WHY I THINK RAY CHAPMAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK RAY CHAPMAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Ray Chapman is the only player ever to die as a direct result of an injury sustained in a Major League baseball game, but it seems to be all he is remembered for. While his beaning in August of 1920 was a very tragic event, the greatness of Ray Chaman as a player should not be soon forgotten, either. Chapman was the American League’s premier shortstop in his time, probably the most successful sacrifice bunter ever, and a respected base thief. He was also a very good hitter, and his batting averages were quite impressive for a shortstop in the dead ball era. Ray Chapman started his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1912, batting .312 in 31 games near the end of the season. He took over as the regular shortstop in 1913 and held the position for the rest of his life. Chapman’s career took off in 1917, when he batted .302, stole 52 bases, and set the single season record for the most sacrifice hits (67). Chapman led the AL in walks and runs scored the following year and established himself as an elite second place hitter. Chapman batted .300 in 1919 and was batting .303 in 1920 when he was beaned on August 16. The pitch, a high fastball, eluded plate crowder Chapman and bounced so hard off his temple that the ball was fielded and thrown to first base. He died the next day. As for his Hall of Fame chances, Chapman was only 29 years old in 1920 and was just entering his peak; if he had dodged the pitch that killed him, then he would have gone into the Hall of Fame instead of Joe Sewell, his replacement, who likely wouldn’t have had a job if Chapman had survived. I would like to give him some credit for his lost years in the Majors because he certainly had Hall of Fame talent and he was well on his way to Cooperstown at the time of his death. As for his accident, I offer my sincerest condolences and prayers for Chapman and his family. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,051 season high: 156 in 1917 

At Bats career: 3,785 season high: 570 in 1915 

Hits career: 1,053 season high: 170 in 1917 

Doubles career: 162 season high: 28 in 1917 

Triples career: 81 season high: 17 in 1915 

Home Runs career: 17 season high: 3 in 1913, 1915, 1919, and 1920 

Runs career: 671 season high: 101 in 1915 led AL: 84 in 1918 

Runs Batted In career: 364 season high: 67 in 1915 

Stolen Bases career: 238 season high: 52 in 1917 

Walks career: 452 season high: 84 in 1918 led AL: 84 in 1918 

Strikeouts career: 427 season high: 82 in 1915 

Batting Average career: .278 season high: .303 in 1920 

On Base Percentage career: .358 season high: .390 in 1918 

Slugging Percentage career: .377 season high: .423 in 1920 

Total Bases career: 1,428 season high: 230 in 1917 

Sacrifice Hits career: 334 season high: 67 in 1917 led AL: 45 in 1913, 67 in 1917, 50 in 1919 

Fielding Percentage career: .939 season high: .944 in 1915 and 1919 

Double Plays career: 375 season high: 71 in 1917 

Putouts career: 2,358 season high: 378 in 1915 led AL SS: 378 in 1915, 360 in 1917, 321 in 1918 

Assists career: 3,182 season high: 528 in 1917 led AL SS: 528 in 1917 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-his death led to a new rule requiring umpires to replace dirty baseballs for new ones, and to the outlawing of the spitball 

-went 1-for-3 with an RBI on his MLB debut 

-led the Majors in plate appearances (693) in 1917 

-led the AL in assists at any position (528) in 1917 

-led AL shortstops in games (128) in 1918 

-scored 97 runs in only 111 games in 1920 

-holds five of the fifty highest season totals for sacrifice hits 

-homered off of Babe Ruth in 1915 

-his 52 stolen bases in 1917 set the Indians’ single season record, which stood for 63 years 

-ranks sixth in career sacrifice hits (Eddie Collins, the all time leader with 512, averaged one every 24 plate appearances, compared with one every 14 plate appearances for Chapman, who didn’t live to see Collins’s type of longevity) 

-also played 49 games at second base, 37 at third base, one in rightfield, and eight as a pinch hitter 

-was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2006