The deadly pitch that changed baseball

This video looks at the tragic death of Ray Chapman in 1920 and the consequences of the event for Major League Baseball.

[TheZincroofer]

I met Carl Mays and his second wife, Esther, in 1964 at their ranch near Dayville Oregon. My brother and I played catched with a ball that he had just signed for us. In doing so, we roughed up the leather and his signature. Upon Carl seeing us doing this, he laughed and joined in for a three way game of catch. The next day Carl signed an other ball for each of us with the promise we'd never play catch with them. I still have those two baseballs to this day. I remember Carl telling us story of his life but rarely about his baseball career. Esther enjoyed telling stories of inspiration that left a positive impact on my life to this day. I enjoyed their company immensely.

[brutalplanet]

Hockey goaltenders use to play without masks. That was pure insanity.

[martintruther]

Very informative. So that's why the umps keep changing the baseballs every other pitch. RIP Ray Chapman.

[donaldleider]

I read about this incident in the Babe Ruth biography titled the Big Bam. Carl Mays was the son of a Methodist minister he didn’t smoke drink or chase women into the night. That made him an outsider in baseball culture which is why a lot of players including his teammates didn’t like him and he didn’t like them either. He was a hard case no nonsense pitcher who demanded that hitters stay off the plate. The incident happened during Ray Chapman‘s third at bat of the game. In Chapman’s two previous at bats he bunted twice, once for a sacrifice and once for an out. In his third at bat against Mays the count was one and one and the next pitch hit Chapman Square in the head. The ball rolled towards third and Mays fielded it thinking it was another bunt. When he turned around He saw Chapman trying to get up off the dirt with some blood coming out of his ear, then Chapman collapsed again. It was thought he never saw the ball because he never moved. The first and only time a player died from being hit with a thrown baseball!

[keithmussey]

Some years ago, a bronze plaque memorizing Ray Chapman was found, and properly placed in Heritage Park behind center field at Jacob’s Field (Cleveland). I happened upon it with my wife while visiting the park during gameplay. It tastefully displays not only him, but how the life of a good man transcends the game of baseball. Funny how I remember it but not one detail of the actual game...

[straycatttt]

Mays and Babe Ruth won 4 WS titles together. They came up with the Red Sox as rookie pitchers in 1915. Boston won the WS that season although neither pitched in that Series. They won two more WS with Boston in 1916 and 1918. Boston traded both of them to the Yankees in 1919 in a fire sale for cash. They subsequently won a WS together with the Yankees in 1923 (though Mays did not pitch that Series, either).

Mays finished his career with over 200 wins and ERA of 2.92. He led the AL in wins the year after this incident.

The Chapman KBP (killed by pitch) probably caused the Hall of Fame not to induct Mays.
Everyone hated Ty Cobb. Mays admittedly threw at Cobb once. Cobb retaliated by throwing his bat at Mays and the benches cleared. So, yes, everyone hated Mays, too.

[Lava]

There are plenty of aspects to this story that are heartbreaking. A good book on this topic is The Pitch That Killed by Mike Sowell. I recommend it.

[joecool]

I work in industrial construction, which means I sit through many safety training courses. The thing I remember the most is the saying, "many of the safety rules were written in blood". It's sad that people have to be seriously injured or killed before the governing bodies mandate personal protective equipment (PPE). I had no idea this applied to baseball Great video. Very informative.

[musicoldies]

Even on his death bed in 1971 a few days before his passing, Carl Mays kept insisting that he never meant to throw at Chapman during that fateful game. It was just a very sad, unfortunate accident, and it really is unfair to this day that baseball historians & analysts still feel it necessary to paint Mays as a low life scoundrel who savagely looked to bean Chapman intentionally with that pitch ☹. RIP to both great players 😇🧚‍♂.

[someperson]

Always sad everytime I hear about Ray Chapman.

[joeylocognato]

I was hit in the face, leading off the game ( Columbia vs Harvard), I was on my way to the Baltimore Orioles rookie league. Never made it, that pitch gave me a : linear fracture of my cheekbone, concussion, and a nasal hemorrhage. My toes scrunch up when I see a MLB player get hit anyplace, but particularly the head. God bless both these guys! 😥. I have to say: guys I tear up with your heartfelt replies, thank all of you so much, and God Bless everyone here as well. Please understand I never wanted to put myself front and center. I just wanted everyone to know that I really scrunch up when I see a batter getting hit, especially in the head. Pitchers out there know what they are doing when they throw a pitch behind the hitter. Because batters are taught to back up in the batters box . Again I want to thank everyone here for your amazing responses. God bless you all guys, Joey

[darrellhall]

Progressive Field in Cleveland should have been called Chapman field in memory of its former shortstop. The only major league baseball player to die for the game

[CollectingCardboard]

The tragedy of Ray Chapman, ..only *BEGAN* on August 17th, 1920!! He left behind a pregnant fiance, Katie, ....who eventually gave birth to their daughter Rae Marie. Katie would remarry, and she & her daughter re-settled in Los Angeles, . In 1926, Katie committed suicide, and Rae Marie, ...at 8 years old (1929) tragically died from a case of the measles. By proxy, ...one could say that that _one, single fastball_, ...claimed *THREE LIVES*, beginning on August 17, 1920

[thebaseballprofessor]

After the deadly pitch, Carl Mays played nine more seasons in the major leagues and was highly effective when healthy. He won 27 games in 1921 and contributed to the Yankees pennant winning seasons in 1921 and 1922. One can make the argument for Carl Mays' inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[gordonelwell]

Ray Chapman is a relative of mine (somehow). Ancestry has him married to a distant cousin. His story is part of our family lore . . .

[mirrorblue]

Excellent homage to that era - thanks.

[georgeriley]

What Carl Mays did was clearly underhanded. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[MrLostform]

ruth taking a cross step into his swing is crazy. was his timing just that good or pitchers timing that predictable. i think for sure they throw at someones head if they take a cross step like that these days. that makes wild crazy power

[mafia_dave]

The ball hit his head so hard that it bounced on the field and was fielded by an infielder not knowing it hit his head .

[marklondon]

Very well produced short. It grabbed even a casual observer of baseball like me.