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
The Frustrating History of the New York Jets
Although I was a Dallas Cowboys fan as a young boy, I couldn’t help
The Beards! Looking Back at the Red Sox 2013 Season
As the new MLB season gets underway, there will be plenty of interesting twists
The 1971 Atlanta Falcons: How a Gritty Underdog Season Made Franchise History
The season of 1971 might be considered to most casual observers as a mediocre
Wrestling With Andre: A Parody of My Dinner With Andre
I am a big fan of the 1981 film My Dinner with Andre. The
Kicking Cousins–Anglo and American Football Ties
You’re a freshman at Harvard in 1827. It’s Bloody Monday. You’re out on the
Inside the Record Makers Invitational: The Weightlifting Showdown of the 80s
I started Olympic Weightlifting in 1981, and up to that point, I didn’t know
Ric Flair’s Fake Heart Attack: The Shocking WCW Moment That Fooled Fans
A few weeks ago I found an Instagram video of Ric Flair having a
Victorian Football: From Mob Rule to Class Rule
In the early 1800s, British football begins to slowly take a more orderly form,