On August 16, 1920, submarine pitcher Carl Mays unintentionally struck Ray Chapman in the head with a fastball that killed him. This video considers the two men involved, media coverage of the event, player reactions, long-term consequences, and how Carl Mays remembered things as an older man. Below is a link for War on the Diamond.
linktr.ee/waronthediamondfilm
My grandfather played ball in rural Iowa in the 1940s. He always told my brother and I story about what happened during a game. He was on the bench while the other team was up to bat. He said that the batter that was on-deck ran behind the diamond during a pitch, far enough back to not interfere with play. The batter hit it foul and it hit the guy running directly in his left temple on his head. The dude got up, had a bit of a headache but seemed fine. Unfortunately he passed away in his sleep that night. You were right, it was a completely different time back then. Fortunately the game is safer today but accidents do and will always happen.
Whenever people wonder why baseball players take unwritten rules separately and have crazy beefs I point out that it’s one of very few sports where both sides have access to lethal weapons, a fastball or a bat can each kill a person
12:27... Mays makes a great point. They let Chapman languish in the clubhouse until the game concluded - with a fractured skull. That's unthinkable. Who knows what could have been done had Chapman gotten treated sooner?
In the same interview in the video, Mays spoke at some length about abother player, Chick Fewster, who was hit in the head by a pitch in March of 1920 and seriously injured (skull fractured). Unlike Ray Chapman, Chick Fewster made full recovery after his surgery and hospitalization. It's reasonable to think that things could have been different had the Indians rushed Chapman to the hospital.
But I just don't understand why they waited. Apparently, it was protocol to do so, but I can't understand why.
Here in Australia we experienced a similar tragedy just nine years ago in a cricket match, as rising national team star Phillip Hughes, playing for my state of South Australia at the time, was hit in an unprotected part of his head by a short-pitched ball by New South Wales' Sean Abbott. He collapsed, was placed in an induced coma, and all games in progress at the time were abandoned. He died shortly thereafter, with the cricket community encouraged to leave a bat on our doorsteps in tribute. From that day forward, whenever I hear Abbott's name I wonder how much that moment must still affect him mentally.
Thanks for sharing. Did the tragedy impact professional cricket with respect to protective equipment or rules? Did anyone suggest Sean Abbott was to blame for the accident?
@@thebaseballprofessor I didn't see anything blaming Abbott, the fact is people bowl those short balls (we call them bouncers) all the time, but batters usually don't get hit in the head and their helmets usually keep them well protected. A lot of players started attaching newly developed guards to protect that part of the head, and there's definitely an increased level of caution and concern when anyone does take a hit.
Interesting story. Baseball ⚾️ is my passion but I do find Cricket 🏏 interesting.
That first line in Mays Obituary is uncalled for
You are so good at what you do!
Thank you for the excellent video.
I have the place setting of Mrs. Chapman from the funeral dinner or wake, I'm not sure which, but it was inside the the itenerary of the days events. My grandfather was the 3rd baseman on that cleveland team and won his 4th world series that year. His name was Larry Gardner.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank youuu! This was a great story! And I feel for both sides🙌
Thank you for this
I met Carl Mays and his second wife, Esther, in 1964, at their ranch just outside of Dayville, Oregon. Carl, my brother, and I would play catch on occasion, but Carl absolutely loved hunting and target shooting. Carl was a quiet man but he could make my brother and I laugh and we enjoyed the time we spent together. Esther enjoyed conversation and always had inspirational stories to tell. I enjoyed their company immensely.
Thanks for sharing. I'm glad Mays had a sense of humor and could make you and your brother laugh.
Yours was a good retelling of the story, although the movie sounds worth checking out too! 😎✌️
Nice video man. As a Yankees fan, I always have had some collective guilt from this. NYY never issued a formal apology or paid compensation to Ray's family. They still refuse to pay reparations to descendants and the systemic disregard for a historical sin is a blood stain on pinstripes.
I hate the Yankees but this was an accident. Just like the Bengals don’t owe or shouldn’t owe anything for what happened to Hamlin. The Yankees shouldn’t owe anything here either. Ultimately playing the game is a risk. It’s a risk all players know even today with improved safety features. No one is forcing them to play. When they choose to take the risk then if the terrible happens then it’s mainly on the player. They took pay to take the risk. Whether it’s 1920 or 2023, they still got paid. Life is full of risks you can’t eliminate them sometimes unfortunate things happen and there isn’t anything anyone can do.
Also I forgot to mention you can say the team most responsible are the Indians themselves. They didn’t take him to the hospital until after the game. As mentioned in the video had they taken him there as soon as it happened like what happened with Fewster he may have survived. His odds would definitely have been better.
If I'd have heard taps at the Cleveland ballpark, I'd have lost it.
Tris Speaker is an interesting character. He was both a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and instrumental in coaching Larry Doby in his effort to integrate the American League. So he was either a racist who changed his mind. not a racist who joined the Klan out of peer pressure, or a racist whose professionalism didn't let that get in the way of doing his job. Or some combination of the above.
I look forward to your comments every time.
Awesome video! As much as I love and know the sport, I didn't know everything mentioned in the video. Thank you!
I just watched a game in my park. The Gentilly Giants won their second straight. Baseball is life. Tomorrow for the rubber match I'm giving away hot dogs. America!
Really good video very interesting
Great video of a terrible tragedy that changed MLB forever.
Will 2023 be the year of your 9 inning shadowball documentary release?
It may get delayed until 2024 if I don't find a producer with deep pockets.
@@thebaseballprofessor I really do hope you're working on it. Or something similar. There is so little information available unless you dig deep.
Your stuff is amaze balls. Pun intended!!
The Yankees have only had a rivalry with The Guardians for the last two years.The rivalry was always with the Indians.Let's not whitewash history.
Mays would a strong HOF candidate if not for.....well, you know...........................
First
bro nobody cares
Oddly I feel even more sad for Carl Mays than for Ray Chapman. :(