Welcome to the Baseball History Podcast: Featuring This Week in Baseball History, baseball dictionary and a tour of baseball cities. I’m your game announcer Bob Wright. This is game 31 of the 2006 baseball season
In the first inning let’s take a look at This Week in Baseball History for the 4 week of June.
June 23
1917 Red Sox reliever Ernie Shore replaces an ejected Babe Ruth, who had walked the only batter he faced, and retires the next consecutive 26 batters. The only base runner is thrown out trying to steal second.
You probably think I am finally going to talk about Babe Ruth, well I’m not. In fact, I’m not even going to talk about Ernie Shore. With a little break from the usual, I am not going to talk about anything from the TWIBH story. Back in game number 21 I mentioned Ray Chapman. If you will recall, I mentioned that I received a comment from Teddy the day before the game was posted asking if I was going to do a podcast on Ray Chapman. I could have waited until August 16th but in recognition of that unusual coincidence, I decided to do this one out of order.
Raymond Johnson Chapman was born January 15, 1891 in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. He played his entire career for the American League Cleveland team, known as the Naps from 1912–1914 and Indians from 1915–1920. Ray Chapman is the only modern major leaguer to have died as a direct result of being hit by a pitch.
Chapman led the American League in runs scored and walks in 1918. A top-notch bunter, Chapman is 6th on the all-time list for sacrifice bunts. Chapman was an excellent shortstop who lead the league in putouts three times and assists once. The popular Chapman batted .300 three times and led the Indians in stolen bases four times, setting a team record with 52 in 1917 that stood until 1980. He was hitting .303 with 97 runs scored when he died.
On August 16, 1920 the Cleveland Indians were in the thick of the American League Pennant race. They were at the Polo Grounds in New York to take on the Yankees. Nasty submariner Carl Mays was on the hill for the Yanks. Chapman was 0 for1 in the game when he led off the fifth against Mays. Chapman was known to crowd and sometimes lean over the plate. Mays, known for his nasty disposition, had a reputation for throwing “high and tight.”
Mays threw one of his patented rising side armed pitches inside to the Indian’s shortstop who was again crowding the plate. The pitch hit him in the temple fracturing his skull. The sound of the ball crashing into Chapman’s skull was so loud that Mays thought it hit his bat, fielded the ball, and threw to first base. Indians teammates rushed out and helped Chapman to his feet. According to some accounts Chapman regained consciousness, but quickly collapsed again before reaching the dugout. Emergency surgery, which included the removal of a piece of his skull, was performed that night to no avail. Chapman died at 4:30 the next morning, about twelve hours after being hit by Mays’ pitch.
Carl Mays voluntarily appeared in front of the homicide bureau of the district attorney’s office that night and was cleared of all wrong doing.
The Indians went onto win the franchises’ first World Series that year, wearing black arm bands as a tribute to their fallen teammate. Ray Chapman’s wife, Kathleen, received his full World Series share, just under $4,000.
Noted baseball historian Bill James said Chapman “was probably destined for the Hall of Fame had he lived.”
Rookie Joe Sewell who took Chapman’s place at shortstop, went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Published in “The Cleveland News” April 17, 1920 was this article by Ed Bang and titled, “Ray Chapman, a Tribute.”
Some of the article may be hard to understand because of the difference in language between 1920 and now but it states:
Ray Chapman is dead!
The dots and dashes spelling out this doleful and heartrending message came over the wire from New York shortly before 6 o’clock Tuesday morning. Although the news was somewhat anticipated, as it was known that the fracture to Ray’s skull might prove fatal, still it came like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
The greatest shortstop, that is, considering all-around ability, batting, throwing, base running, bunting, fielding and ground covering ability, to metion nothing of his fight, spirit and conscientiousness, ever to wear a Cleveland uniform will never again be seen covering two-thirds of the ground between second and third. Never again will we hear the fans yell: “Atta boy: Chappie!” “Speed up, Ray, old boy,” “Show ‘em where you live, Chappie.” Never again will we see the speeder among the fastest men in baseball score from first on a short hit, or scoot from first to third on a bunt. Chappie has lived his baseball career and what a wonderful one it was, and his life, which was the sort that every mother would have her son live.
The writer has known Ray Chapman ever since the first day he came to Cleveland and donned the regalia of the then Naps back in the fag (sic) end of the 1912 season. And we rejoiced in the success he attained year after year, for we formed a liking for him on that first day. With all the fight and determination at his command he never admitted defeat until the last man was out.
