Ray Chapman

Uncommon card · No. 75873

Raymond Johnson Chapman (January 15, 1891 – August 17, 1920) was an American professional baseball player. He spent his entire career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Indians of the American League. Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by pitcher Carl Mays and died 12 hours later. He is the only person to die directly from an injury received while playing in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game. His death occurred only a few months after the introduction of rules banning spitballs and requiring umpires to replace dirty, discolored balls. Chapman's death was also one of the examples cited to justify the wearing of batting helmets, although their use was not required until over 30 years later.

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