Ray Chapman anniversary reminder that nothing has changed

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On this day in 1920, Cleveland Indians infielder Ray Chapman passed way, succumbing to injuries suffered after being hit in the head by a Carl Mays pitch. That anniversary is particularly poignant today.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball suffered a black eye. Decidedly mediocre Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Urena fired a 97 MPH fastball directly at white hot Atlanta Braves leadoff hitter Ronald Acuna. It was the hardest pitch that Urena had fired thus far in 2018, and the intent was obvious. Understandably, the benches cleared, and as though to clarify any ambiguity to the meaning of the pitch, the Marlins pitcher dropped his glove and motioned for others to come at him.

Urena was understandably ejected, and handed a six game suspension afterwards. Acuna remained in the game for an inning before departing, undergoing tests on that elbow. Fortunately, he was fine, and back in the lineup Thursday night. Urena, however, gets an extra day of rest, and really does not lose anything. For all the gnashing of teeth and outrage amongst the fanbase, Major League Baseball has handed out an implied approval of the Unwritten Rules, slapping him on the wrist. A hitter is torching your team? Fire away!

That lack of a punishment, and the spineless approach by the powers that be, comes during a tragic anniversary. On this day in 1920, Cleveland Indians star Ray Chapman passed away, the only major league player to perish from injuries sustained on the diamond. He had been hit in the head by a pitch from New York Yankees submariner Carl Mays, suffering a fractured skull, the day before.

In order to change the present and future, we must learn from the past. Let us step aboard the TARDIS and travel back to the moment that baseball had blood on its hands.

(Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

There are plenty of questions surrounding the pitch that took Ray Chapman’s life.

That errant throw came in the fifth inning of the Indians game against the Yankees. Chapman was up for the third time in the game, when Mays throw tailed inside. Chapman never moved, seemingly frozen when he was hit in the head by that pitch. Amazingly, he got back to his feet, and attempted to stagger back to the clubhouse. However, he collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital.

It is possible that he never saw the pitch. The ball was battered and dirty, with dirt, tobacco juice, and whatever Mays was using to throw his spitball leaving the ball almost the same color as the leaden sky. As a result of that pitch, the spitball was outlawed at the end of the season, although 17 players were grandfathered in to continue to use the offering.

Although Mays steadfastly maintained that he did not intentionally hit Chapman, the incident followed him for the rest of his life. Chapman was a popular player in Cleveland, beloved by his teammates and the fans. Mays, meanwhile, was a quiet, dour character, keeping to himself. His protestations that the ball was wet and scuffed fell upon deaf ears, as the Yankees pitcher needed protection to leave the ballpark.

For Ray Chapman, a possible Hall of Fame career was cut short, his life tragically extinguished due to an errant pitch. For Carl Mays, he would live on in infamy, the pitcher who killed a batter with a baseball. However, Major League Baseball took action as a result of the pitch. To the best of their ability, they made sure this incident would not happen again.

Despite the passing of Ray Chapman, and other horrific beanings in major league history, there is a false bravado surrounding the narrative of pitching inside.

This goes back to the idyllic days gone by, when men were men and real men pitched inside. A fastball to the head was an occupational hazard, and a badge of honor. Pitchers *owned* the entire plate back then, and woe upon the batter that teed off on a pitcher like Don Drysdale or Bob Gibson. Hit a home run against them? Best beware, as that next pitch would be aimed for the earhole.

Except…that narrative is not entirely true. Yes, Drysdale led the National League in hit batters five times, but Gibson only reached double figures in that category four times in his 17 year career. Jamie Moyer hit only six fewer batters than Drysdale, and he was not exactly considered a head hunter. Pitchers like Greg Maddux, Darryl Kile, and Scott Erickson hit more batters in their careers than Gibson did.

What made pitchers like Drysdale and Gibson so effective was their ability to command the inside of the plate. Yes, opponents had an uncomfortable time at the plate against pitchers of that ilk, not because they were firing at their heads, but because they used the inside to their advantage. A truly masterful pitcher moves the ball in and out, up and down, varying speeds and locations. They get a batter to move their feet. A batter may occasionally get hit, but that was not the intent.

Pitching like a Don Drysdale or a Bob Gibson or a Nolan Ryan is an art form. Jose Urena, however, is not an artist. He is 50 Shades or Grey compared to The Picture of Dorian Gray, a joke in guise of something worthwhile.

Unlike when Ray Chapman was felled by an errant pitch, this incident will not change baseball fundamentally.

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Over time, this incident will be forgotten. There will be amazing plays to remind us why baseball is such a great game, with incredible performances on the mound, in the batter’s box, and in the field. Eventually, Jose Urena’s irresponsible and reprehensible actions will fade away, and may well be forgotten by most of the baseball world when his suspension ends.

But those actions will not be forgotten by Ronald Acuna or the Atlanta Braves. They now know that Urena realizes he cannot get them out. They are in his head, with his actions proving as such. Acuna and the Braves had torched the Marlins prior to that incident, but now, it has become personal.

So, what happens when next these teams meet? The Braves and Marlins have one last series, which will take place in a week. Urena will be back from his suspension by then, and may well be lined up to start one of those games. It would not be a surprise for the Braves to settle the score by buzzing Urena, and that may well be the end of such shenanigans.

At least, that will be the case until the next time a pitcher thinks he needs to send a message or prove his toughness. And then, that fastball will come inside, aiming for an elbow or the head. And if Urena happens to drill Acuna again? Well, all bets are off.

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In a way, it speaks volumes that, on the anniversary of Ray Chapman’s death, there is so much focus on Jose Urena and his hitting Ronald Acuna. And yet, it is a reminder that, no matter how much baseball has changed over the years, some things remain the same.

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