Valley Weekend : THEATER NOTES : Drama Explores Rich Life of a Baseball Hero : The Giants’ Christy Mathewson helped turn baseball into a national pastime.

How many of today’s young sport fans remember who Christy Mathewson was? Probably not many. And it’s a shame. Mathewson was not only a baseball hero, who pitched for the New York Giants early in the century, but he was a man who made an impression on Americans way beyond the outfield walls.

Director Kerrigan Mahan didn’t know who Mathewson was when he became involved in Eddie Frierson’s one-man play, “Matty--An Evening With Christy Mathewson,” opening on Saturday at Studio City’s Two Roads Theatre.

Baseball isn’t his sport. But theater is, and he has since become fascinated with Mathewson, the man. “He was such a huge star that he was considered one of the finest pitchers in baseball history,” Mahan says. “There’s so much theater here.”

Baseball is Frierson’s sport. He pitched varsity baseball for the UCLA Bruins while he was working on a theater arts degree, and later coached baseball for Santa Monica High School, four of those years as varsity head coach.

At the same time, he was establishing himself as an actor on television and stage, and working as a voice-over actor, where he originally met Mahan.

In the mid-’80s, Frierson was looking around for a subject for a one-man show for himself. His father coincidentally gave him a copy of Mathewson’s book, “Pitching in a Pinch.” Frierson says baseball legends jumped off the page at him and ended his search for a subject.

He began a long period of research on Mathewson, including much time spent with his family.

Frierson wants people, through their two hours spent with Matty, to get a complete sense of the man.

“He invented the screwball, and was one of the original inductees at the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Frierson says. “He co-authored a Broadway play, and made lots of money in the stock market. He was the national checkers champion, and wrote a whole series of books for boys.”

When Mathewson was pitching for the Giants, Frierson relates, professional baseball was a rowdy affair. “Baseball needed a vehicle to start getting kids and women into the ballpark,” he said. “Sportswriters used Mathewson as the symbol to turn baseball really into the national pastime.”

* “Matty--An Evening With Christy Mathewson,” Two Roads Theatre, 4348 Tujunga Ave., Studio City. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturday. Indefinitely. $12.50. (818) 766-9381.

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While Eddie Frierson looks to the past for a hero whose philosophy of life is still pertinent today, at least one Valley theater is looking ahead--to the holidays. Center Stage, in Woodland Hills, is probably the first to open a sort of follies-type evening to celebrate the season, with nods to both Christmas and Hanukkah.

Husband-and-wife team Sue and Martin Brother are presenting “The Fa La-La-La Follies,” subtitled “A Musical Mishmash of Holiday Mirth,” opening Friday night. The Brothers, along with Michael Stern, Chera Bashor and accompanist Dale Phillips, will perform holiday music, comedy and dancing through December.

Freud analyzing Santa, dueling Santas, and a challenge tap number between a Hanukkah bush and a Christmas tree give an idea of the lightness of the family entertainment.

“People can expect to hear what they normally love to hear,” Sue Brother says, “but they’re going to have some real surprises.”

* “The Fa La-La-La Follies,” Center Stage, 20929 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Ends with New Year’s Eve performance. $12-$15. (818) 716-7202.

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And getting ready for the new year, the Valley Theatre League has announced the results of its annual election of officers. Edmund Gaynes of Ovations and Two Roads Theatre is the new president, with Dan Hirsch of the Whitefire, Limelight and NoHo Studios as first vice president, and Alliance Rep’s Kimberly King as second vice president.

Pamela Hall of Two Roads and Ovations is secretary-treasurer. New board of directors appointees are American Renegade Theatre’s David Cox as president, Synthaxis Theatre’s Estelle Busch as secretary, and Woodland Hills Community Theatre’s Jon Berry as financial officer.