The Pitch That Killed: Oklahoma Author’s Book Becomes Documentary

After greater than 100 years, probably the most tragic occasion in main league baseball historical past is getting its personal documentary. “Conflict on the Diamond” is now streaming on companies like Amazon, Google and YouTube. The movie is predicated on a ebook by a Tulsa creator.

“At all times at the back of my head, I knew that sometime I wished to write down a ebook,” Mike Sowell stated.

Sowell is a former journalism professor at Oklahoma State College, a former sports activities editor on the Tulsa Tribune and the creator of “The Pitch That Killed.” It’s the story of the one loss of life from an on-field incident in Main League Baseball.

“This was a vital recreation they have been enjoying, and it was solely the fourth inning of a tie recreation, so there could be no purpose for Carl Mays to throw at Chapman and threat hitting him and placing him on base,” Sowell defined.

One of many gamers concerned within the tragedy has ties to the Sooner State.

“Mays’ household moved to Oklahoma after his father died, when Mays was solely 12 years outdated, so Mays started enjoying baseball in Oklahoma,” Sowell stated.

August 16, 1920 was the opening recreation of an important sequence between the Indians and the Yankees. Each groups have been vying for the American League pennant. New York despatched ace Carl Mays to the hill.

“Mays was a novel pitcher,” Sowell defined. “He threw completely underhand. He had damage his arm within the minor leagues, and he developed a pitching movement that was virtually like he was bowling.”

The consequence was a pitch that rose because it approached dwelling plate; reverse that of a typical, overhand supply. Within the fifth inning, with Cleveland main 3-0, shortstop Ray Chapman stepped as much as the plate.

A quick baserunner and a slick fielder, Chapman was beloved by just about everybody he met.

“He was a happy-go-lucky man, at all times laughing, smiling, very pleasant,” Sowell stated.

The primary pitch of the at-bat introduced catastrophe. The ball cracked into the left facet of Chapman’s head. This was many years earlier than gamers wore batting helmets.

“For some purpose, Chapman didn’t transfer. He stood there frozen,” Sowell stated. “It hit him with such power, that it bounded again out towards the mound, and Mays thought that Chapman had bunted, and he went to subject the ball and he threw to first base.”

Blood poured from Chapman’s left ear as he sank to the bottom. Finally, he made it to a hospital, however it was too late. Ray Chapman died in a single day.

Mike Sowell learn this story in a ebook as a boy, and it captured him. As he realized extra, he realized, this story had by no means been totally informed. Whereas on the Tulsa Tribune, he wrote his personal ebook: “The Pitch That Killed.”

“The story had been missed, so in 1989 I completed my ebook,” Sowell recalled. “I labored on it for 3 years and it got here out within the late 80s.”

The ebook gained a Casey Award for finest baseball ebook of 1989. It was a New York Occasions Notable E-book of the 12 months and has been reprinted a number of instances. Now, it’s getting the documentary therapy. “Conflict on the Diamond” is now streaming.

“It’s fairly overwhelming, particularly the way in which it’s performed out, as a result of you recognize the ebook’s been out for greater than 30 years,” Sowell stated.

Ray Chapman was probably on his approach to being a Corridor of Famer. Carl Mays, who grew up in Kingfisher and nonetheless has household in Oklahoma, probably needs to be within the Corridor of Fame.

One pitch modified a lot for each males. Mike Sowell is ensuring their story is just not misplaced to historical past.