92 years later, Ray Chapman's dies after being hit by pitched ball

wikipedia.org

    Many react  in different ways when it comes to a player injury. Of course, pitchers now end up losing seasons to Tommy John Surgery and the ACL tear has become a common thing in sports. But on this date in 1920, MLB suffered a casualty when Cleveland Indians SS Ray Chapman passed away just one day after being hit by a pitched ball thrown by New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays.

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    To me, it really puts things in perspective. When a key player is lost for an extended period of time, it is common for a fan of a team to consider them gone. Well, what if the player really was dead? Yes a year of recovery for TJS or an ACL seems like a long time but at least the player has the opportunity to come back. Many that are hit with pitched balls in the head may suffer a concussion and be a part of the player they used to be. At least they get to live to try to come back. A lot of times fans refer to a serious injury as the "death" of a player. It became too literal in Chapman's case.
    Chapman, of course, was not wearing a batting helmet, something that became more prevalent in the 1940s. Batting helmets became mandatory for all players who came in the league 1956 or later. Of course, the rule has included first and third base coaches since 2007. Chapman was only 29, in the prime of what had started out as a good MLB career. As a SS, he led the AL in runs scored and walks with 84 in 1918. The Indians would go on to win the World Series in 1920, considering Chapman a part of it. As the team had dedicated its season to him, it seemed fitting that he was awarded a full World Series share as well as a World Series ring.