August 16, 1920 – It was a truly tragic day in MLB history. A pitch that may have got away from New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays nailed Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman squarely in the head. The trauma from the incident ended up killing Chapman about 12 hours later to become the only MLB player to have died directly from an injury received during a major league game.
This tragedy led baseball rule makers to establish a rule requiring umpires to replace the ball whenever it becomes dirty. This included putting the spotlight on banning spitballs from being thrown in baseball as well. Some three decades later, the Chapman tragedy was used as one of the reasons that players should be mandated to wear batting helmets.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL’s Oldest Rivalry Book Preview
In this episode of “When Football Was Football’” Joe Ziemba previews his latest book,
Broadway Joe’s Lasting Impact on the NFL
Does Joe Namath deserve to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? To
Bob Lilly a.k.a. “Mr. Cowboy” – (Mark and Dave’s All-Time Favorite Player)
After an All-American career at Texas Christian University, Bob Lilly was the first-ever draft
1-on-1: Magic Johnson vs. Rony Seikaly
Doing a good deed is always a good thing. It shows others that we
When Machine Gun Jack Met The Galloping Ghost!
Some may claim that Chicago has a bad reputation…and not necessarily just in football!
The Hidden Gems of the Squared Circle
ROGER: BRYAN CLARKE as ADAM BOMB– one of four wrestlers we’ll be discussing on
Chuck Taylor: The Greatest Shoe Salesman of All-Time
The name Chuck Taylor should ring a bell for any basketball fan. But you
The Calumet Indians Take on the Chicago Bears in Hammond, IN
Tuesday, October 18, 1938, was one of the most unique days in the history