Bobby Mathews
Born: 11/21/1851 in Baltimore, MD, USA
Died: 4/17/1898 in Baltimore, MD, USA
MLB Debut: 1871-05-04 | Final Game: 1887-10-10
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'5" | Weight: 140 lbs
Full name: Robert T. Mathews
Biography
Bobby Mathews was a notable pitcher in the early days of professional baseball, whose career spanned from 1871 to 1887. Born in 1851, Mathews became one of the prominent hurlers of his time, amassing a career record of 297-248. He established himself as a formidable presence on the mound with an earned run average (ERA) of 2.86, reflecting his ability to limit scoring opportunities for opposing teams. Over his career, he recorded 1,528 strikeouts and notched 3 saves, showcasing his skill in both starting and closing games in an era when the role of the pitcher was still evolving.
Mathews played during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more modern style of play. His contributions to the game were significant, as he helped set the standard for pitching excellence and durability. Known for his competitive spirit and tactical approach, Mathews left a lasting impact on the sport, inspiring future generations of pitchers. His legacy remains a testament to the early artistry of baseball, reflecting the challenges and triumphs of an era that laid the groundwork for the sport as we know it today.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 297 | 248 | 578 | 568 | 525 | 20 | 3 | 4956.0 | 5601 | 1573 | 70 | 532 | 1528 | 2.86 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 169.0 | 261 | 97 | 21 | 17 | 5.17 | 368.2 | |
| 1872 | BL1 | 25 | 18 | 49 | 47 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 406.0 | 480 | 144 | 52 | 57 | 3.19 | 286.0 | |
| 1873 | NY2 | 29 | 23 | 52 | 52 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 443.0 | 489 | 127 | 62 | 79 | 2.58 | 1050.1 | |
| 1874 | NY2 | 42 | 22 | 65 | 65 | 62 | 4 | 0 | 578.0 | 652 | 122 | 41 | 101 | 1.90 | 3187.7 | |
| 1875 | NY2 | 29 | 38 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 3 | 0 | 625.7 | 711 | 173 | 20 | 75 | 2.49 | 850.5 | |
| 1876 | NY3 | NL | 21 | 34 | 56 | 56 | 55 | 2 | 0 | 516.0 | 693 | 164 | 24 | 37 | 2.86 | -1833.3 |
| 1877 | CN1 | NL | 3 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 129.3 | 208 | 58 | 17 | 9 | 4.04 | -955.3 |
| 1879 | PRO | NL | 12 | 6 | 27 | 25 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 189.0 | 194 | 48 | 26 | 90 | 2.29 | 107.0 |
| 1881 | BSN | NL | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23.0 | 22 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 2.35 | -527.2 |
| 1881 | PRO | NL | 4 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 102.3 | 121 | 36 | 21 | 28 | 3.17 | -614.0 |
| 1882 | BSN | NL | 19 | 15 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 285.0 | 278 | 91 | 22 | 153 | 2.87 | 4971.0 |
| 1883 | PH4 | AA | 30 | 13 | 44 | 44 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 381.0 | 396 | 104 | 31 | 203 | 2.46 | 4255.9 |
| 1884 | PH4 | AA | 30 | 18 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 430.7 | 401 | 159 | 49 | 286 | 3.32 | 5174.1 |
| 1885 | PH4 | AA | 30 | 17 | 48 | 48 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 422.3 | 394 | 114 | 57 | 286 | 2.43 | 10066.2 |
| 1886 | PH4 | AA | 13 | 9 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 197.7 | 226 | 87 | 53 | 93 | 3.96 | 56.3 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 58.0 | 75 | 43 | 25 | 9 | 6.67 | -1674.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 623 | 2486 | 318 | 504 | 48 | 9 | 1 | 164 | 10 | 73 | 62 | 0.203 | 0.225 | 0.230 | 0.456 | -9423.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | 19 | 89 | 15 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.270 | -162.7 | |
| 1872 | BL1 | 50 | 222 | 36 | 50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0.225 | -901.0 | |
| 1873 | NY2 | 52 | 223 | 40 | 43 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 0.193 | -1062.3 | |
| 1874 | NY2 | 65 | 298 | 46 | 72 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0.242 | -693.7 | |
| 1875 | NY2 | 70 | 264 | 23 | 48 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.182 | -1074.5 | |
| 1876 | NY3 | NL | 56 | 218 | 19 | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.183 | -1017.6 |
| 1877 | CN1 | NL | 15 | 59 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.169 | -354.7 |
| 1879 | PRO | NL | 43 | 173 | 25 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0.202 | -504.6 |
| 1881 | BSN | NL | 19 | 71 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.169 | -427.0 |
| 1881 | PRO | NL | 16 | 57 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0.193 | -427.0 |
| 1882 | BSN | NL | 45 | 169 | 17 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 0.225 | -307.9 |
| 1883 | PH4 | AA | 45 | 167 | 15 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.186 | -865.6 |
| 1884 | PH4 | AA | 49 | 184 | 26 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.185 | -745.8 |
| 1885 | PH4 | AA | 48 | 179 | 22 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.168 | -917.9 |
| 1886 | PH4 | AA | 24 | 88 | 16 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.239 | -205.8 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 7 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 1 |
| OF | 80 | 2 | 54 | 8 | 21 | 1 |
| P | 578 | 130 | 236 | 791 | 220 | 22 |
| SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | P | 19 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 8 | 2 |
| 1872 | BL1 | P | 49 | 46 | 20 | 51 | 20 | 2 |
| 1872 | BL1 | 3B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1872 | BL1 | OF | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1873 | NY2 | P | 52 | 0 | 27 | 58 | 24 | 1 |
| 1873 | NY2 | OF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1874 | NY2 | P | 65 | 65 | 29 | 101 | 38 | 2 |
| 1874 | NY2 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1874 | NY2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1875 | NY2 | P | 70 | 0 | 44 | 106 | 29 | 4 |
| 1875 | NY2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1876 | NY3 | P | 56 | 0 | 41 | 78 | 28 | 0 |
| 1876 | NY3 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1877 | CN1 | P | 15 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 1877 | CN1 | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1877 | CN1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1879 | PRO | P | 27 | 0 | 4 | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| 1879 | PRO | 3B | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1879 | PRO | OF | 21 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1881 | BSN | P | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1881 | BSN | OF | 18 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1881 | PRO | P | 14 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 2 |
| 1881 | PRO | OF | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1882 | BSN | P | 34 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 6 | 1 |
| 1882 | BSN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1882 | BSN | OF | 13 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1883 | PH4 | P | 44 | 0 | 15 | 68 | 12 | 2 |
| 1883 | PH4 | OF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | PH4 | P | 49 | 0 | 8 | 78 | 25 | 1 |
| 1884 | PH4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | PH4 | P | 48 | 0 | 7 | 67 | 10 | 1 |
| 1885 | PH4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1886 | PH4 | P | 24 | 0 | 5 | 38 | 8 | 3 |
| 1886 | PH4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | P | 7 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 577 |
| Third Base | 9 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Center Field | 10 |
| Right Field | 66 |