Chief Meyers
| Birthdate | 7/29/1880 |
| Death Date | 7/25/1971 |
| Debut Year | 1909 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Braves, Giants, Robins |
| Position | Catcher |
Christy Mathewson‘s primary catcher, Chief Meyers was in the Top 10 in MVP voting in each of the Giants pennant-winning teams from 1911-1913.
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Chief Meyers led NY in batting average in each of 3 pennant-winning years from 1911-1913
Chief Meyers led NY in batting average in each of 3 pennant-winning years from 1911-1913
Chief Meyers was a vital contributor for John McGraw‘s back-to-back-to-back pennant winning New York Giants teams of 1911-1913. Leading the team in batting average each of the championship seasons, Meyers batted .334 with a .407 on-base percentage over that three-year run. He was also the primary catcher for Christy Mathewson, one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
In the collection is a letter from Meyers dated May 19, 1914 on Goldsmith’s Sons letterhead. Based in Cincinnati, Goldsmith’s Sons was a sporting goods company that supplied baseball mitts and gloves to Major Leaguers. Here Chief offers his endorsement of their products.
The Native American from the Cahuilla culture writes, “In the game today, with the Cincinnati club with Mathewson pitching, I used the Model C.M. Catcher’s Mitt, made for me by your firm yesterday.
“In my many years of experience, I have never had a Catchers Mitt that I could use without extensive breaking in.
“The perfect balance, deep pocket, and excellent leather make it The Finest Mitt I have ever caught with.”
Meyers has boldly signed the bottom of the letter, “Chief John T. Meyers”.
The game that Meyers writes about was an important one. Working on three days rest, Matty threw a complete game – his fourth in the last 23 days – to gain career win #342. That win tied him for fourth on the All Time wins list with Tim Keefe. The only three hurlers with more victories by then were Cy Young (511), Pud Galvin (365), and Kid Nichols (362).
Chief Meyers was the primary catcher for Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson for 7 seasons
Chief Meyers was the primary catcher for Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson for 7 seasons
For seven seasons, Chief Meyers served as the primary catcher for Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson. The two got along as friends in large part because they were unlike most ballplayers of the day. Matty was the class president at Bucknell University; Meyers attended the Ivy League’s Dartmouth.
While teammates would drink or play cards on off days, Meyers saw what the cities had to offer, be it buildings, historical sites, or museums. The pitcher and catcher even teamed up in a vaudeville play that toured for more than a month. Meyers played the “bad Indian” wile Mathewson was the “good cowboy”.
In the collection is this book photo signed by Mathewson, Cooperstown Class of 1936.
