Carl Mays
| Birthdate | 11/12/1891 |
| Death Date | 04/04/1971 |
| Debut Year | 1915 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Giants, Red Sox, Reds, Yankees |
| Position | Pitcher |
Best remembered for throwing the pitch that resulted in baseball’s only on-field fatality, Carl Mays had five 20-win seasons and won 207 games.
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Carl Mays' pitch that killed Ray Chapman might've kept Mays out of the Hall
Carl Mays' pitch that killed Ray Chapman might've kept Mays out of the Hall
Perhaps Carl Mays would be a Hall of Famer if not for one fateful pitch. The submariner was on the hill against the Cleveland Indians on August 16, 1920. Ray Chapman was 0-for-1 with a sacrifice bunt. Mays didn’t take kindly to Chapman’s proximity to the plate and decided to dust him off with a high and tight fastball.
Mays’ pitch hit Chapman squarely in the head. The impact of the ball striking Chapman so loud that Mays thought it had hit Chapman’s bat. Mays caught the ball as it bounced onto the field and threw it to first baseman Wally Pipp. Chapman fell to the ground twice trying to make his way to first base.
Cleveland teammate and long-time friend Tris Speaker raced from the on deck circle to check on Chapman. He was joined by several players from the Indians and Yankees. Mays, however, never left the mound.
Teammates rushed out of the dugout. Bleeding from both ears, Chapman was rushed to the hospital. That night doctors operated on Chapman’s fractured scull. Early on the morning of the 17th, Chapman died.
Mays won over 200 games and had five seasons of 20 or more wins. A two-time World Series champ with the Red Sox, Mays might be one pitch away from Cooperstown induction. Shown here is his autograph that was later affixed to a photo of Mays originally taken in 1929, the final year of his 15-year career.
Catcher Muddy Ruel defended Carl Mays' fatal bean ball as an accident
Catcher Muddy Ruel defended Carl Mays' fatal bean ball as an accident
Muddy Ruel was behind the plate as the catcher when Carl Mays beaned Ray Chapman. The unfortunate pitch got away from Mays and hit Chapman in the temple. The injury resulted in the game’s only on-field incident that caused a fatality.
Though many condemned Mays, Ruel stood by the pitcher. For all of his days the catcher maintained the beaning was an unintentional and horrific accident.
After the end of the 1920 campaign, Ruel was dealt by the Yankees to the same Red Sox team that Mays spent his first five years with. The eight-player deal gave New York catcher Wally Schang and pitcher Waite Hoyt.
The Yankees then played in three straight World Series, winning it all in 1923.
Shown here is a personal check signed by Muddy Ruel.
The Indians wore a black arm band on their uniforms in memory of Chapman
The Indians wore a black arm band on their uniforms in memory of Chapman
Carl Mays’ beaning of Ray Chapman caused MLB’s only fatality related to on-field events. The Yankee pitcher drilled Chapman in the head on August 16, 1920. Chapman never recovered and died the next day.
To replace Chapman, Cleveland called up 21-year old minor league Joe Sewell. It wasn’t the way Sewell envisioned starting a big league career that took him to the Hall of Fame.
Sewell played Cleveland through the 1930 season before playing his final three years with the Yankees. In his 14 big league seasons Sewell tallied 2,226 hits, more than 1,000 runs and RBI. His career slash line is .312/.391/.413.
In the collection is this handwritten letter from Sewell describing the Indians uniforms after Chapman death.
“The picture was made in 1920 as the black band around the left arm in memory of Ray Chapman’s death. Everyone wore it the rest of the year. It was made in Cleveland Old League Park.
“Thanks for remembering me.
“Sincerely, Joe Sewell”
