On August 16, 1920, Yankees pitcher Carl Mays threw a fastball that struck Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman in the head. Chapman, a star player, died the next morning. Hit by Pitch is a nonfiction graphic novel about these men, their lives and legacies, and the event that linked them forever. Recounting their similar beginnings as well as their opposing personalities, this work brings the two men and their era back to life.
Hit by Pitch: Ray Chapman, Carl Mays and the Fatal Fastball
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About the Author
Molly Lawless grew up in Boston, where she developed a passion for two things: drawing and baseball. After several years working as a freelance illustrator, she found a way to combine the two, publishing her baseball-themed comic art, including the series "Great Moments in Baseball." Molly now resides in Arlington, Virginia. Hit by Pitch is her first graphic novel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well-researched and entertaining book about the repercussions of a single pitch
July 9, 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Molly Lawless' graphic novel about the only ballplayer to ever die during a baseball game is an incredible, well-researched, entertaining read. It documents the lives of Ray Chapman, the loveable ball player and socialite from the Cleveland Indians, and Carl Mays, the workhorse (and occasionally cold) pitcher from the New York Yankees, and how their paths intersected on August 16th, 1920, when Mays beaned Chapman, killing him.
The work really makes you feel for both players. Chapman was so well-liked in Cleveland when he died and whereas Mays was portrayed as a head-hunter and sociopath after the fatal fastball, the work makes an honest and heart-felt attempt to try and put him in a different light; someone with a hall-of-fame pitching career who was villainized by the media and his fellow players and had to deal with the repercussions for the rest of his life.
The story is told in a fun way, too, despite the heavy subject matter. Very in-the-moment, like a newsreel in graphic form that follows the players from their childhood through their deaths. A great story about how one pitch can change the course of history told on a very personal level.
And I LOVE Molly's portrayal of Babe Ruth. Worth it for that alone...
Highly recommended.
The work really makes you feel for both players. Chapman was so well-liked in Cleveland when he died and whereas Mays was portrayed as a head-hunter and sociopath after the fatal fastball, the work makes an honest and heart-felt attempt to try and put him in a different light; someone with a hall-of-fame pitching career who was villainized by the media and his fellow players and had to deal with the repercussions for the rest of his life.
The story is told in a fun way, too, despite the heavy subject matter. Very in-the-moment, like a newsreel in graphic form that follows the players from their childhood through their deaths. A great story about how one pitch can change the course of history told on a very personal level.
And I LOVE Molly's portrayal of Babe Ruth. Worth it for that alone...
Highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
OK, I'll admit it... I'm a sucker for just about anything baseball, so you can take this review with a grain of salt because of that. But I could not put this book down before I got to the last word of the last frame.
I honestly did not realize when I put this on my iPad that it was going to be a graphic narrative; and that isn't a genre I've been much into since the long ago and far away days of Zap Comix number zero (and the better living through chemistry enhancements that went with it). But the drawings in this book were a great way to tell this compelling story. I knew the bare bones of the Carl Mays/Ray Chapman story - Chapman being the single major league player to be killed by a pitch. (Although we know, of course, of others who have been pretty seriously maimed along the way, including the tragic story of Tony C). This book puts flesh on the bones of Mays/Chapman story and tells it in an even-handed way, developing the character of the two main players from childhood, to the minor leagues, to the fateful day that a Mays fastball hit Chapman on the temple with a crack like a ball off a bat and ricocheted back to first base. It then follows Mays and Chapman's widow through the rest of their lives and chronicles the response of the public, the press and the baseball establishment to the tragic incident.
I can't say it any other way - I was moved by this book and loved reading it.
Just a few quibbles. In the kindle edition, there seemed to be some formatting glitches, at least as read on an iPad, which caused some of the text to 'bunch up' and become difficult to read. There also seemed to be some places where a proofreader could have avoided dropped or misspelled words. But heck, it all added to the early 20th century feel of the story; and of the handwritten printing and drawings that tell the story.
By the way, it ends with a reasonable bibliography, should you choose to read more about this incident and the world of baseball at the time.
Definitely a five star.
I honestly did not realize when I put this on my iPad that it was going to be a graphic narrative; and that isn't a genre I've been much into since the long ago and far away days of Zap Comix number zero (and the better living through chemistry enhancements that went with it). But the drawings in this book were a great way to tell this compelling story. I knew the bare bones of the Carl Mays/Ray Chapman story - Chapman being the single major league player to be killed by a pitch. (Although we know, of course, of others who have been pretty seriously maimed along the way, including the tragic story of Tony C). This book puts flesh on the bones of Mays/Chapman story and tells it in an even-handed way, developing the character of the two main players from childhood, to the minor leagues, to the fateful day that a Mays fastball hit Chapman on the temple with a crack like a ball off a bat and ricocheted back to first base. It then follows Mays and Chapman's widow through the rest of their lives and chronicles the response of the public, the press and the baseball establishment to the tragic incident.
I can't say it any other way - I was moved by this book and loved reading it.
Just a few quibbles. In the kindle edition, there seemed to be some formatting glitches, at least as read on an iPad, which caused some of the text to 'bunch up' and become difficult to read. There also seemed to be some places where a proofreader could have avoided dropped or misspelled words. But heck, it all added to the early 20th century feel of the story; and of the handwritten printing and drawings that tell the story.
By the way, it ends with a reasonable bibliography, should you choose to read more about this incident and the world of baseball at the time.
Definitely a five star.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This graphic novel tells a compelling story and provides a great deal of information on baseball history. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy Ms. Lawless' work, but if you are a fan of the game, this novel will provide an even deeper appreciation. And the author's illustrations are just terrific. They really bring you into the story and hold you there until the very end. This graphic novel may be the best thing I read all year.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great presentation - I can't wait for the next story
I agree with the other three 5 star ratings.
This is very well done. The graphics are beautiful and help with the story. Read more
This is very well done. The graphics are beautiful and help with the story. Read more
Published 6 months ago by RoyHobbs
5.0 out of 5 stars
In (unavoidably) baseball terms it's a home run!
This is an absolutely first-rate book. It's very well-written, funny, poignant and moving in equal measure. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sean Condon
