Many baseball fans will be drawn to this historic retrospective of the Cleveland Indians (now known as the Guardians) that places special emphasis on the rivalry between Cleveland and the New York Yankees. While many teams, most notably the Boston Red Sox, are staunch rivals of the Yankees, Cleveland’s hatred stems back to a fatal incident on August 16, 1920 at New York’s Polo Grounds when Yankee pitcher Carl Mays’ fastball hit Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman in the head fracturing his skull, sending him to the hospital, and resulting in his death.
Recorded words of pitcher Carl Mays whose remorse was lukewarm (“I was sorry, but I felt I had to carry on”) and scenes of a commemorative plaque honoring Chapman and footage of his gravesite are somber reminders of the tragic event. Besides covering this incident and chronicling the short life of Chapman—who was married to the daughter of a Cleveland industrialist—the program recaps Cleveland baseball history in a non-chronological fashion, including highlights and lowlights of various games, former and current stadium developments, and related baseball topics.
The failed effort of Cleveland native George Steinbrenner to buy the team is noted (he eventually bought the Yankees, adding to the rivalry) and viewers will enjoy interviews with numerous retired players, including Kenny Lofton and Sandy Alomar, Jr. Additional interviews with authors, baseball historians, sportscasters, team executives, and others augment brief historic reenactments, vintage game footage, and photographs.
Based on Mike Sowell’s book, The Pitch that Killed, this speaks to baseball fans, mostly in Cleveland, but others, even those unfamiliar with the baseball tragedy that spearheads the program are potential audiences. For public library sports collections. Recommended.