And Ray lived his life the same way. He was clean cut, high minded, honest and straightforward. He had a personality that was contagious, for once you met Ray Chapman you were glad to list him among your friends. Chappie was just as much at home in the ballroom in the highest society as he was among his diamond associates on the field, on the bench or in the clubhouse. He was his 100 percent self all the time, no frills, or furbelows, and it was this trait that won him fast friends among the heads of manufacturing, industrial and mercantile concerns as well as among the newsies on the street corners. All of them will mourn the passing not only of Chappie the great shortstop, but Ray Chapman the man and their friend.
I was proud to list Chappie among my closest friends and on more than one occasion he flattered me by making me his confidant. Ray has his little troubles now and then but nothing could long cast a cloud over that wonderful sunny and cheery disposition. It was his smile and words of cheer that oftimes brought his teammates out of their “case of dumps” after losing a hard fought game. And it was this same disposition that brought joy to hundreds in the everyday walks of life.
Chappie did not live to realize his life ambition, that of playing on a pennant-winning and possibly and world’s championship team, and that when it seemed almost within his grasp. There was some talk about Ray’s retirement following his marriage to Miss Kathleen Daly last fall, but Ray said he would not quit the game until he helped his best friend, Tris Speaker, win a pennant and world’s championship.
“Then, well, I guess I’ll be a real business man, but gee! It’ll be hard to pull away from my pal Spoke (Speaker) and the rest of the boys,” said Chappie.
But if the Indians should win the pennant and world’s championship and there is not one of the players who not willingly pass up the honor if it would only bring Chappie back everybody will realize that the achievement could not have been accomplished without the aid given by the great little shortstop in the past, who has been called to his reward.
In this inning we’ll open up the Baseball Dictionary
In honor of the College World Series that is going on now in Omaha
Under the letter: G
Golden Spikes Award
An annual award presented by the United States Baseball Federation to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.
And continuing with my CSUF homer theme, the Titans have three winners of the Golden Spikes Award in their history; Tim Wallach, Phil Nevin and Mark Kotsay. They currently have one lose which means they will have to advance through the losers bracket but they have done it before.
And now for the ninth inning…
Continuing our trip around baseball cities…
The Wilmington Blue Rocks.
This team is a class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and play their home games at
Johnson Field at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington Delaware.
In 1940, R.R.M. (Bob) Carpenter brought professional baseball back to the city with the original Wilmington Blue Rocks. The team was a Class B Interstate League affiliate of the Philadelphia A’s. Hall-of-Famer Connie Mack owned the Blue Rocks for their first four years of existence. Another Hall-of-Famer, Chief Bender, served as the Blue Rocks first manager.
In 1943, Carpenter, who was a partner with Mack since the Blue Rocks’ inception, took full ownership of the club. For their final nine years, the original Blue Rocks were a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate.
The nickname “Blue Rocks” came from 73-year-old Robert Miller in a name-the-team contest. Miller lived in the Henry Clay section of the city, famed for its blue granite found along the Brandywine River.
The Blue Rocks played in Wilmington Park, a $185,000 facility at 30th Street and Governor Printz Boulevard. At the time, it was considered one of the finest minor league parks in the country.
In Wilmington’s 13 years in the Interstate League, the Blue Rocks won four Governor’s Cup titles and missed the postseason only twice. Pitchers Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons and outfielder Elmer Valo were some of the notables who played for the Blue Rocks before going to the major leagues.
After setting many records for attendance, the Blue Rocks’ fan support dwindled and 1952 was their final season in the Interstate League.
In 1993, the Blue Rocks returned to professional baseball as the Class-A Carolina League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The franchise, formerly known as the Peninsula Pilots, was moved from Hampton, VA.
The stadium, built by the construction company of Blue Rocks President Matt Minker, was named Legends Stadium (later changed to Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium).
Like their forerunners, the modern Blue Rocks have enjoyed great on-field success. Since their return in 1993, Wilmington has one of best winning percentages in all of Minor League Baseball, winning eight Northern Division titles in 12 years and four Carolina League championships.
For those of you that want to stick around, here’s an
Extra Inning
You can email me at baseballhistory@gmail.com. Transcripts of the game can be found at baseballhistorypodcast.blogspot.com. Well, that’s it for today’s game of Baseball History Podcast. I’ll see you later at the ballpark.
TWIBH- Ray Chapman,
Baseball Dictionary- Golden Spikes,
Tour- Wilmington Blue Rocks
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