The Pitch That Killed
The Pitch That Killed by Michael Sowell, published by Summer Game Books on March 25, 2022, is a detailed account of a tragic event in baseball history. This book recounts the story of Ray Chapman, who was struck and killed by a fastball from Carl Mays on a hot August day in 1920, marking the only on-field fatality in Major League Baseball. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a fierce pennant race, Babe Ruth’s rise to prominence, and the aftermath of the Black Sox scandal, providing a rich context for this pivotal moment in sports history.
Readers will find a meticulously researched exploration of the events surrounding Chapman’s death and the broader implications for the sport. Sowell’s writing captures the intensity of the 1920 season, delving into the human drama between Chapman and Mays while highlighting the cultural significance of baseball during that era. With a focus on history, sports, and recreation, this edition spans 348 pages and is presented in English, making it a comprehensive resource for those interested in 20th-century American sports narratives.
Official synopsis Publisher
On a torridly hot August day in 1920, Ray Chapman was struck and killed by a Carl Mays fastball, in what was and remains the only on-the-field fatality in the history of major league baseball. The drama of Good Guy Chapman versus Bad Guy Mays is a wrenching human tale. Add to it an intense pennant race, the meteoric ascension of Babe Ruth to baseball supremacy, the banning of the Black Sox for throwing the previous year’s World Series, and the story grows to one of the most fascinating and compelling in the annals of baseball history.
Mike Sowell’s brilliant account of the events of 1920–meticulously researched and mellifluously written–captures all the intensity of the moment of the Chapman beaning and the entire incredible season. Only a writer of Sowell’s power and skill could do justice to such a tale, and the result is one of the most highly respected and widely acclaimed baseball books ever written.
See the 2022 documentary, War on the Diamond, based on The Pitch That Killed.
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