100 Years Ago Today: Ray Chapman/Carl Mays

[Jason19th]

I don’t think most people realize that the pitch probably cost two Hall of Fame careers. Bill James has a great article on Chapman points out that he was an almost exact contemporary of both Rabbit Maranville and Dave Bancroft. All three were born in 1891. Prior to his death Chapman had out preformed both men by a fairly wide margin. Both Maranville and Bancroft made the hall. But for his early death Chapman would have almost assuredly have joined them in Cooperstown.

Regarding Mays while he was disliked for a number of reasons, his numbers are clearly worthy of the Hall. The other stuff seems to fade away in voters minds but you cannot get elected if you kill a guy

[jerseygary]

I always thought it was the Chapman death that caused Mays to get snubbed by the HoF, but according to Fred Lieb, the great sportswriter, the fatal game never came up during the HoF voting with the writers - but Mays' supposed involvement in throwing the 1921-22 World Series did, and that's what cost him.

No proof ever surfaced of his guilt, but the majority of sportswriters that were around back then were convinced he did.

[Bill Nicolls]

Prior to his death Chapman had out preformed both men by a fairly wide margin. Both Maranville and Bancroft made the hall. But for his early death Chapman would have almost assuredly have joined them in Cooperstown.

Actually, with his first child on the way, Ray was going to retire from baseball and take a job with his wealthy father-in-laws' business. He wanted to be at home with his beloved wife Kate and their newborn.

As for the rest of the tragic story: After Ray's death, she bravely continued on, mostly on the strength of knowing that her baby was soon to be born. She eventually gave birth to a baby girl, Rae. Eventually, Katie remarried a wealthy business man, J. F. McMahon of Los Angeles, and moved to California. The couple had a son, J.F. McMahon Jr. Relatives noticed though that even with her new life, she was still unhappy. Still suffering from bouts of depression because of her beloved Ray's death, she eventually committed suicide by drinking cleaning fluid in 1928. Daughter Rae, stayed in California with her step-father after her mothers suicide, but tragically died from the measles in 1929. Both mother and daughter were taken back to Cleveland for burial.

[Tabe]

I think it's a reach to say Chapman makes the Hall if he lived. He was a career .278 hitter with no power. Yeah, he was better than Maranville but so were literally thousands of other guys. Maranville is one of the worst HOFers - being better than him isn't really saying much.