This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/29/2019
Christy Mathewson is considered as one of the most dominant pitchers of all time. He played 17 seasons with the New York Giants, ending his career with 373 wins and an ERA of 2.13. At a time when baseball players were mostly associated with gambling, boozing, and womanizing, this American sports hero stood out with his intellect, clean-cut looks, and kind demeanor - proving to other players that there was indeed another way to live. He instilled in the game the values of sportsmanship, moral code and integrity, something largely amiss in that era. Proving his selflessness, Mathewson enlisted in the United States Army for World War I late in the 1918 season. Unfortunately, he was accidentally exposed to mustard gas during a chemical training exercise in France, weakening his lungs and eventually leading to his early death by tuberculosis. So widespread was the admiration for Mathewson that following his death, the 1925 World Series participants each wore black armbands to express grief for their fallen friend. Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis said of Mathewson, ""His sense of justice, his integrity, and sportsmanship made him far greater than Christy Mathewson the pitcher."" He was also one of baseball's ""First Five"" inductees to the Hall of Fame in 1936, with his plaque reading simply ""Matty was master of them all."" Matty is a tough autograph in any format. Offered here is one of the nicest signatures we have ever offered from the Hall of Famer in the form of this Adirondack National Bank check. The check, dated December 18, 1924, has been filled out and signed at the conclusion "Christy Mathewson" in steel tip ink. The check itself exhibits some handling wear including three vertical creases and a few pinholes, with one of the creases going through the signature. However, the signature itself is so superb it has been graded a high MINT 9 autograph and encapsulated by PSA/DNA. Impressive! A rare opportunity to invest in one of the most elusive signers in the history of baseball!