After a short 7 year hiatus, The Straight Race is back!
I wanted to take time to write more about themes I am passionate about that the Lord has put on my heart. Over the next few months I am going to highlight athletes who stood in the gap for their faith, men whose faith meant more than anything else. While these athletes have every right to stand on their athletic ability, they chose to put their identity in Christ. These men are true "Legends of the Faith."
Around six months ago while I was sitting in bed late one evening, I wondered, "Where are all my baseball cards?" After turning the whole house inside and out, I found my childhood collection and spent the early hours of the morning combing through old cards and reminiscing on the days of youth... reminding me of my love for baseball and Pudge Rodriguez. It flooded me with fond memories of going to the Ballpark in Arlington to spend time with my mom & dad watching games.
Those hours of sorting through baseball cards left me with a taste of something more. I knew I didn't want to get into modern day cards...there was too much to learn and frankly, overwhelming. Fast forward a few months later and I stumbled across the granddaddy of all sports cards...
The T06 collection
Nicknamed "The Monster" for short- and it is aptly named. This is of the oldest baseball card sets that ran from 1909-1911 that includes 524 cards and 38 hall of famers within the set. These cards were lithographs created by American tobacco companies as a way to hold cigarettes in cartons, and were collected by young boys of that era.
While it is quite an undertaking, it's been the perfect balance of history, nostalgia, and true baseball goodness. I hope to slowly accumulate the set while learning cards, baseball history, with the idea to one day pass these cards down to my sons.
Here are a few that I have collected for starters
As I have been learning about the players in the set, there was one name that kept coming back to me. Christy Mathewson, aka "Matty"
Mathewson was one of the inaugural five players to be elected to the Baseball Hall of fame, along with the likes of Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, and Honus Wagner. Quite the brotherhood there.
While we could spend the rest of our time talking about Mathewson's baseball legacy and prowess on the mound, what stood out to me was how Christy stuck to his principles in a baseball world filled with debauchery, alcoholism, scandals, and cheating. Mathewson, similar to Eric Liddell, refused to pitch games on Sunday's in order to keep the Sabbath. Matty stood for his faith even when it wasn't popular.
Here's are some thoughts on Mathewson that strike me:
Mathewson was coachable- His manager John McGraw said, "Mathewson proved to be an eager and intelligent pupil. I never had to tell Mathewson anything a second time. He worked and studied all the time"
Mathewson was faithful to his wife- Christy faithfully loved his wife Jane until he passed away. While his teammates were quick to turn to worldly pleasures, Matty knew his love for his wife was more important than any temporary satisfaction.
Mathewson was a competitor- As Christians, we are often thought as a group of people who willingly let others "run them over". Christy singlehandedly defied that over his 17 year career, with 13 of those seasons having 20 or more wins. The man was a competitor from day one.
One of my favorite stories comes from his childhood days in Factoryville, PA. He was called in as a 14 year old kid to pitch against a rival town of men...He gave up 17 runs, but managed to hit the winning home run and win 19-17. Unreal!
Mathewson was humble- Unlike his celebrity baseball counterpart Ty Cobb, Mathewson did not seek out the fame or glory that naturally comes with being one of the best baseball players of all time. He quietly went about his business and kept his head down away from the New York City hustle and bustle.
Even though he had a tenacious baseball appetite, Mathewson would not get worked up over bad calls and had an even temperament. One of his nicknames was the, "Christian Gentleman," a tribute to his humility.
Mathewson exemplified living out his faith on the sports field and in his personal life. The two were one in the same. He could have promoted himself, but instead he chose to promote his faith.
Friends, that is a legacy that all of us should strive for. While Matty was a tremendous baseball player, his identity in Christ was the ultimate thing that mattered most. Christy Mathewson was a true legend of the faith!
My prayer is that we would strive for a similar legacy and be men & women who stand in the gap for our faith in world that is going quickly in a different direction.
Hold fast and stay true! Proverbs 4:23-27
Matt
P.S. - If you have a T206 Mathewson laying around, feel free to send it my way!
