Since major league baseball began in 1871, there have been roughly thirty million pitches thrown to batters. Only one of them killed a man. This is the story of Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians, a popular player struck in the head and killed in August 1920 by a pitch thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees. Was it, as most baseball observers thought at the time, a tragic but unavoidable accident? Mike Sowell's brilliant book investigates the incident and probes deep into the backgrounds of the players involved and the events that led to one of baseball's darkest moments. "The best baseball book no one has read."― ESPN Magazine "Splendidly researched and vivid as today. The portraits of baseball as it was, the tragedy itself, and the glowering character of Carl Mays are remarkable."―Roger Kahn Sowell thoroughly explored that horrifying incident in his 1989 book and provided fascinating historical context. ― Oregonian Splendidly researched and vivid as today....Remarkable. -- Roger Kahn The best baseball book no one has read. ― ESPN the Magazine Sowell did a masterful job of research in bringing to life the incident and all the things that were going on in baseball then. -- Phil Tatman ― Orlando Sentinel Sowell twirls tragedy with triumph in a thoroughly engaging manner and delivers a book as captivating as it is well-written. -- Mark Luce ― Chicago Tribune …An outstanding book…. In short, one hell of a year, which Sowell captures perfectly. ― Mudville A 2004 Best bet.... Glorious and horrifying baseball book. ― Poughkeepsie Journal A fascinating study of the circumstances behind the only time a major leaguer was ever killed by a pitched ball. ― Baseball Book Survey Sowell's outstanding book tells the story of both men and of the thrilling pennant race that followed Chapman's death. ― Golfdom Mike Sowell teaches journalism at Oklahoma State University. He has also written One Pitch Away: The Players' Stories of the 1986 League Championships and World Series . He lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma, outside of Oklahoma City.