This Day in Baseball History
1920 - Ray Chapman dies after being hit by pitch
For the first and only time in Major League history, a player dies on the field.
Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman was struck in the temple by New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays in the top of the fifth inning in a game at the Polo Grounds.
Mays threw with a submarine delivery, and eye-witness accounts say Chapman did not move out of the way of the pitch.
"Chapman didn't react at all," said Rod Nelson of the Society of American Baseball Research. "It was at twilight and it froze him."
Chapman was hit so hard that Mays thought the ball made contact with Chapman's bat. Mays fielded the ball and threw to first. Batting helmets were not made mandatory until 1941.
1948 - Massive crowd pays respect to The Babe
One day after the death of legendary slugger George Herman "Babe" Ruth, an estimated crowd of 100,000 passes by his body on display at Yankee Stadium.
Ruth was diagnosed with cancer in 1946, when tests revealed he had an inoperable malignant tumor at the base of his skull and in his neck.
The gregarious fan favorite retired after the 1935 season with 714 home runs (the most in MLB history at the time) and a career line of .342/.474/.690.
1973 - The 'Say Hey Kid' hits his final round-tripper
At age 42, Willie Mays hits his 660th and final home run as a member of the New York Mets.
The longtime New York (and San Francisco) Giants outfielder finished his career ranked third behind Ruth and Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list. He now sits fourth behind Barry Bonds (762), Aaron (755) and Ruth.
Mays posted a career line of .302/.384/.557. He was a 20-time All-Star, a World Series champion in 1954, and a two-time National League Most Valuable Player.
Birthdays
1913 - Rudy York
1941 - Boog Powell
1971 - Jorge Posada
1978 - Chad Qualls
1983 - Dustin Pedroia