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
Jerry Quarry: He Had All The Tools to Become a Champion
Many boxing fans, including myself, believe Quarry had the tools to become a champion.
The 10 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All-Time
Throughout the history of the sport, and athletics, the Heavyweight Champion of The World
NFL Travel in the 1940s: My Back Hurts Thinking About It!
Imagine spending three or four days sandwiched between your burly teammates on a cross-country
Mike Utley: Former Detroit Lions Player Fights to Find a Cure For Paralysis!
This week I talk with former Detroit Lions player, Mike Utley. Mike suffered a
Should These Five Former NFL Head Coaches Be In The Hall of Fame?
It must be noted that I wrote this article in March of 2018, before
Boxers vs. Wrestlers Matches Over The Years (Who Prevails?)
In this segment, I am going to focus on Boxer vs Wrestler matches that
Super Bowl XXV (Bills vs. Giants): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXV, which was held on January 27, 1991, at
G.O.A.T Debates: Who Were The Greatest NFL Players Of All-Time?
Is it just me? Is anyone else getting tired of the endless debates about