Remembering Ray Chapman.

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Posted By: Scot

On August 16, 1920 - 29 year old Ray Chapman was shortstop for the Cleveland Indians playing against the New York Yankees. In the fifth inning Chapman was facing Yankee pitcher Carl Mays. Mays threw one of his patented rising side arm pitches to the Indians shortstop crowding the plate. The pitch hit Ray in the temple Fracturing his skull. Ray Chapman died 4:30am the next day. He remains the only on field casualty in MLB history. 85 years ago this month. RIP Ray.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

And both were Kentuckians---Ray Chapman was from Beaver Dam, Kentucky and Carl Mays was from Liberty, Kentucky.

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Posted By: Anson

I found the Walter Johnson involvement in this story rather interesting, as well.

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Posted By: cmoking

What was Walter Johnson's involvement?

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

A week or so earlier (from the above date) Chapman was facing
Walter Johnson (also a sidearm pitcher) at Muncipal Stadium in
Cleveland. In the late innings the fog started rolling off Lake
Erie and mist started covering the playing field. I believe the
story goes....that after a pitch, Chapman told the Umpire that
he could not see the ball. When Johnson heard this he insisted
that the Umpire stop the game. Walter Johnson intensely feared
that his powerful sidearm pitches could seriously injure a batter.
Because of this he would not throw at a batter. Cobb knew this
and he was one of the very few that hit good against Johnson.

Johnson was not only the greatest pitcher, but also a real fine
gentleman.

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Posted By: Pennsylvania Ted

SCOT

Would you have a list of all the BB cards that Ray Chapman
appeared on ?

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Posted By: Scot

Ted,
To my knowledge the only Ray Chapman cards are the 1916 M101-4 & M101-5 blank backs and various advertisement backs and 1917 Holsum bread. The Herpolsheimer pictured above is the only known example. The 1916 Blank Backs, Sporting News, Successful Farming, Wares, Famous and Bar, Indianapolis Brewing Co. etc... are some other options. This Era is not my specialty (Avid 1920's collector) there may be more.

Scot

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Posted By: Greg Ecklund

Chapman is also in the E135 Collins McCarthy/Boston Store set - he also has a BF2 with the same picture as the Sporting News card.

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Posted By: Todd Schultz

Chapman can be found in m101-6 and b18 blankets.

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Posted By: tobacco-r-us

As a kid in 1943 or 1944, I read Frank Graham's "The New York Yankees".
In it, it described the Chapman/Mays tragic incident.
It shook my young world of immortality, baseball was suppose to be a fun game.
I recall asking my father about Mays, he saw him pitch a couple of times.
According to my father, he had speed and the ball would rise.
It was not uncommon for Mays to finish a game with a couple of bleeding knuckles.
Those were gritty players.
He was never really the same after that tragedy.