This Day in Baseball History: August 17th

Cleveland Indians SS Ray Chapman died on this day in 1920 after being beaned by NYY pitcher Carl Mays In 1920, Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died as a result of being hit by a pitch thrown by Yankees submariner Carl Mays… the tragedy remains the only on-field fatality in major league history. In 1933, Lou Gehrig quietly surpassed Everett Scott’s record of 1,308 consecutive games played en route to setting his own record (2,130). In 1937, the Cardinals beat the Reds (in Cincinnati) with the final out being recorded at 12:02 a.m., making it the first major league game ever completed after midnight. In 1948, an estimated crowd of 100,000 fans passed by the body of Babe Ruth which was on display at Yankee Stadium. In 1972, southpaw Steve Carlton recorded his 15th straight victory establishing a new Phillies record for consecutive wins… the victory was also his 20th win of the season. In 1973, 42-year old New York Mets’ outfielder, Willie Mays, hit the 660th and...