Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-17
RAYMOND CHAPMAN
DIES FROM INJURIES
Cleveland Shortstop, Hit on Head
by Pitched Ball, Succumbs
in Hospital.
Nv Associated Press to Every Evening

New York, Aug 17.--Raymond Chap
man, shortstop of the Cleveland American
League baseball team, who was hit on the
head by ball thrown by Carl Mays
in Yesterdays game with the New York
Americans. died early today in st.
Lawrenoe ii ,spital. ..
He never regained consciousness after
an operation which was hurriedly decided
on shortly after midnight, when portion
of his fractured skull was removed by
surgeons who hoped against hope. that he
might recover.
Shortly before il was decided to operate,
Iris Speaker, manager OF the clup,
telephoned news of the accident to Mrs.
Chapman in Cleveland ard she imme-
dately started for New York.
The news cast gloom over the members
of both teams and the baseball world in
general and il was considered probable
that today's game would be ,allcd oil :.
Mays was overcome with griei.
The accident occurred IN the fifth
inning. Chapman, the first batter up,
was hit by the first bali pitched. SO
terrific was the blow that the report
of the impact caused spectators to think
the ball had struck his bat Mays, acting
under this impression, fclded the ball,
which had rehounded halfway to the
pitchers box, and threw il TO first base.
Then il was noticed that Chapman had
collapsed at the plate. lie was lifted TO
his feet by other players, then he stood
| dazed for moment. staggered and
crumpled up at their feet. Physicians
| called from the grandstand administered
first aid, still not knowing that he had
/ suffered a fractured skull.
Two players, with Chapman arms
| about their shoulders, started TO walk him
! off the field lie appeared To walk at iirst
! almost unaided but n few moments later
! his legs became limp and he had TO be
! carried 20 an ambulance.
The surgeons made an lncision three
and one half inches long through the
| base Of the skull on the LETT side, They
discovered n rupture Of the lateral SINUS
and . quantity of clottcd blood. A small
piece Of the skull was removed
Mays said that the ball he threw was
"sailer"-one that breaks sharply on one
side due usually TO rough spot on the
cover. He asked for another ball before
pitching TO Speaker who followed Chap
man AT the plate, and the ball which
fatally injured the shortstop was thrown
out Of the game. -,
In baseball circles il was believed that
Chapman s death would seriously hampei
Cleveland's chances Of capturing tho
| American League pennant. lie YVES
veteran and one Of the mainstays OF the
team.
Today's game between Cleveland ans
New York was postponed
Cleveland. Aug. I7--Raymond Chap
man was born in McHenry, Ky, January
Is. 1891. He had been a member OF the
Cleveland American League team sinc,
August 30 1912, and was considered
one OF the best shortstops and most
popular players IN the game. He play &c
| his first professional baseball in 1905
with Mount Vernon. Ill In 1910 he went
10 Springfield, Ill, and from there &c
Davenport, Iowa, in the Three-l League
Cleveland first obtained Chapman from
Davenport in 1911 and sold him e
Toledo in the American Association or
option. He was recalled 10 Cleveland II
1912 and had played IN more than LOU
games in an Indian uniform.
He was one of the fastest men IN base
ball On September %, 1917, Time
Murnane Day u Boston, he won 2 loving
cIIp for the fastest time in circling the
bases doing il in fourteen seconds.
In 1917 he broke all major league
sacrifice hit records with g total OF 81
and led the American League IN saeriflee'
in the next two years.
He was married last year 70 Mis-
Catharine Dsly, of Cleveland, daughte
of NJ. B. DAILY, president OF the East
Ohio Gas Company.