On May 20, 1918, Indians outfielder Tris Speaker was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Red Sox hurler Carl Mays. A right-handed submarine pitcher, Mays denied Speaker’s allegation that the beanball pitch was intentional. Mays pitched a complete game, winning 11-1 that day. The beanball would prove a precursor to the pitch that would kill Ray Chapman two years later.
Yikes. I’ve heard this story before, but never with the afterward about the deadly beanball.
Yeah, it’s a bit terrifying to think about. :-/ If you’re interested, you can read that story here: https://archivedinnings.com/2013/08/17/this-day-in-baseball-death-by-pitch/