitcher for one game, against the Chicago Cubs and longtime rival Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, in what was to be the final game for both. Mathewson won (in the only game he ever pitched as a member of a team other than the Giants).
Unfortunately for Christy, in 1918, he was accidentally gassed in training exercises during World War I. As a result, he contracted tuberculosis, from which he suffered until his death on October 7, 1925 (at the age of just 45)
Christy benefitted from pitching during baseball's dead ball era, which explains his extremely low ERA (by today's standards).
In 1936, Mathewson was part of the initial class of 5 Hall of Famers (which also included Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner), as a true pitching legend.
Mathewson's still revered at Pennsylvania's Bucknell University, where he went to college before turning pro. Bucknell's stadium is named "Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium" in his honor, and on Parents' Weekend there's a concert named "Christy's" (Thanks to NetCurl for all of the Bucknell information).