Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson was the first great pitcher of the modern era, and he was the best pitcher in the league in most of the seasons in which he pitched.
He first signed with the Giants in 1900, but after pitching 3 games he was returned to his previous minor league club. Cincinnati saw his potential and picked him up, then traded him to the Giants for Amos Rusie before he even played a game for them.
In 1901, which was his official rookie season, he was the best pitcher in the league. That year he threw 36 complete games in 38 starts with an ERA of 2.41 and 221 strikeouts, though none was tops in the league. He led the league in strikeouts for the first time in 1903, and 4 more times in the next 5 years.
In 1905 he took home his first Triple Crown, leading the league with 31 wins (and only 9 losses), 206 strikeouts, and a 1.28 ERA. He also led the Giants to their first World Series, where he put on an amazing performance, pitching complete game shutouts in games 1, 4, and 7, and only giving up 13 hits over the course of the series as he won his only championship in dominant fashion.
He missed a chunk of the following season with diphtheria, which caused him to struggle for the rest of the season, but he recovered, and in 1908 had his best season, winning his second Triple Crown with a 1.43 ERA, 37 wins, and 259 strikeouts. He also led the league with 34 complete games and 11 shutouts, finishing one of the best pitching seasons ever.
He recorded a career-best 1.14 ERA in 1909, then led the Giants to 3 consecutive pennants from 1911 to 1913. The Giants lost all 3 World Series, but Mathewson pitched well throughout, posting an ERA below 1.00 in both 1912 and 1913, with a career-high World Series ERA of 2.00 in 1911. He did everything he could in those series, but couldn't win it on his own.
After expressing a desire to become a manager, he was traded to the Reds near the end of the 1916 season, where he was installed as player/manager, though he pitched only one game for his new team. After about 2 seasons as manager, he resigned to join the Army in World War I, where exposure to chemical weapons caused him to contract tuberculosis, which would kill him just a few years later.
Then the Hall of Fame was created in 1936, Mathewson was one of the original 5 players elected, and the only one who was not alive to witness his induction. He finished his career with 373 wins, the most in NL history, and #3 of all time, and his ERA of 2.13 is 9th all time, making him the only pitcher to be in the top 10 in each category. Add to that his 2 Triple Crowns and absolutely dominant 1905 World Series, and he is definitely one of the best players of all time.
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