S2E11: More Tragic Tales (and more long sidetracks)

First, I will start with a familiar tragic tale.

That of Ray Chapman of the 1920 Indians, who, as of recording this episode, remains the only major leaguer ever killed by a pitch.

Wait, have there been minor leaguers killed by pitches?

There have been.

Let's see.

Charlie Pinkney of the Dayton Veterans was hit behind the left ear with a pitch, which fractured his skull.

Now, he died without regaining consciousness, unlike Chapman.

They were playing against Grand Rapids, but I don't know the pitcher's name.

I do know it was game two of a doubleheader, so it was late in the day.

It was the last inning.

It was getting dark, and they didn't have stadium lights back then.

So just to add to that, in the modern game of cricket, the only person to die in, I don't know how long I need to look this up, is a guy called Phil Hughes, who died, I want to say it was 2011, I might be wrong.

Oh, but yeah, we mentioned that.

Yeah, he basically tried to do a pool shot.

And it nicked off the edge of the bat into the back of his head.

Yeah.

On the stomach.

So past the mask and everything.

Yeah, pretty much.

But he wasn't wearing regulation mask because the regulation mask has a thing at the back that protects the brain stem or the neck stem.

He wasn't wearing

that.

He just thought his brain stem was unimportant.

So, yeah.

Unfortunately, he was on 63 not out.